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.