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

1. The first organization I chose is the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The NAEYC is the largest organization in the world advocating for young children. I appreciate NAEYC's mission to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children. I share their vision that all children have the access to safe and accessible, high quality early childhood education that includes a developmentally appropriate curriculum; knowledgeable and well-trained program staff and educators; and comprehensive services that support their health, nutrition, and social well-being, in an environment that respects and supports diversity.

2. The next organization I found is the National Institute for Early Education Research. NIEER manages and shares research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for ALL young children. I appreciate how they work to enhance a child’s development in all areas, and subsequent success in school and later life. They Institute also works with state and national policy makers and other organizations to gather, document and publish information on the status of early education access and quality, exemplary practices and policies, and public opinion. They also aim to develop research and communication strategies to fill gaps in knowledge and to effectively apply scientific knowledge to early education policy. They stimulate national and state discussions of early education policy and partner with other organizations to develop a clear national research agenda and to deliver and publicize vital information about early education.

3. HighScope is committed to promoting high-quality early education for children and youth worldwide. To achieve this goal, HighScope supports educators and parents as they help children learn. They help to develop early childhood curriculum components for Infant-toddler care and education, Preschool education, Early literacy, Movement and music and Elementary education. HighScope also offers research-validated assessment tools, including instruments for both child assessment and program assessment. They provide training for early childhood professionals and even publish curriculum materials, books, and videos. A position I found appealing was the Center Director for Kaleido*Kids. Kaleido*Kids is a new child care center in downtown Chicago, IL scheduled to open September 2014. Kaleido*Kids will provide childcare and educational services for children six weeks to six years. The center is seeking a full-time Center Director to build a ‘family’ culture having experienced, dependable, passionate teachers. Duties include ensuring children’s safety, following health and hygiene standards; managing the process for enrollment and orientation, maintaining the CRM system; hiring new staff; implementing labor management (reviews, schedules, salary, etc.); supporting the owner with financial reporting and marketing efforts, and performing other duties. Prior to opening, the Director will develop policies and procedures, finalize a staffing plan, build a list of potential families and work towards enrolling children and families, and assist owner with getting the center ready for opening. The preferred candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education with coursework in administration a plus; minimum four years of experience in childcare and two years of experience in childcare administration/management, certification in infant-child first aid and CPR, and current sanitation certification. Experience with HighScope Curriculum a plus!

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

1. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a national resource center for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country. CSEFEL is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. To support this goal, we have developed a conceptual model of evidence-based practices for promoting young children's social emotional competence and preventing and addressing challenging behavior. Team Tennessee strives to promote the social and emotional development of children, birth-early elementary age, through a cross agency collaborative professional development system, including community based training, continuing education and higher education, that fosters and sustains the state-wide, high-fidelity use of the Pyramid Model integrated with other relevant Tennessee efforts. The Center is located at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. In addition, the Center is a collaborative project involving faculty and staff from the following institutions: Vanderbilt University, University of Illinois (Go Illini!), University of Florida, Georgetown University, University of Colorado and Zero to Three. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/

2. The United Way of TN in my town has community partner with over 100 local businesses and organizations in our town. They work to provide solutions to basic needs such as hunger, housing stability, increase earning and prevent domestic violence. In addition, they also assist schools, parents and other key community partners to help kids be successful in education by supporting early learning, ensure early grade literacy and provide enrichment programs. Finally, they strengthen our community's health and help individuals to live independently by providing health care access, increase healthy behaviors and maximize independence. http://liveunitedclarksville.org/

3. TN Commission on Children and Youth vision is that every child in Tennessee is safe, healthy, educated, nurtured and supported, and engaged in activities that provide them opportunities to achieve their fullest potential. They advocates to improve the quality of life for children and families and provides leadership and support for child advocates. http://www.tn.gov/tccy/kc.shtml

I couldn't find any job postings that I was qualified for, but I could see myself enjoying to work for any of these communities of pactice if I were not teaching currently.

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