ECE Community: Internationally

 This week I took a look at three international organizations that help fight world hunger. 

The first organization is UNICEF.    This organization was founded in 1946 by the United Nations.  This organization believes that the early years of a childs life are the most important in building a secure foundation.  UNICEF offers many programs that help children including immunizations, education and child protection.  Their mission statement is "to advocate for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand thier opportunities to reach their fullest potential" (UNICEF).  I chose this organization, because they do so much to help children around the world to get what they require for a healthy life.

Jobs:  They currently have many postings available.  The position I was most interested in was Consultancy-Proofreading Immunization Summary.  This person is to proofread and do quality control on the new edition of Immunization Summary which is to be published this year.  This positon is a temporary position. 

Qualifications include proficiency in English, attention to detail, able to analyze materials and information, and be able to work in a multicultural environment.

The next organization I chose was the World Food Programme (WFP).  This organization was established in 1961.   They are the world's largest humanitarian organizatiin fighting hunger.  Thier vision is a "world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life" (WFP).  I chose this group because  they are very devoted to ending world hunger.  I found on their site a link for teachers.  In here I found many lessons I can use in class to help students learn about hunger around the world and how we can help.  These lessons were intended for grades 4 and up but with some modifications I think students in grade 2 could benefit also.

Jobs:  on their website they have various categories to choose from.  These include professionals, short term, locals and internships.  When I clicked on short term there were currently no positions available.  The other links prompted me to complete an online application before viewing any available jobs.

The final organization I chose was the Action Against Hunger/ACF International organization.   This is a global humanitarian organization that is committed to ending world hunger.  They currently operate in 40 countries and benefit the lives of approximately 5 million people annually.  One of the reasons why I chose this group is that not only do they help families with food and water, but they also teach communities solutions to hunger. I think this is important for the people to learn.  Not only does this organization help provide the necessities but they also show people how they can be helping themselves and giving them the skills to provide for their families and community.

Just like WFP, this site has a link for the student center.  Here I found information for teachers to share with students and activities that can be done in the class and the community to bring about hunger awareness.

Jobs:  This site has many offerings including internships.  The most appealing position to me was for Food Security and Livlihoods Program Manager.  This person basically reports interventions to help end hunger.  They would work closely with the coordinator in developing a team to run the facility.  The manager would be in charge of monitoring, evaluating and reporting monthly on such things as donors, staff and budget summaries. 

In order to be successful with this position, the individaul would need the followung skills:  self sufficient and motivated, able to work with a diverse group of people, good people skills, organized and able to supervise others.  This position would be stressful, so the person should be able to cope with stress appropriately and willing to work long hours.

Resources

Action Against Hunger/ACF International.  Retrieved at :  www.actionagainsthunger.org

UNICEF.  Retrieved at: www.unicef.org

World Food Programme.  Retrieved at:   www.wfp.org

ECE Community: Natinal/Federal Level

This week I had to find 3 national organizations that appealed to me in regards to homelessness.  The following three organizations are ranked in order from my top preference to the least.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.   The mission of this organization is to be the voice for the education of homeless children.  They unite educators, researchers, parents, advocates and service providers.    This uniting helps ensure that homeless children are enrolled and attend school.  It also ensures success of their educational outcome.

I like this organization because it really focuses on what is best for the child, and gives them the voice that is needed.  Children have rights and unfortunately, they are not strong enough to fight for them.  This organization does that for them.

The current position available is for a board member.  The position requires that the candidate be committed to working on behalf of homeless children and youths.  This position requires flexibility and willingness to attend conferences. 

www.naehyc.org

The next organization is National Center on Family Homelessness.   This organization conducts studies and writes reports that provide local and national leaders with valuable information to help them create effective policies on homelessness.    This organization appealed to me because we have a group of individuals who conduct the studies and give legislators accurate, up to date facts that will help our children. 

A current position they have is for an Administrative Assistant for Contracts and Grant Management.   This person needs excellent computer skills, able to meet deadlines, highly organized and self-motivated.   Knowledge of grants would be helpful.

www.familyhomelessness.org

The third organization is the National Coalition for the Homeless.    Their mission is “prevent and end homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights protected.”  

This appealed to me because in order to help children that are homeless, we need to look out for the whole family also.  This organization helps families with making sure they are provided with all services that they are entitled to.  Many people who are homeless, are taken advantage of, and with this group, their rights are protected.

There were no positions listed for this group, but on the website it offers many ways that you can help.  These include job training sessions, working at local shelters and tutoring children.

www.nationalhomeless.org

State and Local Agencies

For this blog I looked up different agencies in the state of Michigan. I found three agencies that were of interest to me.

The first agency is the MiAEYC ( Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children).  This organization is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth thriugh age eight. This woild be my second favorite organization to work for.  I think they do a wonderful job with training and implementing professional developoment for staff in the early childhood field.

The job posting that interested me was Early learning communities hub trainer.  This person woild delover training and support services.  The goal is to work witrh United Way in SE in Michigan in implementing early Learning Communities.

The skills for this job would include strong communication to explain services and materials.  Knowledge about early childhood education would be necessary also. 


The second organization I found was Michigan Federation for Children and Families.  Their vision statement is to assure that the most vulnerable children and families have access to quality services supported by private and public funding.

Job that was interesting to me but not qualified for was that of a care manager.  This position needs a bachelors of Human Services.  The job entailed working with a clinician and taking down information to help individuals be part of the community.    This person need to have good written and verbal skills.  Should be peoole oriented and willing to work as part of a team.


The final organization I found was Michigan Headstart.  This organization provides quality instruction and education to prepare children for school.  The program is also appropriate for the developmental , ethnic and cultural heritage of the families.  Of the three I have listd, this is my favorite.  I feel that this organization does a superb job in helping children and families with appropriate services.It would also require that the individual be knowledgeable about the local services that are available to families and the qualifications to meet thoise needs. Collaboration amongst other agencies would be necessary as well as team oriented.  Individual would need to be highly organized.

What I Learned

A hope that I have for children and families from diverse backgrounds is that I can make them feel comfortable, valued and accepted in the classroom.  I hope that people I encounter and talk with can learn to put differences aside and get to know a person for who they are and not what they wear, or hiw they dress. 

A goal that I have for the ECF in regards to diversity, is to help new educators become comfortable discussing differences with children.  I feel that at the beginning, new teachers are not taught enough about diversity.  I would like to see more workshops and opprtunities for professional growth in this area.

I have enjoyed this course with all my fellow classmates.  As in the past, I feel that I have grown so much professionaly and personally through all the great discussions and sharings offered.  I look forward to having you in future courses.   God Bless you all!

Alisa Smith

DIVERSITY IS A GOOD THING

As I read this poem, it really made me think of everything we have learned in this course!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Diversity is a Good Thing

Where would we be without diversity
Something that includes not only them, but both you and me
We wouldn’t have variety, or change or ethnic differences
We wouldn’t be able to enjoy each other’s accomplishments
Importance would be diminished of what each person has to say
We wouldn’t be able to flourish in an environment like the USA
Without all of the different people we encounter where would we be
We certainly wouldn’t enjoy celebrating events like Hispanic Heritage or Black History
No matter where you are, diversity is in your face
It’s in our neighborhoods, our churches and in the marketplace
We need to have awareness of others all around us
Something we must all learn and practice is others’ acceptance
What if you couldn’t share your ideas, your thoughts or your dreams
You would slowly die inside, feeling your life lacks any meaning
Without diversity, there would not have been people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead the way
Nor would we have a Black man, Barak Obama or a woman, Hillary Rodham-Clinton, campaigning in a presidential election today
We can’t just talk about diversity, but it must be in our thinking and in our actions
No one group of people can get in their mind that they are the main attraction
It is a wonderful thing to live where there is such diversity
It’s part of why this nation, America, is called the home of the brave and the land of the free
Diversity is a good thing!

Deidre Blair

We Don't Say Those Words In Class!

An incident I remember about a child making a comment about another individual was my second year of teaching.  I had a very mixed group of children, and there was one boy who was from a bi-racial family.  One day his mom came to volunteer in the classroom and the child ran up to give her a kiss.  A little girl shouts out "you can't kiss her.. your black and she's white!"  My mouth about hit the floor and before I could say anything ( I was fumbling for words), the mother said to the child, that it was okay that she was his mommy and that his family is made up of African American and Whites.  The girl was confused but she let it go.

I think the message that this sent was that the little girl had never seen a mixed family before and she was surprised by it.  With the mother's reaction in a calm voice, the girl felt as though her curiosity had been acknowledged and she got an answer that she kind of understood.

I talked to the girls parents later that night and explained what happened in case she had further questions, they may be able to discuss it further with her.  I think this would be a great opportunity for an educator to introduce a lesson on family makeup and how families can be different.

Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

In responding to a parent that was opposed or concerned about books depicting gays/lesbians I would first start with acknowledging their concerns.  I would then continue to discuss with them that as educators we teach about diversified cultures and that it is important for children to understand not all families are the same.  By teaching at a young age, we are hopefully minimizing stereotyping later in life.  I would assure the parents that these books are to introduce the concept of different family structures.  The parents would need to understand that the books are age appropriate and that we are not preferring one style over the other.   I think if parents had the opportunity to look at, read and ask questions about the books that we would be able to soothe their concerns.

I have worked in daycares and schools that have had caregivers/teachers that are homosexuals.  Some parents have had concerns over this.  In response to their concerns, I would assure them that their child is in safe hands.  In any type of childcare facility, individuals must have thorough background checks.  This would eliminate any fear of these individuals having any type of felons or misdemeanors against them.  I would also stress that even though a person may be a homosexual, their main priority is for the education, safety and well- being of the children.