Week 4: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

There are many national organizations dedicated to the well-being of young children and their families.  For my blog post this week I chose 3 that were most interesting to me.  From there, I researched different job openings within each organization.  Although I am currently working in an early childhood setting that I adore, getting information about possible openings and opportunities for the future is beneficial.

The first organization I chose was the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  I see them as the largest and most influential group working for the education of young children on a national level.  NAEYC was also interesting to me because I love the articles that come from their magazine Young Children.  I was interested to see if there were openings for freelance writers to get articles into the magazine as that is something I think I would enjoy doing in conjunction with teaching. 

The openings for NAEYC currently available include proposal reviewers for the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development expo, consulting editors for Young Children magazine, and website advisory panel members.  After looking into each I found the position of proposal reviewer to be most appealing.  The position only requires experience and expertise in the early childhood field.  It entails reading through proposals for presenters and writing reviews of them.  Then, with the help of other reviewers, you would be responsible for choosing a certain number of presenters to go to the expo or conference.

The second organization I chose was Zero to Three.  It is a national organization that works to aid infants, toddlers, and families.  I was interested in Zero to Three because their mission aligns with the importance of early care.  On their About Us page I learned that they believe, “early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter” (Zero to Three, n.d., para. 2).  This is one of the foundational ideas that got me interested in early childhood during my undergraduate studies and it is still a driving force for me today.

Job openings for Zero to Three include graphic designer, project director, community coordinator, and program director.  Since these were pretty vague titles I had to look further into the descriptions of each.  I am not overly interested in any of the positions as all would take me to Washington, DC or Connecticut.  If I were to move for one of the positions I would be most apt to apply for the community coordinator position.  The job involves coordinating with community services within the Safe Babies project.

Finally, I chose the organization National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).  This was not an organization I knew much about but I was interested to find more.  Their purpose is to promote professional growth for educators working in the field of early childhood.  My focus with my Master’s through Walden was educating adults so this seems like a good organization to look into.

The job openings for NAECTE include faculty and assistant professor positions at different settings.  The assistant professor in early childhood education was definitely of interest to me, despite the location.  When I was doing my undergraduate work I was very interested in one day teaching a course in early childhood at a local college.

The experience of looking into different positions has been very educational.  I have appreciated the opportunity to look beyond my comfort zone.  While I am currently happy with my location and position as a Kindergarten teacher it is great to know what else is out there.  I can see myself looking into other positions, like the ones I’ve researched, as I move further along in my career.  

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015 from http://www.naecte.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.naeyc.org/

Zero to Three (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.zerotothree.org/

Week 1: Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

There are many state and local organizations and agencies that affect young children and families.  Some of these organizations were easy for me to list quickly while others took a bit of time to discover.  I appreciated the opportunity to explore these resources further.

One organization that comes to mind immediately is the YMCA.  I have worked with children in many different capacities at the YMCA from swim instructor to birthday party coordinator and everything in between.  Through my work with the YMCA, I have gotten a chance to see the amazing things they do for young children and their families.  Their mission is to, “put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all” (Benton Harbor-St.Joseph YMCA). 

While all YMCA branches operate similarly, I feel that my local YMCA is especially child and family focused.  They host many family events such as movie nights, game nights, and pool parties that are available at a very low cost to local residents.  Child care is provided on-site as well as for before and after school programs housed in many local schools.  All of the opportunities provided for families are at a reasonable cost but scholarships and financial assistance is also an option.

Currently my local YMCA has job openings for personal trainers, janitorial staff, and lifeguards.  As none of these openings speak to me I decided to think of positions there that I would be interested in should a vacancy present itself.  I would be very interested in planning summer programming for young children.  Summer camps through the YMCA are incredibly well run and I believe my Kindergarten teaching experience has given me a solid foundation in planning learning opportunities.  Coordinating the different before and after school programs would also be an interesting position.

The second organization that I explored was the Michigan Head Start Association.  “MHSA is the unified voice providing advocacy and leadership linking the Head Start community of parents, programs, and partners” (Michigan Head Start Association).  This organization focuses on education, advocacy, communication, and collaboration in the realm of Head Start. 

This organization was interesting to me because it works to unite the focus and mission of all Head Start programs in Southwest Michigan.  I love the idea of bringing programs together and working to support them in order to more effectively serve young children and their families.

Currently there are several job postings in this organization.  One that I found interesting was the position of Children’s Program Manager at a Head Start facility.  The job description noted that the person hired would be in charge of the day-to-day oversight of the early childhood programs.  I felt that I had many of the necessary job requirements including an ability to, “prioritize and complete tasks within a timely manner” (Michigan Head Start Association).

The final organization that I chose was one I had not previously heard about but found in my searching.  “Child Care Resource works with parents, child care providers, businesses and the community to improve access to quality child care and early education so that every child enjoys safe, nurturing and inspiring care” (Child Care Resources).  I love that their mission is all about making child care accessible for all children.  We know that early education and care is so important yet many families are unable to afford child care.

From the Child Care Resource website links to many interesting resources about helping families find child care as well as advocating for healthy lifestyles for young children.  I was especially interested in the Training section because it linked to places where educators could find professional development opportunities on the subject.

Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.bhsjymca.org/

Child Care Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.ccr4kids.org/en-us/aboutus.aspx

Michigan Head Start Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://michheadstart.org/