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

The first national organization that I would like to join is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  They inform anyone who is interested about the latest trends, trainings, and journal articles that pertain to young children.  Grandparents can look up advice on how to get their grandson to sleep on the same site that teachers may utilize to find additional resources for helping with English language learners.  This organization appealed to me because they have information regarding every aspect of young childhood education.  They do not only focus on one component such as behavior or English language learners.  They have up to date articles and journals that are geared towards helping everyone, not just educators.  They do not have any job opportunities currently available but they do offer membership into the organization.  That would be a useful tool to help me get all the current information they have to offer.

Another organization that I would like to join is called Child Care Aware.  It is designed for individuals who are looking to work in the early childcare field or parents who have young children.  They put people in contact with each other with regards of how to recognize high quality programs and what to look for in schools.  This appealed to me because many parents are not aware of what to look for when placing their children in preschools or day cares.  This site informs them of what to spot and what to ask.  One job that would interest me from this site is something that is not currently listed.  I would like to go into the programs they have listed and see what classifies them as high quality programs.  One skill that I would need to fulfill this role would be  understanding of what sets high quality programs apart from the rest that simply open up to make money.

The final group that I would join is the National Head Start Association.  The organization offers various articles about the Head Start program as well as professional development programs.  The site also offers current research that is being done in the field of early childhood education. This site appealed to me because I understand the important of Head Starts in low income programs.  Many families need the additional support and resources that this program has to offer in order to help their children.  There are no current job openings listed but I would like to be a program director for one of my local Head Start programs.  This would allow me to stay current in the field of early childcare education and help those who need it the most. The skill that I would need is the desire and drive to help.  Without that, the families would not be receiving the services and would not be benefiting from their experience at the Head Start.  My experience as a teacher in my town’s Head Start allows me to fully understand how the program works and how much it can impact families in a positive way.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

The first local organization that I found is the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey.  I chose this one because it is to help at-risk youth.  Organizations such as this always catch my attention.  These are the children who would benefit the most from extra positive attention.  I enjoy working with at risk children of all age groups and showing them different ways in which they can turn their lives around.

Although they currently have no open job opportunities, I would still like to be apart of the Intensive services program.  It is designed to help educate parents who have had their children taken away from them.  Being part of that program will allow me to see a different side of the education process and what steps are taken to help the families become a whole again. The skills that I feel that would be needed to fulfill this role would to keep myself educated about the child abuse laws as well as how to inform parents about the steps they can take if they start to feel overwhelmed and feel as though they need help raising their children.

Prevention First is an organization that teachers many different lessons to school age children.  They start at kindergarten and stay with the children until the end of third grade.  They teach them life skills such as peer pressure and conflict resolution.  This appeals to me because they are helping children with common everyday problems.  The children need assistance and often the individuals who work for this company go into low income or poverty stricken areas that could use this help the most.

There is currently a job opportunity in my local organization for an education specialist.  They are the educators who enter the schools and give the presentation on various important topics.  The skills needed are someone who is willing to help children, have a bachelor’s degree, and have a desire to assist those who need it the most.

The final organization that I found that appealed to me is Ocean Inc.  The organization is rather large and does many different things around the community.  Ocean Inc has preschool programs that are open to low income families as well as has various programs that help them pay their utilities.  They do various things around the community to help the families live a better life.

There is currently an opening for a Head Start director who is also a part of Ocean Inc.  I would love to be able to have this position because it assists more people and families than any other organization.  The director is in charge of the local Head Start program and decided who enters and who doesn’t.  They initially have the final say on everything that occurs within the school building.  I know I would excel at this position because I would be able to help the families since I am from the area I know what they are currently facing. I feel I would bring the necessary experience needed to fully understand the families’ situations and what can be done to solve it.

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