Profile a Volunteer

Volunteering is a major part of my life, I volunteer on a regular basis with my alumnae sorority. Our focus in our community is working with young children, we plan events that supply children with school supplies, host programs that give children resources and education on STEM, and collect shoes for children in need just to name a few of our projects. More recently we have taken on a project where we mentor young ladies in middle and high school. For my personal journey as a volunteer I have a long way to go, I am passionate about many things and need to choose a specific area that I would like to dedicate my life to helping. There is someone in my chapter that I look up to because of her volunteer efforts in many different states. She is a former veteran and dedicates herself to volunteer efforts for troops and former veterans. She hosts Operation Stand Down yearly which supports homeless veterans, she also has her own foundation that supports her causes.  She has lived in several states due to her husbands job but in each city she continues her volunteer efforts. Her efforts and foundation has supported hundreds of veterans and troops. I aspire to become a volunteer on the level that she is.  Seeing and being apart of her journey has taught me a lot, but all her efforts are truly driven by her passion.  Having passion and persistence is just one of the things she has taught me, but she has also shown me how to become a better volunteer and leader.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

Social media has grown to become a way of life for most people. I remember being in college when Facebook was first introduced and you where required to be a college student to join. Now it has grown into a major part of communication with people across the world.  There was a time where I was very active in social media, but now I have began to be more selective with how and why I use my social media accounts.
Social media is important to advocacy because social media is the fastest way to reach a mass amount of people, videos go "viral" in a matter of minutes.  Advocacy organizations can take advantage of reaching people and raising awareness for their issue by creating unique ads, videos, announcements and etc to posted on facebook, twitter, instagram just to name a few sites.
For my own personal use of social media as an advocacy tool would mean sharing my thoughts on issues on my pages and account, sharing advocacy organizations missions with others on my social media outlets, and joing advocacy organizations on the social media sites.

Advocacy through Advertisment

Teacher recruitment is a current issue. 17% of all job openings in 2020 will be in education(Ad Council). Teachers have the power to change the educational system of k-12 education in America. The ad campaign is for a national campaign supported by Microsoft, State Farm, and the U.S Department of Education.The ad touched me because it stated "You don't need to be famous to be unforgettable." And thought campaign is geared toward k-12 this statement is something every early childhood professionals strives to do daily, is build a lasting foundation that each child will have for a lifetime, making it unforgettable.  The early childhood field needs quality teachers as well. The teaching profession shapes the future of our nation and the purpose of this ad is to draw in the brightest students into the profession.

Diversity and Inclusion campaign is meant to promote the reconsideration of biases that we dont even know we have. Basically to draw attention to biases and to challenge everyone to recognize any biases they may have and overcome them. Everyone deserves a fair chance in the nation. The visual as for this campaign has two skeleton bodies with just the hands being colored every other part of the body left as bones, while the hands are holding each other, one hand Caucasian and the other African American with the title Hands-Love has no label. Living in America we are a part of a melting pot where we must teach our children diversity and how to respect others for their differences rather it be race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability.

Reference;
http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Family-Community/Diversity-Inclusion
http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Education/Teacher-Recruitment

My Own Capacity

My passion for advocacy in the beginning was more focused on working with children who have suffered from abuse. But now as we have begin to explore my passion is fueled by the changes that need to occur in the early childhood field. Many do not view early childhood as a field that is necessary to the education system but it is and those early years in a child's like build lasting connections for a lifetime.  Lobbying for funds to create and support early childhood education is now a passion for me.

There are many resources available in my area, one of those being the local Partnership for Children, which houses the local Smart Start program as well. Having this agency at my disposal will be a place that I can go and get involved with advocacy programs/projects.  They also resource connections in the local, state, and federal government.

Being new to advocacy I have room to grow in developing my skills as an advocate. I hope to get involved on local level with the agency I stated above to gain more experience in the field.

My Role As an Advocate

• What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

As an advocate I am motivated by the fact that children are our future and investing in their lively hood and education makes a difference in whether a child is successful or not in life. Also every child deserves the opportunity to be exposed to quality education.

• Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

On the micro level you helping families, providers, and teachers understand the importance of development and learning during the early years of a child.  The macro level is combining your foundation of early childhood knowledge with public policy and legislation.  As an advocate you have to be versed in both areas because the more you involve the micro level in the macro level the bigger the impact you can make.

• What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

It takes knowledge and passion for what you do.  It also takes being involved in community agencies  and making connections with those who are already community leaders. You also want to involve yourself with those who have a similar or same beliefs that you have and are willing to advocate for.   You must also be willing to stand alone in what you believe in and stand up for that belief.  

• What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

As Robin Roberts (Zero to Three) states it takes money as a resource to implement new programs and to even maintain current programs. It also takes having individuals on your side that have connections on a state level whether it be representatives or commissioners, someone that can actually make changes in your states policies and laws.

• What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

To mobilize others I use education of facts of things that are occurring in the field that they will be affected by.  Also when I interact with my staff or teachers and they have ideas or issues with the early childhood system I encourage them to get involved with legislation and law making.  

• What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?

My advice would be to let your passions guide you. Begin to make connections on the local level with those agencies or councils that share your interest.  Also begin to follow news through council newsletters or etc so that you can stay current with changes that are happening. 

Resource:

Zero to Three Policy Center. (2008). Advocacy strategies to improve outcomes for very young children: Interviews with leaders at the state and community levels. Retrieved from
http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/AdvocacyLeaders_final.pdf?docID=1882

Becoming an Advocate

Obama Supports Early Education as Ultimately Cost Saving

CHICAGO, Dec 16 (New York Times) —

"Mr. Obama’s platform, which Mr. Duncan helped write, emphasizes extending care to infants and toddlers as well, and it makes helping poor children a priority. It would also provide new federal financing for states rolling out programs to serve young children of all incomes."

Mr. Obama’s platform accepts the broad logic of the Ypsilanti study. “For every one dollar invested in high-quality, comprehensive programs supporting children and families from birth,” the platform says, “there is a $7-$10 return to society in decreased need for special education services, higher graduation and employment rates, less crime, less use of the public welfare system and better health.”

The report was published in the New York Times.

This excerpt for the New York Times highlights that our government has begun to see the benefits in early childhood education.  I chose this because for teachers in the early childhood field having the appreciation for the work that they do will allow others to understand how we are creating the foundations for a lifetime of learning in children's lives. For  me this is one of  reasons I want to become an advocate.

Resource:

 The Child Advocate. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.childadvocate.net/

Time Well Spent

As I come to the end of my journey in the Masters of Early Childhood it is very emotional. I have spent this time connecting with so many different colleagues and connecting with their experiences. From this program I have learned the value of passion, passion is the driving force behind every aspect of this field and working with families.  I have become more aware of how my own passion for children and assisting families shapes my views and interactions in my own experiences. I've also learned the importance of celebrating and recognizing diversity in the field. Each one of my colleagues brought a difference of opinions and culture to these courses, just as each family brings their culture to the early childhood programs. Creating environments where families feel comfortable and welcome is crucial to their child's development, the creation of non biased education.  The third most important concept was leadership. The characteristics of being  a strong leader and leading a team of individuals successfully.

As I end this journey I also reflect on what my goals are for the future and how I can positively impact this field.  My ultimate goal is to become a leader in early childhood education for my community by managing several early childhood centers and becoming and advocate for the field by involving myself in several local early childhood agencies.  I want to impact the field by serving children and families and informing others how early childhood can positively impact a child's future.

I thank each and everyone of my colleagues for allowing me to become a member of their educational community and allowing me to share my thoughts and opinions with them. I also thank you for sharing your lives with me in return. I hope that this experience for each of you has made the same impact on your life as it has on mine. I wish  you all a successful and happy journey in the future.