Profile a Volunteer

Community service is a major part of my life. Being that I am in a alumni chapter of a sorority we complete community service at least once a month here in our local community. So it's really board for me to choose just one individual who represents an example of a volunteer because I know so many women who live to give back to their community, but if I have to choose one of my sisters is a veteran so she supports homeless veterans by creating an organization with that as the sole purpose. Her  organization hosts events like operation stand down where she involves other organizations to provide supplies or information for the veterans and raise money to assist in other efforts. Her organization also supports current military personnel by sending care packages. Her passion for helping others is so clear in her work and I only hope to become like that one day.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

The Internet has taken over the world, the biggest sites are social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These sites can be effective toils of advocacy and creating awareness on topics, they also provide a quick way to reach a mass number of individuals.

In my own advocacy experiences I have supported campaigns by posting certain images or videos to my own site, shared advocacy efforts that u come across with others. Most recently a soror of my Sandra Bland died in police custody, I joined the advocacy efforts to bring awareness to the "All lives Matter" by posting the image Sandy Speaks to my profile.

When social media is used correctly it can be a powerful movement.

Advocacy through Advertisment

The Love has no Labels campaign is designed to cause individals to end thier biases against others. This is one of the biggest problems facing our nation now, many groups of peole feel they are being discriminated against including African Americans, the LGBT community, and the hispanic community. This campaign in important to the success to our future as a country.

The other campaign that is caught my attention was an education adveristment, that begin in the 70s with the slogan, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". Now it has moved to "A better future" which encourages individuals to support UNCF and seek higher education.  Since the campaign begin millions of minorty children have attened college. A better future is something that all minority children can benefit from.



Reference:
http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Education/Supporting-Minority-Education

http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Family-Community/Diversity-Inclusion

My Own Capacity

There are several issues impacting the early childhood field that fuel my passion for the field. One of those issues being the poverty, I work with families regularly that live at or below poverty and I see the impact our program has on their lives. Not only is poverty an issue but so is the fact that universal quality childcare is not being provided in this country.  

As an assistant director I have a lot of resources available to me within our company as well as outside the company to support my advocacy efforts. Within our company we have the opportunity to express our concerns about the early chilhdood field and educational programming, we have company representatives that are involved with government and policy making.  Within the community I am involved with the local smart start agency. Thus far in this course I have also discovered other sourced through the webiste we have explored.

Being an advocate involved with social policy is new to me. Advocating for the best for children is something I have already been doing. But as an advocate in social policy I hope that I cancontinue to learn of ways to get involved and make a difference.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

My life is full of volunteer work with my sorority, thus I interact with a lot on individuals that have impacted my advocacy journey. My sorority sister who is a former Veteran who now works in HR Management for At&t. She spends her time advocating for homeless veterans.  She host and event entitiled Operation Standown where she raises awareness to the cause all under her own Non Profit Organization.  I have seen her organize and teach others like me to be strong leaders. Her dedication not only to cause but also to teaching those along the way to stand up and be involved if they strongly care about the issue or whatever you choose to advocate for as had a lasting impact on me,  I worked closly with her co chairing a youth symposium several years where we provide information and materials to children who are need. I will continue to chair this program this year on my own as she has moved to another state. I only hope I can be the advocate she would have me to be in the future!

Advocacy Action

Advocacy embodies many of the above characteristics above, no matter what you choose as your passion. Even in early childhood education everyone has a passion in the field but not matter what you always speak up for what you believe in, educate yourself for the cause, collaborate with others and lead the way for the future.

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.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community Internationally

If  I ever had the interest in working internationally in the field of early childhood, one of the first organizations I would turn to would be UNICEF as I have financially supported this organization in the past. UNICEF is the driving force that helps children globally through influencing policies, providing care, meals and ensuring girls receive proper education. There are several positions that you can fulfill with withe organization from intern, volunteer, to regular vacancies, general service, and positions in headquarters.  The positions are located all over the world. My interest would be in regular vacancies child protections which three positions are currently in Dem Rep Congo, Ethiopia and USA. To apply for these jobs you must complete a profile online and then they match you to a qualified positions. Save the Children is another organization that I would be interested in, in a 120 countries including the US they seek to improve the lives of children by improving health,education,economic, and during times of crisis they deploy units to recover children and decrease the affects of war, and other natural disasters. The position that interest me is within the US as a Program Specialist in early childhood development, as the program specialist your would provide technical and management assistance to the partner sits in Tennessee and Alabama. As well as
 Visit each assigned site on an as needed basis, supporting partners as they implement the Early Steps to School Success (ESSS) program. This involves providing training and technical assistance to the Early Childhood Coordinators on a regular basis with a particular focus on early language and literacy and parenting education for ages birth to age three, making training/coaching site visits to ESSS sites, providing adequate professional development and support to all partner staff.

• Drawing on the support of the Senior Early Childhood Specialist and Deputy Director of Programs, provide training and technical assistance and build partner capacity by working directly with site-based staff to ensure high-quality program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Coordinate the annual partner planning and budget process with assigned partners, assisting them as needed and expediting the review and approval process of the plans and the resulting Partner Agreement.
• Upon receipt from USP Finance staff, review for appropriateness partner requests for funds, quarterly financial reports and budget revision requests, and provide confirmation or questions to Finance and Subgrants staff for processing.
• Observe and monitor partner progress and performance to ensure effective and timely implementation of program objectives.
• Participate with the Senior Early Childhood Specialist and the Deputy Director of Programs in building relationships that align our programs and strategies with local/regional community and state activities associated with early learning.

FHI 360 mission is to improve lives in lasting ways by advanding intergrated, locally diriven solutions for human development. The values of are innovation, mutual respect, passion, accountability, commitment to excellence, and teamwork. There are open jobs currently but none that appealed to me, but I am interested in the mission of the company. 

Resources:

http://www.fhi360.org/about-us/vision-and-mission

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6226565/k.BFEA/Working_at_Save_the_Children.htm

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_Meet_UNICEF_staff.html

Jobs/Roles in ECE Community: National/Federal Level

When I think about my future and what I would like to do with my career in early childhood education, I want experience this field in more of an advocacy level or teaching level. The division of child development, North Carolina is a state agency as apart of NC Health and Human Services that ensures the state is bringing quality care to children in the state . As I explore the available positions currently there are not any positions available in the division. The Office of Child Care provides assistance to families of low-income and promotes learning by improving the quality of care and education in after school programs.

Zero to Three is a non-profit organization that I would have an interest in working for. The organizations mission is to provide parents, policy makers and professionals with the knowledge of how to provide children from zero to three the quality educational start they need in life. Currently there is a senior training specialist position available. Which this position is something I have recently become interested in doing. I want to begin looking on a local level on doing educational training's for early childhood professionals.



http://ncchildcare.nc.gov/general/home.asp
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ
http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community:Local and State Levels

One of the first community agencies that I explored is on that I work with often as an assistant director of a child care center., The Martin/Pitt Partnership for Children. The mission of MPPC is to make meaningful and measurable investments in the quality of life for young children and families in education, health and support services. This organizations sticks out to me because there are professionals of different nature working together for a common cause. I have experienced working with multidisciplinary teams and would like to do that again in the future. Another organization that interest me on the state level is the NC Early Intervention Services.  Early intervention services are provided through Child Developmental Service Agencies who work with children zero to three.  This is a area that I am interested in and have worked with an agencies who where a part of providing early intervention services to children. Montgomery County Schools is one of the counties in the state of Maryland. I choose to look for early childhood agencies in this state because it is an area that I would want to live in. The division of early childhood programs and services in Montgomery's mission is to provide comprehensive, research-based services to young children, ensuring their school success through partnerships with families, schools, and the community. They have several programs to serve children zero to five that interest me. Such as Judy centers which are early childhood programs that promote school readiness.







http://www.mppfc.dreamhosters.com/

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/services/earlyintervention.htm

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/earlychildhood/about.aspx

Wordle WK 1 Discussion

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/7980988/ec

In the end.....

Our last blog was on the adjournment phase of collaborative groups and now here we are saying farewell to our group members.  These eight weeks have been such a positive learning experience.  I have truly learned how important communication is to become and effective leader and in general when working with others.

I wish all my colleagues much success in their future endeavors here at Walden and in life.  I hope to meet again with you all in the future.  

Adjourning

I  find it difficult to leave groups that I truly enjoy or when I feel like I have bonded with the other individuals. Most recently my friend asked me to participate in this group that was to perform at an undergraduate event. I was apprehensive at first just because I tend to be shy around people I do not know. I joined the group and we spent everyday together for three weeks preparing our performance, over the time we all grew fond of each other. Before I performance we all had feelings of sadness because we would not be together everyday afterwards so we made plans to spend time together.  We also formed a chat group where we could talk in.  After the performance we have gotten together several times for game nights and dinner.  We chat in our group everyday, and we truly have become a family, everyone is so supportive of one another.

Adjourning is essential to teams and groups because it allows everyone to converse about the task or vision that was completed and recap the situations they may have faced.  And in some cases there are lasting relationships built.  Adjournment is a celebration of what was achieved.

Conflict and Communication

Most recently at work we are facing a conflict between staff and management, as I am a part of the management team.  The issue is that we are not achieving the success we can potentially have because of quality and aesthetic problems, and the staff has their own opinions on these issues. One strategy we used in solving this issue is using some of the guidelines of nonviolent communication.  We needed to understand each side of of the issue in a clear and respectful manner.  With this in mind we had a staff meeting to have an open conversation about goals, plans and where we needed to go, allowing everyone to input on the conversation without bias. Another strategy that is helpful is situations like this is the 3 R's, being respectful, reciprocal, and responsive.  Each party needed to be respectful to one another and their positions and contributions to the program. Then be understanding and responsive to each others opinions, suggestions, and ideas. In the end the biggest ideal in solving conflict is to be clear in your own intentions and be respectful to the other party.