Time Well Spent

I have learned a lot from this program.

Obviously, I learned so much about children.  I learned new information, approaches, and issues and trends in the field.  I understand child development in a more in depth way.  With this knowledge, I feel more confident in my abilities to provide quality services to the children that I work with.

I also learned a lot about working with others.  I learned how to communicate and collaborate more effectively.  Thinking about who my supports are and who my ideal community of practice in a project would be, has helped me realize that I cannot do it alone.  Take this program for example, I would have not been able to achieve success without the support from my family, friends, instructors and colleagues in this program.

I learned a lot about myself.  My confidence in my abilities and my work has expanded.  I feel more prepared to take on challenges.  Returning and continuing my education after all these years has helped me realize that it is never too late and that anything is possible.

One long term goal that I have is to never stop learning.  With such a dynamic field, the need to stay open in my ways of thinking is necessary.  In order to support children and families in the best ways I must be flexible and gather relevant information for every situation in order to provide individualized support.

I want to say thank you to Johnna.  During a time of frustration you helped ease my tensions and reassured me that I was on the right track and encouraged me to not give up.

I would like to bid farewell to my colleagues.  You were more than just classmates, you are my friends.  Even though I sat at home alone on my computer completing assignments late at night I was never really alone.  There was constant communication, feedback, insights and encouragements that helped me get through the stress of working and being in school at the same time.  I wish you all the best and truly thank you for your support and sharing in this life changing experience with me.

Congratulations!!!!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The international organizations or communities of practice that appealed to me are:

United Nations Children’s Fund- http://www.unicef.org

I chose this organization because of the work it does in all regions of the world concerning the rights of young and adolescent children.  They provide material resources for children in areas stricken with poverty, environmental crisis, violence, or natural disasters.  They work towards creating policies that honor the rights of children.  It is their focus on helping the most disadvantaged children that makes their work so important.  

The job opportunity that interests me here is working with is the division that focuses on culture and language.  Since UNICEF works in over 190 countries the need to employ people who have experience working with diverse children and families is preferred.

I found a media segment from their International Year of Youth campaign 2010 that promoted peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across diverse topics including the culture.  This is the type of area I would be interested in working with UNICEF because it deals with promoting diversity.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- http://www.unesco.org

I chose this organization because it labels itself as a cultural organization which I had not been able to find until now.  I think so many times we focus on what children need so much because we want to help them acquire that to reach their potential.  We focus on what they lack and forget that they already possess so much in terms of their culture and language.

The job opportunity that interests me here is working with this team that published the UNESCO Conceptual and operational Framework on Intercultural Competences.  One of the parts of the study is titled “Promoting Intercultural Competences”.  Other topics present in the study are language, multilingualism and universality. 

Family Health International- http://www.fhi360.org

Family Health International, formerly known as the Academy for Educational Development, adopts a 360 degree perspective at finding solutions to helping different communities.  I chose this organization because one of their values is mutual respect for diversity and cultural differences.  I also admire their approach to working with different disciplines to address issues of human development.

The job opportunity that interests me is the Grants Manager position.  I enjoy writing with a focus and because I am passionate about supporting children, families, and providing services for those in need I feel that it would be a challenging and rewarding job for me.  Since I would be managing the grants, I would be able to review them and work with the writers to help revise and edit the proposals before they are sent out.