International ECE Community

Early on in the program, students were asked to research what other countries were doing in terms of early childhood education. When I discovered the Early Childhood Australia website, I fell in love with this country’s pro-active approach to the field. According to the national website, those professionals are quick to implement new science-based understanding to best serve children.

What also caught my attention is their constant reference to “reconciliation and acknowledgement that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the owners and custodians of Australia and that their culture and heritage shapes the cultural heritage of all Australians (Early Childhood Australia, 2012). With this recognition, provisions are made to serve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders children’s needs: equity in action.  

Clearly, I would like to work in collaboration with KidsMatter Early Childhood to access resources to support children’s mental health; share insights with professionals from the land down under who strive to bring children from diverse cultural backgrounds an equitable education.  For this type of work, I need to have good organizational skills since the people I will work with live on the other side of the planet. It will be necessary to hold Skype type conferences and be mindful of the time difference and be flexible with regard to scheduling. I will also work with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to obtain local resources. Mental health is as important as the health of the body and Arco Iris strives to provide children and their families with a wide array of medical and social resources  

Save the Children is another organization that my program will work with. I would love to learn from Kendra Blackett-Dibinga, Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programs, how to grow Arco Iris in a Save the Children field based center and help open a sister program in a Spanish speaking country for instance. For this type of job, I need to collaborate with people working in another country, finance travels to this country, and become familiar with the country laws and educational system. In other words, I will need to brush up on my collaborative skills. Schleicher (2012), Deputy Director, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Education Directorate, and Special Advisor on Education to the OECD Secretary-General affirms that “skills have become the global currency of the 21^st century economies” (para. 2). It is primordial to ensure that young children start their lives with full potential of skills.

 

Joining an organization such as FHI 360 would definitely be exciting and motivating. Collaborating with experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology would accelerate the process of finding local and adequate resources for children and their families in “today’s interrelated development challenges” (2013, para. 1). FHI 360 is currently advertising for a position of Education team leader, Strengthening Family and Community Support to Orphans and Vulnerable children (SFCS-OVC) in Mozambique-Maputo. This position requires that candidates to have

·         “Master’s degree in education with a specialization in girls education

·         Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience working on reading assessment, instruction, early childhood development, block grants and training especially in developing countries

·         Demonstrated ability to work with government  and cooperating partners

·         In-depth knowledge of Mozambican education system

·         Effective communication skills” (FHI 360, 2013, para. 4).

To fulfill the above requirements, I would have to develop superior communication skills to “navigate politically sensitive terrain and maintain constructive relationships with a diverse set of key stakeholders” (FHI, para. 4). These position requirements emphasize the importance of teaching children excellent oral and written communication skills necessary to compete in today’s society.  

References

Early Childhood Australia. (2014). A Voice for Young Children.

FHI 360. (2013). The Science of Improving Lives. Education Team Leader. Careers. Retrieved from: https://jobs-fhi360.icims.com/jobs/14227/education-team-leader/job

KidsMatter. (2012). Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Observer. Retrieved from: http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3777/OECD_Skills_Strategy:_The_pathway_of_choice.html

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (n. d.)