Getting To Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Korea

This week in my correspondence with Jo Theis, my international contact from Korea, she told me that her professional goals are to continue doing what she loves, working with children.  She enjoys working with children who have challenging behaviors, who can't sit still, and who think outside of the box.   She uses Art as her "vehicle" for doing this.  Ms. Theis holds four Teaching Licenses and always feels like she can continue to learn more, to her it is not about a "title" but rather about enjoying what she does. 

The school that Ms. Theis works at provides each staff member with $1200 a year for professional development which they can use as they choose.  This is how she was able to attend the conference in Malaysia, she is able to choose her own professional development.  She also attends any required or requested conferences, workshops, and/or seminars requested by the school.  These requested conferences, workshops, and/or seminars do not come out of her $1200.00 yearly budget. 

She believes that the International schools maintain a high level of professional development in order to keep their clientele.  Families pay a lot of money to attend these schools and expect staff to be knowledgeable, competent, and the best in their field. 

Ms. Theis hopes that one day the schools in the United States will also take professional development of staff as a priority and that we are able to find the funding to make our schools comparable to those around the world.


Costa Rica

My correspondence with  my other contact, Mrs. Tapiaaguilar, from Costa Rica stated that her professional goals were always to provide the best services to her families and the children that she worked with.  She still continues to stay current on issues and trends in the education system in Costa Rica and Mentors new teachers when needed. 

During the time that Mrs. Tapiaaguilar taught she stated that Professional Development was done at the Teacher's expense.  This shows how committed teachers truly had to be within the profession.  Now that Costa Rica has improved so much on their education system Professional Development is on going once you become a teacher.  You have yearly trainings, workshops, and conferences that you are required to attend.  These are paid for by the government.

Mrs. Tapiaaguilar stated that her professional hopes and dreams include seeing all children throughout the world receiving high-quality education services.  She believes every country has their own challenges to work through but that with commitment of professionals, parents, and governments these challenges can be overcome.

Sharing Web Resources - Week 6

The Global Fund For Children (GFC), www.globalfundforchildren.org, posted their Winter/Spring 2011 E-Newsletter.  In the Newsletter the new CEO, Kristin Lindsey introduces herself and two new board members.  She also summarized the mission of GFC for children globally by quoting her favorite Dr. Seuss book, Oh, The Places You Will Go.  From the book she quotes:

You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.

The mission of GFC is to focus on children's safety, access to education, health, and their ability to thrive.  With these needs attended children can go anywhere and achieve anything.

The newsletter also provided an outside link to the conference the founder, Maya Ajmera attended at Duke University's National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship Education.  The conference focused on social problems facing children today and their solutions.

On the outside link at Duke University the article on the conference referenced what was discussed at the conference.  Issues such as health disparities, quality education, and the importance of grass roots organizations.  Michael Merson stated that the health disparities are a result of chronic disease, climate change, and inadequate health systems.  He also referenced the importance of health and its relation to development.

Leela Prasad discussed the quality of education and how it continues to be a global problem in both rural and urban areas.  She stated that their research shows dramatic changes in the quality of education can be seen when governments invest in schools, when this investment is reduced or taken away education quality declines.  This demonstrates the importance of government funding and investment into education.

The area of the website that I researched further was the Our Work section.  This section focuses on the news in Children's Issues.  There is an article on former child soldiers who even after a demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration process remain living in poverty.  Another article discusses the Democratic Republic of Congo stepping up its immunizations for pneumonia which is its leading cause of death in children under five.  The last article discussed how child advocates continue to fight in the Philippines for justice for young children who are targeted by the militia. 

One important insight I have gained from this website is the importance of grass root organizations.  These entrepreneurs who start up organizations and programs in their communities provide services for health, safety, and education for children who are often sometimes invisible, lost, or forgotten. 

Getting To Know International Contacts - Part 2 Equity and Excellence

Unfortunately this week I have not been able to correspond with my first International contact, Jo Theis.  I believe she is still in Malaysia attending a Conference.  However, I reviewed her previous correspondence and found several references to the excellence in her experience in Korea.  The school Ms. Theis works for costs $25,000 a year to attend and none of the students are attending on a scholarship.  She told me that education and children, rich or poor, are a priority in Korea.  Families will make great sacrifices for their children's education.  She also talked about how the children push themselves and strive for excellence.  Because the students work so hard it pushes the teachers and raises the bar for them to challenge the students.  Many students will attend after school what is known as Hogwon, which is not tutoring or assistance with homework but rather it is more school.  Compared to her experience in Minneapolis it is drastically different.   Excellence in education is expected in Korea.

From my contact in Costa Rica, Jeanette Tapiaaguilar, she told me the history of education in Costa Rica and how they are the most literate country in Central America.  She proudly told me that the country is proud of their 93% literacy in the population over the age of 10.  Teachers are highly respected in her country and out number policemen she jokingly told me.  Even very rural communities have a elementary and high school.  Education is state-funded in Costa Rica with even their Universities being state-funded.  There are also private elementary, high schools, and universities but they also do not cost very much to attend and are regulated by the State Ministry.  Libraries in rural areas also assist with educating older adults if they need improvement on their literacy skills or just want to learn more.  Education is available for everyone, rich or poor, and she was very proud that even children from poor families have the opportunity to obtain a higher education.

From both of my contacts it is evident that both countries make education and children a priority.  This seems to be something that here in America we lack.  While education and children are important in our country I don't feel that we make them a top priority.  The tide seems to be changing in America, however we still struggle for funding, accountability, achievement gaps, and meeting standards. 

Sharing Web Resources - Global Fund For Children - Part 2

The website I reviewed, Global Fund For Children (www.globalfundforchildren.org), was relevant to my current professional development in that it allowed me to learn more about the needs and issues facing children around the globe and to learn more about the innovative programs being implemented in other parts of the world.  I love learning more about other cultures, other programs, and how others are meeting the challenges facing children and the youth of the world.

One statement from the site that really stuck with me was the comment under the Our Model section that stated that "the needs of children and youth, though in many ways universal, are best responded to in ways that fit the particular situation on the ground"(www.globalfundforchildren.org).  I found this statement to be very thought provoking and it made me realize that "one model" will not fit all circumstances.  This can be applied even to the United States.  What works in Minnesota may not work in Georgia.  We need to ensure that we are meeting the needs of children so that it is appropriate for the children in that area. 

The Global Fund For Children has several strategic partnerships with several organizations such as: Charlesbridge Publishing; Good Weave (combats child labor in India); International Center of Photography (fellowship program for young photographers); Tea Collection (clothing line used to raise funds); and youth Philanthropy Worldwide (an organization to increase New Global Citizens in schools across America).  The organization also is made up of a very "diverse, motivated, and highly accomplished professionals" in the fields of grant making, philanthropy, communication, development, books, and finance and operations.  Their Board of Directors consists of professionals from finance, philanthropy, management, and consulting.  These individuals partner and work together to help fund programs operated and managed by professionals in their own fields, such as the early childhood care and education field, to "advance the dignity of children and youth around the world" (www.globalfundforchildren.org). 

Other insights that I gained from exploring the website came from reading the Blog Section, On The Road.  The blog is made up of many different authors from many different regions from around the world.  Each posting gives you wonderful insight into programs and daily life from around the world. 

Getting To Know International Contacts - Part 1

The first person I made contact with was through a colleague of mine whose cousin work as a teacher in South Korea.  Jo Theis taught for 20 years in the public schools of Minneapolis when she transferred to the Seoul Foreign School to teach Middle School Art.  The school she teaches at was created in 1912 by missionaries.  In order to attend this school you must hold a passport from outside of Korea.  For this reason Ms. Theis explained that it is not uncommon for families to move to the United States to have their children and then return so that their children will hold a U.S. passport.  Education in South Korea is a priority and is taken very seriously.  Families will live apart so that children can attend the best schools.  Ms. Theis also is the Assistant Head of School for Academics.  She works a great deal with the benchmarks and standards for PK-12.  This week she will be attending a Conference in Malasia and will be attending a focus group on Early Childhood Education. 

Ms. Theis explained that many of the students in her school are what are considered "Third Culture Kids".  Prior to our conversation I had not heard of this expression.  She explained that this means that the culture the children encounter at school is different from the culture at home and different from the culture of their community.  I found this interesting since I realized that this is exactly what I experienced as a student in West Germany when I attended the American High School there.  She also gave me a link to a blog that I found interesting which discusses Third Culture Kids and their challenges:  http://libbystephens.com/blog/schools 

When I asked Ms. Theis about poverty she explained that South Korea hides their poor and it is rarely ever seen.  In her years living there she has only ever seen one woman who begs in the town they go to when they go to the market.  When she spoke to her colleagues regarding poverty many felt that because South Korea has been occupied by other countries that it has created a sense of pride and determination and this keeps individuals inspired to overcome their struggles.  Many also felt that poverty is a very personal issue for Koreans and they do not discuss such issues openly with others.  While they are a very giving culture and have many holidays where they give gifts to everyone and they will share what ever they have they are also still very private about some issues.   

I have found our conversations very interesting and informative.

My second contact, Jeanette Tapia-Aguilar, is actually my brother-in-laws mother.  She lives in Costa Rica.  While she is now retired she taught for 20 years in Costa Rica from Preschool to Third Grade.  She explained that in Costa Rica Preschool and general education is mandatory, free, and funded by the State.  They have two "periods" which include the Infant/Nursery period for children under 5 and Preschool for children 5-6 which they attend prior to Kindergarten / First Grade.  She explained that poverty has always been an issue in Costa Rica but one which they have greatly improved on reducing in their country through social service, education, and health programs.  Their medical services are of the highest quality and their higher education costs much less than it does in America. 

She also told me that while she worked she did have children who would come to school hungry, dirty, and who lived in very poor conditions.  For those children, the school would always feed them and try to assist them with local services, many of which were provided by local churches.  She feels that poverty is always an issue which educators face with the families and students in their schools but she feels that Costa Rica goes a long way to address the issue. 

Below I have also listed the link to the school in which Ms. Theis works for:

http://www.seoulforeign.org/

Sharing Web Resources - Global Fund For Children

The website I chose to review during week 1 was Global Fund For Children, I also signed up for their newsletter.  The link for the website is:   http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/  This organization provides capital through grants to "strengthen innovative community-based organizations serving the most vulnerable children and youth" (http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/).

Their newsletters are released four times a year: fall, winter,spring, and summer.  They also have their previous newsletters available online to review.  Their newsletter discusses several grant award winners and their projects.  I reviewed their Fall 2010 newsletter and was impressed with the types of projects that won grants.  The projects range from educating young women to helping young children and families in Haiti and Pakistan. 

This website really caught my attention because the grantees are grass root community-based projects.  They award grants to projects and support the needs of children in a variety of ways.  The projects can range from providing tutoring, after-school programs and establishing classroom environments (http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/).  The classroom environments are sometimes simple, basic teaching environments located outside, near garbage dumps, or even train or boat stations. 

This organization is funded through donations and their media program that highlights and brings awareness to the needs of children through photos, books, and films.

From this website I have learned about projects in Pakistan and how they are assisting young children and families.  Some of the projects in Pakistan after their flooding in July include emergency grants to the following projects:  "De Laas Gul Welfare Programme (Peshawar) provides relief packages for families and documents the situation through reports and photographs. Aware Girls (Peshawar) reaches out to meet the needs of adolescent girls. Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (Islamabad) provided food and clothing to children. Shangla Development Society (Shangla district) made food and milk available to children" (http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/).  Prior to reviewing this website I was not familiar with these projects or any others in Pakistan. 

This website has truly made me more aware of issues facing young children throughout the world.

Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field

Part 1:  Establishing Contacts

In order to establish contact with early childhood professionals outside of the US I reviewed the World Organization For Early Childhood Education (OMEP) website.  From there I visited the different regions and chose several different professionals via email.  In my letter I wrote that I was a student studying the Early Childhood Education field and that I would like to find another early childhood professional that I could communicate with regarding the early childhood field in their country.  I have also contacted several different family members and asked if they have any contacts they could possibly share in the country they live in.  I have also contacted several friends and family that live outside the United States to see if they know of any early childhood professionals who would be willing to allow me to make contact with them.  Another route I took was to search for Early Childhood Education Organizatons on Facebook and posted a message on their walls.  I choose organizations such as Zero to Three, Association for Childhood Education International, and Global Fund for Children.  I am hoping to be able to make contact with several professionals; however, if I am unable to I will be doing the alternative for Part 1.

Part 2:  Expanding Resources

For this portion of the blog assignment this week I chose to review the Global Fund for Children website (www.globalfundforchildren.org).  I signed up for their newsletter which is issued quarterly.  I reviewed their Fall 2010 newsletter in which they discussed four of their grantees and their programs.  The Global Fund for Children organization awards grants to community-based programs that work with some of the world’s most poverty-stricken and vulnerable children and youth combined with a media program that highlights and brings awareness through digital photography, books, and film to issues affecting today’s children.  The organization began awarding grants in 1997 and since then has awarded over 400 grants in 75 countries totaling 18.9 million dollars. 

The Global Fund for Children supports the needs of children in a variety of ways from granting scholarships to children to attend formal schools, providing tutoring and mentoring programs, providing after-school programs, and establishing classrooms in a wide range of environments.

The Core Values of the organization include: Innovation, Excellence, Accountability, Knowledge, Dignity, Empowerment, Results Oriented, Integrity, Flexibility, Collaborative, and Supportive.

This site intrigued me because it assists in such a wide range of ways.  It provides capital to grass-roots organizations and allows them to promote health and education throughout the world.