When I think of local, state or communities of practice, four key organizations come to mind. The organizations are : ZERO TO THREE, National Black Child Development Institute, Division for Early Childhood, and CHRIS KIDS. Each organization means so much to me and influences my life professionally and personally.
• ZERO TO THREE--- ZERO TO THREE's mission is to support the healthy development and well-being of infants, toddlers and their families. This multidisciplinary organization advances its mission by informing, educating, and supporting adults who influence the lives of infants and toddlers (Council for Professional Recognition, 2013). Currently I work every day with this age group and find that this organization provides me with resources to further my knowledge in the field of early childhood education.
• National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) --- NBCDI’s mission is to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy (NBCDI, 2013). As an African-American early childhood educator, I find it extremely necessary to help strengthen families who look like and reflect my very own. I am not saying that other races are not valuable, because I believe all young children should have a quality early childcare experience. Growing up and still to this day, I have seen how much education or lack of has affected the lives of African-American children and I want to be a part of a group, which has my roots best interest at heart.
• Division of Early Childhood (DEC)— The DEC is a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, which is an international organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or those who are gifted (Council for Professional Recognition , 2013). The DEC focuses on the types of students and others who may have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities but from birth through age eight. The DEC is an organization that I would rely on in order to collect resources to help families and individuals with behavioral challenges in early childhood education.
• CHRIS KIDS --- CHRIS KIDS mission is to heal children, strengthen families and build community (CHRIS KIDS, 2013). I found this agency to be a great asset to my community, because it provides children and families with the therapeutic setting to help strengthen broken family relationships and provide support in behavioral challenges.
In the current job market I am aware that before I feel comfortable to set out on a new career that I want to make sure I am equipped d with the tools to perform a high quality standard of work and also have the knowledge to accurately provide to the families and individuals I may come into contact with. I am also aware that there is still more learning to do about the field, but I feel if I were awarded and opportunity to come into my dream job, that I would show my employer a hard-working, reliable, driven, responsible, and team-spirited attitude. I am capable of succeeding and believe whole-heartedly that experience, education, and skills go hand in hand in composing qualified professionals.
The following list is jobs in which I am interested in taking on:
• Therapist --- CHRIS KIDS
• Care Coordinator--- CHRIS KIDS
References
CHRIS KIDS (2013). Retrieved from http://www.chriskids.org/about-chris-kids/about-us
Council for Professional Recognition (2013). Retrieved from http://www.cdacouncil.org/resource-center/early-childhood-organizations
National Black Child Development Institute (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nbcdi.org/who-we-are/who-we-are
ZERO TO THREE (2013). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/
Sha'Keema,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the three organizations that most interest you! I especially liked exploring NBCDI and CHRIS KIDS because they are two organizations I was least familiar with! You interest in being a care coordinator is wonderful, I have also looked into this career path. What is your current position? I really love your passion and am certain you will find success within your career! Best of luck!
Shawna
Dear Sha'Keema,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these organizations with us. I especially like the Zero to Three organization. I currently work in a Pre-K/PPCD program and we have two boys who are 3 years old. I feel like I can support their needs more if I have more training to foster their intellectual, social and emotional development and lay the foundation for later school success.
Sha'Keema,
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about the National Black Child Development Institute I heard your passion, personal experiences and devotion to strengthening the lives of African-American children. I believe we will all continue our education whether it be formal or informal. Best of luck
Hi Sha'Keema,
ReplyDeleteYou've listed some great resources! Zero to Three has actually come up before in previous courses. The National Black Child Development Institute also caught my attention as I plan to tackle an issue that seems to be seen a lot in the black community. By any chance, is the NBCDI only located in your local community or is it nation-wide? I will look into it. Thanks for sharing! :)