Exploring http://nbcdi.org/

As I become more familiar with the site, I choose to explore some of the sites affiliates.  http://bcdi-atl.org/ is the address to the Atlanta branch of the BCDI organization.  As I explored the Atlanta site and the programs the organization sponsers. One in particular was under the Health & Wellness section entitled "My Little World Curriculum", with the help of community sponsors like Walmart and the Local Partnership for the children the organization created and implemented a program for Early Childhood Professionals.  The program was designed to give professionals tools to teach children healthy eating habits and to promote physical fitness.  Other programs included Raising a Reader, and a program entitled Enter the College Zone to begin encouraging middle school children to focus on higher education.

International Contacts

As I listen to podcast I am learning about several professionals, and in targeting international contacts recently I listened to the podcast that featured Maysoun Chehab who trains early childhood professionals, advocates and creates programs for children in Lebanon and surrounding areas. One of her focuses in psychosocial support projects. What really caught my attention was a program in which they implemented following the War in Lebanon. 126 primary schools where destroyed. The program targeted parents and teachers on the affects children could be experiencing from the trauma of war.The program gave made parents more comfortable in assessing and dealing with the situation support projects range of social and emotional effects. The resource center provides other programs of this same nature.

Current Issue/Sharing Resources

As the we all know hurricane Sandy was devastating for so many individuals, but did any one think about how children are being affected in this aftermath.  Something I found interesting on  http://nbcdi.org was a an blog on helping African American families cope with crisis. The book is entitled Helping Children Cope with Crisis.
"Helping Children Cope with Crisis is an activity book for African American families that was developed by the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in collaboration with other organizations serving the African American community."

I find this information very helpful to families.  Especially for African American families because we have a tendency to not address things and assume the children will be ok. Children are very resilient but having a resource like this can help them cope.

Resource:

http://nbcdi.org/blog/2012/11/02/helping-children-cope-with-crisis/

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I have chosen to explore the website of the National Black Child Development Organization.  I have requested to receive there newsletter and am awaiting information from them.  Thus far I have found it interesting the the organization developed a program entitled Parent Empowerment Program(PEP). PEP was designed to give parents the tools to be their child's first teacher and is geared towards lower income African Americans but of course it can be used in a broad spectrum of parents.  I look forward to sharing more as I continue to explore the site.

I have also chosen to listen to podcast on World Forum.  The first professional I have researched is Susan Lyon who is the creator of the Innovative Teacher Project.  The Innovative Teacher Project is a pilot program to integrate the Reggio Emilia approach in a child development center in San Fransico.

MY SUPPORTS

My Supports

Family: My family is a huge part of my support system. My father still provides  some financial support. My mother provides more emotional support, she gives me advice and pushes me to complete my goals or things that I want to do in life.  If I did not have my family as a support system my life would be very different, financially  and I may not be in my current place in life.

Sorority Sisters: The support I receive from these ladies comes in many different forms. They are there whenever I may need them rather it be emotionally, financially, and spiritually. I can call any one of them at any time for any reason and they are there. They motivate me daily to create a better life for myself.  They have helped me grow over the past two years and without them I would not even be pursuing graduate school at this point in my life.

God: Over the years my spiritual relationship has grown. I have learned to lean on his strength through any situation I am facing. I know that my support comes from believing in my relationship with God and the plan he has for me. 

My Connections to Play

Life must be lived as play.

Plato
Greek philosopher
427–347 BC

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.

Ovid
Roman poet
43 BC–17 or 18 AD

Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.

Abraham Maslow
American psychologist
1908–1970

These three quotes embody what I believe play was for me during early childhood. I lived by playing and exploring the world around me.  I can remember playing with friends at home and at school. Below are the pictures of the toys that I remembered playing with the most; I played house being a mother to the dolls 

playing on the jungle gym at Andy's(childcare center), 

and playing teacher with friends.

I spent many days at Andy's and I can remember how she did activities with us and how I had friends at school that I would play with.  I remember my mom would always let my friend Sharonda come and play at the house and even spend the night most of the time. Play was how I interacted with those of importance to me in my younger years.  I can always remembering playing house as a child,only to become a early childhood professional.

Play was was an essential part of what I did as a child.  As I watch children play and interact in the classroom I see them taking on roles through pretend play, interacting with one another, and settling differences. Play is nit just play, it is how children learn, how they express their feelings and even express themselves.  Everything we learn as a child through play we assimilate into our lives and last with us even into adulthood.  Those same interactions we learned from as a child can impact how we socialize with other adults. Play provides life lessons.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships with people of importance in my life are my family, friends, and sorority sisters.  My family lives about 3 hours from me. I talk to my mother almost every day, and though I do not talk with my father as much he is always there for me when I need him.  From childhood to now my relationship with them has changed I have become closer to them and can talk with them in  a way that I never could before. I have few friends in my life. I believe people come and go for a reason, but I have one friend who has been in my life since middle school.  Though we do not see each other often or talk to each other everyday when we do its like we never missed a day in each other lives.  My sorority sisters have become my family. We lean and depend on each other just like my birth family.  Being away from home and having them around is great. From each of these relationships I learn a lot from each of my relationships and have a lot of guidance from the older woman in my life which is very helpful. As I go through life lessons with the people in my lives it helps me understand how important that being a part of a child's life is.