Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

UNICEF, NAEYC, and Head Start are three organizations that appealed to me as avenues of employment in the early childhood settings.   All three of these organizations are nationwide and UNICEF provided international opportunities.  I chose these specific organizations for their well know work with children and families and the research that is being done by them for children.

The first job that caught my interest was as an Educational Specialist in Thimphu, Bhutan.   The skills and qualifications that I would need to possess for this position is an advanced university degree in primary education.  I would need five years of relevant work experience at a national or international level in education programs which I do not have at this time.  I would need to be fluent in English and another United Nations language, also which I am not.  Also it is important that I am able to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and formal public speaking.  I would need good leadership and supervisory skills, be able to coordinate group activities, and work effectively in a multi-cultural environment ( UNICEF, 2012).

The second job that I was interested in was through NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Education as an Accreditation Coordinator.  The qualifications that I would need to possess are a BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, 3-5 years of experience in the early childhood field.  I would need experience with high quality programming and the NAEYC accreditations.  Plus I would need to have excellent oral and written communication skills, be analytical and computer skills in MS Office and database.  I also need to be willing to travel if needed (NAEYC, 2012).

The third job that I was interested in was through Head Start.  The position available was Family Development Advocate for Mohave County in Arizona.  The qualification for this position includes a Baccalaureate degree in Child Care/Early Childhood Education and AA Degree in Social Services or Child Care/ Early Childhood Education with two years’ experience in Social Services or related field.  Being bi-lingual in English and Spanish is preferred (Head Start, 2012).

References

Head Start. (2012). Career Center.  Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Employment Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs

UNICEF. (2012). Employment at UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index.php

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three organizations that were of interest to my study of families living in extreme poverty or homeless were Saint Vincent DePaul, Arizona Migrant Head Start, and First Things First.  These three organizations are in my local area of service in Arizona. 

Saint Vincent DePaul is a charity organization that is located throughout the nation (Stvincentdepaul, 2012).  They operate on donations and volunteer helpers.  They offer a large range of services that help not only those who are experiencing a hard time financially but services for individuals and families of those incarcerated in the prison system.  This organization appeals to me because of the large number of services they provide.  They provide these services for those who have no other avenue and they serve in a caring, nonjudgmental, and supportive manner.

Arizona Migrant Head Start, this section of Head Start focuses on migrant farm workers (AZ Migrant/Head Start, 2012).  These workers move from area to area in order to work the farms.  Families work long hours and often have to resort to lower quality childcare do to financial hardships.  The Migrant Head Start takes the children from these families and works with them for the time they may be in the area.  They educate and serve the families in many areas such as oral health education, family literacy, and mental health services.  They use a team approach in working with not only the children but the whole family.  They promote school readiness skills for children ages 0-5 (AZ Migrant/Head Start, 2012).  This organization appeals to me because I living in a high migrant population area and would like to know how to better serve families who are migrant workers. 

First Things First is an Arizona based program that promotes education, healthcare, and family support to all families (First Things First, 2012).  They support the families in their native language and culture.  Offer access to a multitude of services such as oral health, early screenings, nutrition, mental health, and injury prevention.  They provide parent education, services to help you find the right childcare for your child, scholarships, etc (First Things First, 2012).  This is a state funded program that is open to anyone who wants to take advantage of the program.  This program appeals to me in that it promotes parent education as well as school readiness skills for children.

One job that is currently open is for Center Service Manager III for the AZ Migrant Head Start program Chicanos Por La Causa.  The qualifications that I would need would be Bachelors in Education, experience in an early childhood setting, and administrative experience.  I would have to be able exhibit leadership abilities, multitask and have knowledge in the areas of program management, finances, computer skills, and Head Start procedures and protocol.

Resources

Arizona Migrant/Early Head Start-Chicanos por la Causa, Inc. (2012). The Arizona Migrant & Head Start Program. Retrieved from www.cplc.org/education/arizona-migrant-early-head-start.aspx

First Things First. (2012). Ready for School Set for Life. Retrieved from www.azftf.gov

St. Vincent de Paul Charity Phoenix. (2012). Voice of the Poor. Retrieved from www.stvincentdepaul.net