Farewell Message

There are many things that I have learned from this program.  From the first class to the last I learned the important role that passion plays in whatever it is that you do.  Louise Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus, Pacific Oaks College, CA expressed this in week 2 of class 1 and again in the video in week 1 of this course. She said that her passion now is “perhaps greater than it was when she began her journey in early childhood” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  It is passion that is one of the driving forces that keeps us going as we advocate for children and families.

Another important thing I learned was the important role that families play in children’s education.  Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory was eye opening for me in that it showed me the varied resources that can influence a child’s development (Lepuschitz, 2011).  Before this program I had a very narrow view of the extent of influences on a child’s life.  It just proves the ancient African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”.

A third important thing that I learned was the importance of building relationships.  Relationships are key to creating trust and respect with staff and families.  Using the Platinum Rule instead of the Golden Rule is extremely valuable when building relationships (Bennett, 1980).  This was a revelation to me because it has helped me to try and see things from the perspective of others to better understand their viewpoint.  If you recall, the Platinum Rule says that you should do unto others as they want you to do unto them.  What a novel concept!  When staff approach me about something they do not understand, it has been extremely helpful to remember the experience that they have had and that those experiences will affect how they react in different situations.

The fourth thing that I learned was how essential collaboration is in early childhood or in any organization.  Establishment of a Community of Practice helps to give more credence to any issue that arises because support from many organizations presents a unified message in a community (Wenger, 2008).  A Community of Practice also is able to give constructive criticism when a person or group is misguided.  The Community of Practice that I have in Williamsburg has been supportive on this journey of education.  My family has also played a critical role in my success.  The church that I attend continually asks about my progress and offers prayers of support. 

My long term goal is to establish a high quality early childhood preschool for children with disabilities in our Mechanicsville community.  There is a committee at Mechanicsville UMC that is exploring this possibility.  We just completed a renovation of the Educational Wing of the church.  In doing the renovation we considered that the building might become an early childhood preschool center.  First, we will investigate the need for a specialized preschool such as this one.  Then we will have to go before the Church Council and get their support.  Marketing will be another important step.  Finding a small, dedicated staff will take time.  We plan to start small with just one three year and one four year class if there is a need.  Another consideration is before and after school care.  The committee will have to determine which route is more feasible.  It will probably take another 18 months before a center is ready for opening.

I have truly enjoyed this final course.  It has taken an intrinsic fortitude to complete the Capstone Project.  I cannot begin to tell Dr. Teri and my fellow colleagues how crucial your input has been in completing this project!!!  Without it, my project would not have been nearly as rich and deep as it turned out to be.  Thank you so much for the wonderful resources and comments you made!  They really helped to strengthen me as a person.  I hope that our paths will cross again at some point.  Should you wish to contact me in the future, my personal email address is panzer53@hotmail.com.  That is the best way to reach me!  Best of luck in your future endeavors!!!  I look forward to hearing about the great things you are doing for children and families in education!

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood “. Fred Rogers
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/fred_rogers.html#6hFqTjKiJ2kOkhgy.99

References

Bennett, M. (1980). Overcoming the Golden Rule: Sympathy and Empathy. Retrieved from

            http://www.library.wisc.edu/edvrc/docs/public/pdfs/LIReadings/OvercomingGoldenRule.pdf

Feinberg, J. (2011). Wordle. Retrieved from http://www.wordle.net/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer) (2011). Merging Vision, Passion and Practice. Baltimore,

            MD: Walden University

Lepuschitz, J. K. (2011). Brofenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Laureate Education Inc.,

            Baltimore, MD.

Wenger, E. (2006).Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved

            from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

International Opportunities

International Opportunities

            Stop Hunger Now is an international organization that interests me.  In an earlier class we learned about the plight of third world countries in relation to hunger and lack of adequate water supply.  This organization interests me because our church has just recently been engaged in packaging events twice a year.  For twenty-five cents a child can receive a meal.  A minimum goal of 10,000 meals or $2500 brings the group to your organization.  The most two most exciting things about this program is 1) children receive the food by attending school to better themselves, and 2) there is a new component to this program-a water filtration system- which will reduce the chances of water-borne diseases.  One filtration bucket can filter up to 250 gallons of water a day.  At this time the only openings they have is a Certified Hunger Event Facilitator (CHEF).  This is a part-time position that I could do except for lifting 50-75 pound bags of food.  Sharing the program, setting up the stations, selling material related to Stop Hunger Now, and getting the boxes loaded onto the truck are the other responsibilities.  Other jobs that become available are Assistant Program Manager, Program Manager, Regional Program Manager and Staff National Director.

Another organization that interests me is UNICEF.  It takes me back to my teenage years when we would collect money at Halloween for children and families in need.  I also like the mission of the organization to promote the equal rights of children, and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities (UNICEF, 2013).   In exploring the website, I discovered a job titled Chief Education and another titled Education Manager.  There are openings in Namibia or Sierra Leone.  It requires that a person be able to analyze data and inequities in education, develop advocacy strategies, create partnerships in the country, and use effective communication.  A master’s degree is required.  The one requirement I do not yet have is eight years of experience on the national or international level.

            The third organization that I researched is Save the Children.  Just the title was enough to further educate myself about the organization because children often do not have a voice on their own, especially in third world countries.  A job that I found intriguing was as an Education Cluster Coordinator.  The qualifications are extensive for this position.  I am not sure that there are many people who would qualify. I have many of the qualifications, but not the four years of experience in humanitarian response.   The qualifications are as follows:

o At least four years of senior-level experience in humanitarian response within the education sector o At least one year of experience of responding in the first-phase of an emergency o Master’s Degree in Education, related field or an equivalent qualification o Formal training in Cluster Coordination o Excellent English communication skills, both verbal and written.

* Value based o Commitment to the rights of children and youth to education in emergencies and recognition of the need for education in emergencies as a first-phase response o Ability to put aside one's own the organizational interests and work impartially serving all Cluster members on equal terms o Demonstrates integrity and strives to wards the highest personal and professional standards

* Facilitation and Coordination: o Demonstrable ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working. o Experience of high level coordination and chairing of meetings.

* Communication: o Effectively presents ideas in a clear, concise and convincing manner o Listens to and acknowledges others' perspectives and views

* Decision Making Ability o Identifies key issues in a complex situation and makes effective and realistic decisions based on logical inferences, experiences and implications

* Humanitarian: o Demonstrable understanding of international humanitarian response architecture, co-ordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action. o Understanding of the humanitarian funding mechanisms including (for example, the Consolidated Appeals Process [CAP], Central Emergency Fund [CEF] and Flash Appeals). o Understanding of humanitarian principles and ability to apply these

* Advocacy: o Excellent advocacy skills particularly in relation to advocating for education provision in humanitarian crises.

* Planning and Strategizing o Ability to work and plan at strategic and operational level. o Understanding of opportunities to provide integrated or cross-cutting humanitarian interventions with other sectors and clusters o Able to identify and make the relevant links between emergency response, recovery, transition and development (Save the Children, 2013).

References

Save the Children. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.net/jobs/job-details/739

Stop Hunger Now. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.stophungernow.org/

United Nation International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). (2013). Retrieved from

                     http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/