Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization that I have an interest in is Save the Children.  “In 2014, Save the Children worked in 120 countries, including the United States, and helped more than 166 million children — including more than 55 million children directly” (Save the Children, 2015).  Save the children invests in childhood and ensures every child has a healthy start and an opportunity to learn.  Save the children is dedicated to child-focused emergency readiness and ensuring children’s voices are heard and needs are addressed.  The depth of what Save the Children accomplishes and the amount of children and people it reaches is very appealing to me. 

One job that was interesting to me was the Program Specialist.  “The Program Specialist is the on-the-ground Save the Children staff member providing training, technical assistance, and management support to program partners to ensure quality program implementation and results for children” (Save the Children, 2015).  The program specialist must ensure accurate and up-to-date data collection and reporting for each assigned site and consult with the Senior Specialist about program questions and needs (Save the Children, 2015).  The following is the required background and experience:

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, child development or related field. Master's degree highly preferred  Minimum of three years relevant experience in the area of infant/toddler development.  Experience as a trainer/mentor/coach. Experience with home visiting programming, working in rural communities with limited resources, and working with families who are economically challenged is preferred. Experience in working with or supporting professional/paraprofessional home visitors. A strong foundation in relationship-based work and supervision. (Save the Children, 2015) Another international organization I was interested in was the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).  “ACEI is a global community of educators and advocates who unite knowledge, experience, and perspectives in order to exchange information, explore innovation, and advocate for children” (Association for Childhood Education International, 2015).  Their mission is “to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children and youth worldwide” (Association for Childhood Education International, 2015).  This organization appealed to me because it really focuses on advocating for the children and working with the teachers and caregivers to improve the standards and well being of children.  Another very cool aspect of their website was that you could change the website to be in a different language.  There were numerous languages to choose from.  I did not see any job openings in this website.  I did see how to become a member, do an internship and many different ways you could volunteer.  Another international organization I was interested in was the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).  “ISSA is a vibrant network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development” (International Step by Step Association, 2015).  “ISSA’s vision is a society where families, communities and professionals work together to empower each child to reach her or his full potential and embrace values of social justice and equity” (International Step by Step Association, 2015).  This organization was appealing to me because it really focused on the families and teachers working together in a professional community to support children’s development and learning.  ISSA is open to all individuals and organizations that would like to join.  It is my understanding that ISSA is ran by volunteers.  The Council is a voting body which enables ISSA to achieve its goals and objectives. The Council is composed of ISSA’s full members, who are independent, locally-established parent/teacher associations, foundations, and educational organizations, working closely with educators and early childhood experts, parents, community groups and policy makers in the field of early childhood care and education.  The Council meets annually at the General Assembly Meeting to discuss strategic issues and conduct the official business of the association, such as voting on annual strategies, budgets and reports. The Council elects a governing Board of Directors to oversee the policy development and implementation of ISSA’s strategies. The Board consists of no less than six members who do their work on a voluntary basis and do not receive any remuneration for their activities. The board meets at least twice a year.  (International Step by Step Association, 2015)

References

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). (2015). Retrieved from https://acei.org

International Step by Step Association (ISSA). (2015).  Retrieved from http://www.issa.nl/.

Save the Children. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm