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