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

The first organization that I chose is the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  The NAEYC’s mission statement is to promote high-quality early learning for all children (NAEYC, n.d.); that is what appealed to me most in this organization.  All children, regardless of their background, deserve to have access to a quality education.  The values and principles of the NAEYC make it an inclusive organization that gives early childhood programs guidelines to providing quality services to families and children. 

The second organization that I chose is the National Institute for Early Education Research.  The NIEER conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children (NIEER, 2015).  I have been following the NIEER newsletters and I have learned a lot from their research.

The third organization that I chose is the Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training.  The DECET promotes quality education that supports diversity and that is free of discrimination.  This network will actually provide me with resources that I could use for my capstone project. 

These organizations are a great asset to the early childhood field and I would be interested in working with them to create positive change.  There are several positions available such as assistant research professor and data collector.  These positions would require me to collect and analyze data, and manage field studies.  The position I am interested in is being the director of a childcare center; I think it would allow me to make positive changes in young children’s education.

References

Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training (2015).  Retrieved from http://www.decet.org.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (n.d.).  Retrieved form http://www.naeyc.org.

National Institute for Early Education Research (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nieer.org.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The first organization that I chose is the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (Illinois AEYC); it is an affiliate of the NAEYC.  Its mission is “to facilitate the optimal development of young children by advocating for the rights, needs, and well-being of young children and educating, supporting, and collaborating with individuals and organizations working in direct or indirect service to young children” (http://illinoisaeyc.org/about).  This organization appealed to me the most because it meets the NAEYC standards including promoting positive relationships, using effective teaching approaches, promoting the health and nutrition of children, building positive relationships with families and the community, and providing quality education for children.  The Illinois AEYC advocates for young children and educates the community about the importance of the early childhood years and the value of early childhood professions.  Advocating is a great way to mobilize the community for the benefit of young children; it would give children a better chance to have access to quality education, and therefore secure a better future. 

The second organization that I chose is the Illinois Education Association (IEA).  Its mission is to “effect excellence and equity in public education and to be THE advocacy organization for all public education employees” (http://www.ieanea.org/about/history/).  This organization appealed to me because I believe all children, regardless of their background and economic status, deserve to have access to quality education.  The IEA also supports the education of teachers and advocates for public school employees.

The third organization that I chose is the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (OECD).  Its mission is “to create an integrated system of quality, early learning and development programs to help give all Illinois children a strong educational foundation before they begin kindergarten” (http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/OECD/Pages/AboutUs.aspx).  Early childhood education is essential to give young children a foundation before preschool.  Providing early care to all children will help them succeed in kindergarten and school, and therefore have a successful adult life, which would greatly benefit the community. 

The job opportunities that are available at these organizations are intern positions and two director positions.  The intern position would allow me to grow and develop my knowledge of the organization.  It would also allow me to gain skills in advocating for young children.  For the director positions, I would need to gain more experience in leadership and get more involved with educators and organizations in my community.