As advocates for children and families I think it is important for us to remember that all children throughout the world are important and as humans we are all connected. Therefore, this week I have identified three international organizations that I believe do excellent work for children, families, and education in general. The first is UNICEF or the United Nations Children's Fund, which focuses in areas of child survival and development. UNICEF focuses on basic education and gender quality, HIV Aids and children, and child protection and policy advocacy. UNICEF believes that nurturing and care for young children is the cornerstone of human progress. UNICEF is active in more than 190 countries. A current job opportunity that is available is the position of Education Specialist, which provides technical support to early childhood programs in a given area. To obtain this position one must have a Master's, have a growing understanding of culture, and speak at least two of the UN's home languages fluently.
A second program I found is called Save the Children, which is an independent organization that works with children throughout the world. They are committed to raising awareness of accountability, innovation, and collaboration throughout the field of early childhood education. They are also currently one of the leaders in supporting universal access to preschool. Currently, they have a specialist position in early childhood education which would provide training and support to partner centers and programs. To obtain this position one must have a Master's and be familiar with emergency response protocols as well as quality standards and adult training.
Finally, the International Step by Step Association promotes equal access to quality education and care for all. The program which was founded in the Netherlands, works to ensure that children everywhere have a strong start in life. Every year the association hosts a conference and provides teacher trainings and certification. I could not find any open positions at this organization however.
References
International Step by Step Association http://www.issa.nl/index.html
Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org
UNICEF http://www.unicef.org
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Joseph, how ironic we chose all three of the same organizations for our community of practice! I am very interested in the International Step by Step Association due to their strong focus on young children having a strong start and foundation early on in life.
ReplyDeleteDear Joseph,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the resources you did. I was familiar with UNICEF but the other two were new to me. I also used the Step by Step Association. I am very interested in all of the resources. They all seem to have the same vision, hopefully one day with our help we can reach all the children and families around the world. Everyone deserves the same chances.
Are you interested in either of the job postings you listed?
Catherine
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your resources! I am familiar with all three organizations you mentioned and they truly strive to positively impact the lives of children, families and societies that are in need. Like you said, all children around the world are important and we are all connected. Saadi, a Persian poet, says:
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
Maryam
James,
ReplyDeleteI concur with you as it relates to the connectedness of children throughout the world. I had the opportunity to visit Mexico on a mission trip. What I gathered from the children there is the same thing I observe in American children--they all want love and to be counted as significant. When we finish this program of study, I hope we all leave with a hunger to make a difference in the lives of children.
Yolonda
Thanks for sharing! I found the International Step by Step Association to be a valuable resource for children and their families regardless of residency in the Netherlands. Organizations that work internationally to promote equal access to quality education and care for all are assisting the field of early childhood education with addressing issues and trends that affect the lives of children an their families. I look forward to following the Step by Step Association website for valuable resources to share with the children and their families I serve.
ReplyDelete