Time Well Spent

This program has been beyond insightful, making it difficult for me to narrow down my learnings to three most influential. With deep thought I was able to pick three that will remain at the forefront of my mind.

o    Advocacy is the responsibility of all and essential for change

o    All great leaders inspire others to exceed expectations and to go places they would not typically go

o    Self-reflection is essential to eliminating hidden biases and providing responsive programming.

The degree program has both informed and inspired me beyond my wildest dreams. As a result, I have the following goals.

• To spread awareness and educate future child development specialists, parents, and the community on the diverse needs of military children and families.
•  To align my efforts with and learn from organizations who are already successfully advocating and bringing policy to reality
• To continue my path of professional and academic growth and development and to use my experiences and education to inspire and inform others.

Farwell:

Words can express my gratitude for the support I received from all my classmates and instructors as we worked together and formed a community of learning throughout the degree program. Each in one way or another as been influential in my success and all worthy of my acknowledgment. May your future be bright, prosperous, and blessed.

'To cope with a changing world, ant entity must develop the capacity of shifting and changing - of developing new skills and attitudes; in short, the capability of learning.'
A De Gues, The Living Company

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

THE CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND

·         The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown. ( (Children's Defense Fund, 2012) 

·         I specifically chose this site as for their global reach and dedication to prevention and education. There were no employment opportunities that were of interest to me or that I was qualified for, however there were six listed on the website, not related to the field of early childhood.

UNICEF

·         UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behavior towards children. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress. (UNICEF, 2012) 

·         This organization is of specific interest for diverse areas of interest and work. There were multiple positions open but none of interest to me or that I would qualify for.

SAVE THE CHILDREN

·         Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation. When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. As quickly and as effectively as Save the Children responds to tsunamis and civil conflict, it works to resolve the ongoing struggles children face every day — poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease — and replaces them with hope for the future (Save the Children, 2012) 

·         This site was of specific interest because of their work to maintain independence and their effort for global reach. There were no positions listed in my career field or with my qualifications.

REFERENCES

Children's Defense Fund. (2012). About Us. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from Children's Defense Fund: http://www.childrensdefense.org/about-us/

Save the Children. (2012, April 7). About Us. Retrieved from Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146405/k.C7E9/About_Us.htm

UNICEF. (2012, April 6). UNICEF Mission Statement. Retrieved from UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_mission.html