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After checking out several
national early childhood organizations, I identified three that appealed to me,
all for different reasons.
The first organization is
the Children’s Defense Fund (http://www.childrensdefense.org/).
This organization has provided me with a lot of information about children
living in poverty, which is an area that has really called out to me since my
enrollment at Walden University. This organization champions for equality of
children’s health, education, and well being. From this organization’s mission
statement, I was able to learn that central to their work is advocating for
changes that will prevent further social injustices as well as work to better
the current ones. Preventative measures are what will lead to long-term
solutions.
If I were to apply for a job
in this organization I would be most interested in the position of project
manager, as this would give me an opportunity to connect programs with
community resources, and set up and oversee new early childhood programs.
Requirements for this job are knowledge of early childhood, and understanding
of the location’s cultures, strong communication skills, and experience in an
administrative role (the one skill I currently do not have). This job appeals
to me because it is very different from my current position and offers many
opportunities for growth in areas I have little or no experience in.
The next organization I
looked into is Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and
Families (http://www.zerotothree.org/).
This organization uses research to advocate for best practices in regards to
healthy child development and growth of infants and toddlers. I have learned
from my research at Walden and my experience in the education field that
research-based practices and data-driven decisions are the way to reach
administrators. Zero to Three’s approach to the early childhood field is
essential for this reason.
Though there are no openings
posted, I was interested in a job for this organization in the Early Steps to
School Success program, which provides education to children aged birth to
five, parents, and staff. To be able to do this job I would need a degree in
early childhood education, as well as the skills of communicating with
families, building educational and/or curriculum plans, and creating staff
training seminars.
The third organization I am
drawn to is the Council for Exceptional Children (http://www.cec.sped.org/), because working
with students with special needs is my comfort area and my area of expertise.
The CEC works to advocate for and provide equality in learning programs and
family involvement for children of both challenging and gifted abilities. This
organization offers professional development opportunities and resources that
can benefit my practice.
Though the ECE does not have
any current positions open, I would be interested in working as a conference
and convention coordinator. Skills necessary for this job are most likely
strong communication skills, knowledge of child development and education, and
networking experience. A job like this would be exciting because of the
opportunities to network with presenters. It would be interesting to take a
“behind the scenes” position.
It was interesting to step
outside of the local community and see what organizations are doing across the
country in so many different specialty areas, all pertaining to the early
childhood field. It makes one realize how vast the area of early childhood is
and how one can never truly be done learning.
