Week 4: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

When it comes to the field of Early Childhood Education there are many organizations that are striving to do the very best for children, and to help educators in the field as well as parents understand what is best for their children.

NAEYC:  www.naeyc.org

NAEYC is an organization that every one in the Early Childhood field knows and understands.  The support that NAEYC offers to professionals and parents alike is very beneficial to the development of children, they are up to date on the  The organization focuses on children birth through 8 years old.  NAEYC helps families find high quality child care for their children.  

Jobs Opportunities:  

The job available now according to their website are three jobs available, none of these jobs appeal to me but they are: Chief Technology Officer which requires a BS or a MA in Information Technology and 5-10 years of IT management experience.   The other jobs are for Editor positions requiring a BA and a minimum of 5 years editing experience.   I have no interest in IT or Editing so I will discuss what job I would be interested in if it were available or there was such a job

I would love to be one of the employees who visit different centers and judge them for their accreditation.   My assumption of requirements for this job would be a Master's degree with close to 5 or 10 years experience in the field of early childhood.  I am assuming this is what is required as this job is not posted and is just something I show interest in.

I would also like to visit colleges and review their early childhood programs, their classes and professors against the national standards.  I would assume this job would also require a master's degree with 5+ years experience in a college setting, as well as early childhood setting.

Zero to Three:   www.zerotothree.org

Zero to Three is a National Organization that informs, trains and supports professionals and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of the children they supporting.  They wish the support the health and development of infants and toddlers in their early years, as these years are the most crucial to the development of a child, millions of connections are being made in the brain.  How children are taught, and interacted with in the early years will help to transform them later in their lives.   The site offers a monthly news letter offering strategies for parents and giving information about the latest policies and trends.

Job Opportunities:

There are currently no careers available at this company, but if I were to create my own job at this company I would want to be a workshop builder, creating workshops that will help parents and caregivers train and learn more on given topics or issues that are effecting their children.  I would assume the requirements of this job would be for an ideal candidate to have a Bachelors degree in the field with at least 5 years experience, and a Master's degree would be preferred.

UNICEF:  http://www.unicef.org/

UNICEF is a world wide force that helps realize the rights of all children.  The group tries to influence decision makers, and many grassroots movements.  Their focus is on nurturing and caring for children as an important factor in child's development, and human progress.  UNICEF works with other groups to overcome obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child's path.  They believe that proper care at the youngest of ages will help create a strong foundation for a child's future.  They do education for communities, promotion of education for girls to be able to become strong members of their community, they support immunizations for children and be certain children are nourished.  They educate communities on diseases such as HIV/AIDS and how to maintain a safe environment.

Job Opportunities:

There is a job opportunity as a Representative in Mongolia.  In this position you would provide policy support and guidance in emergency situations, provide policy support in creating a common connection with the county programs, participate in organizational and institutional imitative to strengthen UN coherence to be sure these common services are achieved to the best extent possible.  The requirements for this job are way beyond my current experiences and my achievements.

You would need advanced degrees in Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development or a related discipline.  10+ years related experience, fluency in English, broad understanding of social policy and equity issues are just a few.

They also offer a Junior Professional Officer position, none are available at the moment but it is focused on men or women interested in acquiring experience in international development cooperation activities and would be closely supervised by senior UNICEF officials.

They also offer opportunities for volunteering, and more information can be found by mailing United States Fund for UNICEF

These three organizations stand out to be because of their dedication at a national and international level as well, all working for the betterment of the future of our children.