Thank you and Farewell!

Participating in the Early Childhood Studies Masters’ Program during the last two years was an amazing experience. Not only was I able to increase my knowledge about the field, I had many opportunities to self-reflect which has been a learning experience all on its’ own. Along the way I ‘met’ some incredible people each who are making a difference in this world in their own way and whose support I could not have done without.

Looking back, there are several deep felt learnings that I feel I am walking away with as a result of this program. One of the main messages I feel I am walking with is that each of us early childhood professionals CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We must not think that our contributions are too small to matter because they are not. We have to be the voice for those who don’t have a voice to make a difference. We have to speak up for the youngest and the most vulnerable in our world, our children.

The second message I am walking away with is that each of us are not alone in what we do. There are many amazing individuals who share the same passion as us for making a difference and we can find strength and support in each other. The idea of a community of practice that can come together to make a difference truly resonated with me. Knowing that I can reach out to others for support gives me more confidence to step into the path of advocacy. This also made me think about the importance of relationships in the work we do. Strong relationships with children, families and colleagues serve as a strong foundation for the work we do.

Finally, I learned that being an early childhood professional is being open to a continuous process of learning. Taking the time to reflect on yourself as individual; your passion, your attitudes, biases are all important. Just because our Masters’ program has ended, our learning shouldn’t end here. We should be continuously aware of changes occurring in the field, new research and always be open to new ways of thinking.

When I enrolled in the program, I was uncertain about what career path I should follow. Participation in this program has made it a little clearer. My short term goals are to further develop my leadership to prepare myself for the long term goal of being a child and family advocate.

As I write this final blog post, I have very mixed feelings. While I am very excited to have more time to spend with my family and plan outings and activities without having to worry about deadlines, I will also miss checking in with my colleagues and professors several times a week on the discussion board and through our blogs. I have been fortunate to have interacted with many wonderful people throughout this program. I am truly grateful for the support of all my colleagues and each of my professors. A special thank you to Dr. Darragh for all the support and advice she provided me in developing my capstone.

As we all continue our professional journeys, I hope we all stay true to our passions and follow our hearts to bring about the change we all desire to see. I hope our paths  Thank you all and best of luck!

Keshika Dias  

Keshika.dias@gmail.com

Jobs/Roles in the International ECE Community

This week, I spent time researching international organizations that work on improving the health, well-being and education of children around the world and came across several that appealed to me.

The first organization I researched was FHI 360. In their vision statement the organization states that it ‘envisions a world in which all individuals and communities have the opportunity to reach their highest potential’. They aim to do so by ‘integrating locally driven solutions’. As someone who strongly believes that each child and individual should have access to opportunities to improve their well-being, the work of this organization was especially appealing to me. Some of the issues they work on include economic development, education, gender, health and nutrition. They currently have an opening for an Education Professional Development Advisor based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the primary responsibilities associated with this role include overseeing and coordinating the planning and implementation of strategies to improve teacher professional development, teacher coaching and teacher mentoring in targeted areas. Qualifications to be considered for this role include a Master’s degree in Education, Education Management or related field, minimum 5 years field management experience, 8 years’ experience in development programs and experience with research, monitoring, evaluation and application of findings to improve programs. Although I don’t possess the experience and some of the skills required for this position, the possibility of contributing towards developing the capacity of educators to strengthen the education system in another part of the world seems very appealing.

The second organization I found interesting is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The belief of this organization is that ‘nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress’. With this belief in mind UNICEF works to overcome the many obstacles that children face surrounding issues of poverty, violence, disease and discrimination and advocate for measures to give children the best start in life. I found this organization appealing due to the its’ primary focus on improving the well-being of children throughout the world through various partnerships.  UNICEF currently has an opening for an Education Officer based in Cambodia whose role is to support UNICEF’s Cambodia Education Program. Some of the required qualifications and skills for this post include an advanced degree in Education, International Development, Social Sciences or related field, experience in Project Management, experience working in the UN or other international development organizations, ability to work well with others, good communication skills, writing and analytical reporting skills, budget management and a drive for achieving results. Once again, the ability to assist in the strengthening the education system in another part of the world and learning how a UN organization functions is very appealing.

The last organization I researched was World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Their work spans over 100 countries throughout the world. I fully support their vision which the website states as ‘our vision for every child, life in all its fullness’. I firmly believe that every child should have the opportunity to live a full life. They currently have an opening for an Education Technical Manager based in Cambodia. The primary purpose of this role is to provide leadership to integrated education programming in World Vision Cambodia to improve child well-being outcomes on education and collaborate with other stakeholders to achieve the national advocacy agenda on education.  Qualification required for this position include a master’s degree in education, excellent English verbal and written skills, ability to analyze and solve problems, persuade, network, negotiate, strong planning and organizational skills, at least 5 years’ experience in rural community development with a focus on education and at least 3 years in program/project management.

Having researched various international organizations this week, I realized that there are many opportunities throughout the world to make a difference in the lives of children, families and communities as a whole. Although I currently don’t possess all the skills and experience needed to qualify for many of the available roles, I hope that over time I will have the opportunity to do so.

References

FHI360 (2014). Our vision and mission. Retrieved from http://www.fhi360.org/about-us/vision-and-mission

UNICEF (2014). About UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/about/

World Vision (2014). Who we are. Retrieved from http://www.worldvision.org/about-us/who-we-are