Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The first organization that I found to be worthwhile is the Mercy Corp. This organization saves and improves lives in the world’s toughest places (Mercy Corp, 2013). In these important and imperiled places, they listen to locals and prioritize their most urgent needs, and they take the long-term view and commit to innovative solutions that drive true change (Mercy Corp, 2013). I chose this organization because they work with children and their families in the world’s toughest places, such as, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Central African, Republic, China, Colombia, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Georgia. I like this organization, but I don’t think I can leave my family and travel to a foreign country. Although, Mercy Corp is dedicated to serving children in the world’s toughest places, they also provide job opportunities in the US. The current US-based job opportunities are Accounting and Finance, Human Resources, and Technical Support.

As for qualifications, the Accounting and Finance job requires you to have a BA/S or equivalent in finance or a relevant field.

·         Four to six years of progressive grant management experience in a medium to large international organization, including responsibility for grant management, compliance systems, and sub award administration, is required. 

·         An advanced knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the management of US Government grants (particularly USAID, Dept. of State and USDA) and other donor-funded grants is required.   

·         Demonstrated experience and understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial reporting, accounting systems, budget development and administration is required. 

·         Effective verbal and written communication, analytical, organizational and prioritization skills as well as presentation skills are necessary. 

·         Employment overseas and experience working for an NGO with high levels of USAID funding is preferred. 

·         Experience with USAID contracts, FAR and AIDAR compliance is highly desirable.

  The Human Resource job requires you to have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in human resources, business administration, social science or relevant field.

·          2+ years of experience with recruitment/talent acquisition with preferred in an international context.

·         Experience with successful sourcing strategies for globally representative and diverse candidates.

·         Demonstrated experience and ability to create, implement, maintain and improve recruitment strategies and systems in a high-volume context.

·         2+ yeas living and working overseas preferred.

·          Demonstrated understanding of staffing in international relief and development environments.

·         Ability to communicate effectively across diverse cultures and geographical distances with sensitivity.

·          Language skills in French, Spanish, or Arabic preferred.

The Technical Support requires you to have a Master’s degree preferred in area relevant to international development, with a strong preference for agriculture-related degree.

·         At least 5 years’ experience with agricultural development, in particular production and natural resource management, with at least three of those years overseas.

·         Demonstrated experience in building capacity among vulnerable farmers/ pastoralists and improving productivity. Able to provide feedback/ training to field staff on challenges related to productivity of crops and/or livestock, or connect such staff with appropriate technical support.

·         Experience working in transitional environments, addressing root causes of hunger and poverty and building resilience even in areas that are prone to frequent shocks.

·         Familiarity with innovative practices in agriculture, which may include value chain development, linking nutrition and agriculture, conservation agriculture, social and behavioral change and/or the market systems approach.

·         Strong writing ability, with experience in writing assessments, concept notes, proposals and reports.

·         Familiarity with major donors such as USAID/Food for Peace, USDA, DFID, the EC and the Gates Foundation.

·         Familiarity with programs employing food, cash or voucher transfers preferred.

·         Experience building solid working relationships with the government, other INGOs and local NGOs.

·         Familiarity with professional standards for monitoring and evaluation, case studies and surveys. Able to connect field staff with appropriate tools for designing, implementing and measuring agricultural development work.

·         Proven success working on matrixes teams and in non-hierarchical settings.

·         Proven success working with staff with diverse backgrounds.

·         French and/or Spanish language proficiency preferred.

 Reference

Mercy Corp. (2013). About Us. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://www.mercycorps.org/about-us

The second organization that I found to be worthwhile is the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. This organization is committed to the promise of helping people and changing lives (Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc., n.d.). This agency, which primarily serves Clark, Estill, Madison, and Powell counties, embraces a philosophy of needs-based strategies and family-based services leading to family self-sufficiency and economic self-reliance (Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc., n.d.). I chose this organization because it works with low-income families, which is my passion. Currently they do not have any career opportunities available, but they will allow you to fill out an application, so they will have it on file. As for the qualification, you won’t be able to see those until they post the jobs available.

 Reference

Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. (n.d.). About Kentucky river foothills development council, inc. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://www.foothillscap.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.html

The third organization that I found to be worthwhile is the Administration for Children & Families (ACF). This organization is a division of the Department of Health & Human Services that promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). I chose this program because they provide programs such as temporary assistance for needy families, head start programs, child support programs, disability programs, and native American and tribe programs. Each program is set out to foster the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field as a whole. I tried pulling up the job opportunities, but it kept redirecting me to a blank screen. Although, I like this job opportunity, I couldn’t get the website to pull up their current availabilities.

Reference

 

Administration for Children & Families (AFC). (n.d.). About administration for children & families.

 

            Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/about

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

After surfing the web, I have learned that there are several agencies out there that are dedicated to fostering the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field as a whole. The first organization that I found to be worthwhile is called Save the Children. Their organization mission “is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives” (Save the Children, 2013). I chose this organization because they serve children all around the world. “When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs” (Save the Children, 2013). They have two jobs available in the United States right now, and they are located in Seattle, Washington, and Brooklyn, New York. The job in Seattle seems to be interesting because I will get a chance “to visit sites on as needed basis, support partners with implementation, training and technical assistance to Early Childhood Coordinators” (Save the Children, 2013). I think that would be a good experience for me to step out of the classroom and put some of my management skills to work. In order for me to qualify for the position, I must have a “Bachelors Degree in EC Education or related, training and hands on experience with 0 to 3 years training and working with or supporting home visitors: (Save the Children, 2013).

Reference

Save the Children. (2013). Who we are. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146355/k.24E9/Who_We_Are.htm

The second organization that I found to be worthwhile is called Tennessee Voices for Children. Their mission is to “speak out as active advocates for the emotional and behavioral well-being of children and their families” (Tennessee Voices for Children, 2013). I chose this organization because they “work collaboratively with parents, professionals, state and federal officials, policy makers and other key stakeholders to ensure that services provided to children and families in Tennessee are family driven, community based, and culturally and linguistically competent” (Tennessee Voices for Children, 2013). They have three jobs available in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, but I don’t think they would suite me because I don’t want to move to Knoxville. In order to qualify for the positions, you must have a “High school diploma or equivalent, Clerical and computer experience, Switchboard experience strongly preferred, Non-profit organization experience, and a work history within child serving systems preferred” (Tennessee Voices for Children, 2013). The other position requires you to have a “Master’s Degree in social science or closely related field with two (2) or more years of work experience in the field. Licensure preferred. Preference given to parents/caregivers or family members of child with SED, Non-profit organization experience, and work history within child serving systems also strongly preferred” (Tennessee Voices for Children).

 

Reference

Tennessee Voices for Children. (2013). About Tennessee Voices for Children. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from http://www.tnvoices.org/AboutUs

The third organization that I found to be worthwhile is called Stand for Children. Their mission is to “ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for, and with access to, a college education” (Stand for Children, 2013). I chose this website because it “offers a dynamic and fast-paced organizational culture which encourages and rewards calculated risk-taking, innovation, entrepreneurial leadership, and learning and personal growth” (Stand for Children, 2013). Although, I like this organization, they do not have any openings in Memphis, Tennessee area, but they do have two job opportunities in Nashville, Tennessee.

Qualifications

·         Passionate and unwavering belief in and alignment with Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center’s shared mission to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for and with access to a college education; ·         Demonstrated knowledge of the history and political landscape of Nashville and its constituencies, including the students and families served by Nashville schools; ·         Minimum of 3 years of working closely with community members or parents to achieve change, including teaching, community or political organizing, advocacy, or relevant leadership experience; campaign experience a strong plus; ·         Proven track record of leading and executing visionary strategies for social change; ·         Significant management experience, including hiring, supervising, and developing a team of direct reports; ·         Knowledge of and interest in local and state education policy; ·         Track record of success in maintaining strategic relationships and working collaboratively with diverse organizations and constituencies, including, but not limited to, government bodies, businesses, and funders; ·         Existing relationships with key stakeholders in the education community in Nashville strongly preferred; ·         Demonstrated success with fundraising strongly preferred; ·         Spanish language proficiency strongly preferred; ·         Strong interpersonal, communications, and team-building skills; and ·         Availability to manage a flexible and independent schedule, including attending key community events on evenings and weekends (Stand for Children, 2013).   Reference   Stand for Children. (2013). About stand for children. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from http://stand.org/tennessee/about/memphis

Taking The Time Out to Say Thank You!

Over the course of these 8 weeks, I have met a group of intelligent, sweet, caring, and most of all supportive people. I am thankful to have gotten to know each and every one of you. I enjoyed reading your blogs and discussion postings, and I appreciate all of the positive replies I’ve received from each and every one of you all. I pray that my responses to your blogs or discussion posting were helpful. I wish you all the best in your endeavors, and I pray that you take what you have learned in this course with you wherever you go just like me because this class has truly improve my communication skills personally and professionally. Until the next time we meet! Live, Laugh, Love :-) 

The Adjourning Phase

I had a part time job working for Victoria Secrets and love the job and the people there. So, when it was time for us to depart because the store was closing, I had a hard time letting. The experience I had there at that store brought about a lot of friendships, and I still miss those ladies till this day. The adjourning phase allowed me to reflect on our accomplishments and failures as a group, and I have come to realized that I wouldn’t mind working with that group of people again. We were a high performance group, and yes it was hard to leave them because we worked well together. Although, we all had different opinions about how the store should be ran; we still established a norm with one another because we had a clear understanding of everyone's viewpoint. During this stage, group roles also solidify, and leader emerges (O’Hair and Wiemann, 2009). We all wanted the store to perform well, and that was our primary goal. So, we all worked closely to make sure that our store was ranked in the top 10 across the nation. When it was time for use to close the store down, we decided to go out and celebrate our friendship with one another. Although, the store was closing, we felt that our friendship with one another should continue outside of Victoria Secret, so we keep in touch. Some time, some of us get together to reflect on all the good days we had at Victoria Secret.

Once I complete my courses, I find it to be hard to keep in contact with my colleagues from my previous class unless they join me in my next class. I think it would be a good idea to stay in contact with some of my colleagues because they have provided me with a lot of insight, when it pertains to the early childhood education. I believe adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows people to reflect back, and decide whether or not if they want to continue working with the group they are involved with or move on to another group. I also believe that people should have the option to opt out of a group if it is not working out for them.

Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

What kind of Communicator am I?

This assignment was a little hard for me because I couldn’t get my results to come up, so I could read them. After talking to my best friend and my aunt, I found similarities between how I scored myself and how my best friend scored me. He said that I communicate very well with others, and I am an excellent listener. He also said, I don’t like talking in public, but I will if I have to. My aunt and I, on the other hand, had some differences between how I evaluated myself and how she evaluated me. She said her evaluation was based off of my involvement with my family. She said although I can communicate well within the family; I don’t always do so. She said if I would just voice my opinions more often than our family meetings will be less stressful for me at times. The thing that surprised me the most is how my aunt evaluated me because I thought I would have scored higher. I see now that isn’t always true because most people do communicate differently when they are with family than they do with their friends, colleagues, co-workers, etc. I also see that I have to voice my opinions more when I am around my family because my voice should be heard when the situation affects me. Although, this assignment was a rough for me because I didn’t get a chance to read my results, I stilled learned that people do see you differently then you see yourself. I’m glad I let my aunt do the survey because she has helped me to see something that I never noticed in myself. Hopefully, what I have learned this week will help me become a better communicator within my family and profession.

Communicating Differently with People from Different Groups and Cultures.

I have noticed that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures other than my own. I can remember my mom picking me up one day from school, and like any other parent, she asked me how my day went. As I was telling my mother how my day went my mother stopped me and said, “What are you talking like you are a white person.” I said, “How does a white person talk?” My mother said, “The way you are talking to me right now.” I said, “I just talking proper mother.” My mother said, “Well, you sound funny to me.” I said, “What did you expect when you decided to send me to a school where it is majority white.” I had a few African American friends, but the majority of my friends were white. At that time, I was in the fourth grade. Now, that I am older, I still find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures other than my own because around my family, when I talk proper, they think I am trying to act like I am a white person. So, I try to communicate with them in a way that makes them feel comfortable, but even then I revert to my old self because I find myself correcting them when they speak, I know that is wrong, but it bothers me when a person mispronounce a word. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family just the way they are, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. I even encourage them to go back to school, so they can make a better life for them and their family. I think it is working because my sister just told me that she just enrolled in nursing school so she can become an RN, and my brother is also talking about going to school now because he has a daughter he has to help raise. I am so proud of them, and I wish them the best in all their endeavors. I believe I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures because it allows me to adopt to whatever environment I’m in, whether I’m talking to members of my family, my colleagues, church members, friends, or students.

Strategies that I can use to help me communicate more effectively with the people or groups I have identified are:

Family

·         Learning how to be open, affectionate, emotional and instrumental supportive, mind reading, being polite, discipline, having humor or sarcasm, having regular routine interaction, and structural stability (O’H air & Wiemann, p. 166, 2009).

Friends/Colleagues/Church Members/Students

·         Being available, caring, honest, trustworthy, loyal, and empathic. The extent to which you and your friends share these characteristics helps build the relational contest of your relationship (O’H air & Wiemann, p. 167, 2009).

·         Studies have also revealed that children who form successful friendships with others perform better academically and demonstrate fewer aggressive tendencies than those who do not (O’H air & Wiemann, p. 166, 2009).

Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Communication (Jessie on the Disney channel)

For this blog assignment, I chose to watch an episode called Jessie on the Disney channel. It was very interesting to try to figure out what the characters’ relationships were based on the ways in which they were communication. While watching the show without sound, it seemed like Jessie was care taker because she was the only adult around besides the butler. She was the one waking the children up in the morning and making sure they weren’t killing one another. There were four kids in the house, and they were all of a different race. For instance, there were two Caucasian one Indian child, and one African American child. They seemed to be related to one another because they lived in the same household and they were showing a lot of affection towards one another when something went wrong. Also, they all had their own private rooms and pets in the house.

As I was watching for feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior, I saw that they children loved one another. They seemed to be very happy and cared for by Jessie the care taker. The children expressed anger when they were being irritated. For example, Robby was mad at Luke because they used his lizard as a bowling ball to knock down pins. His facial expression was not happy; he seemed to be very angry at Luke.

After watching the show with the sound on; my assumptions about the characters were right. For instance, Jessie was the children’s nanny, and they children had close relationship with one another because they were adopted, which made them brothers and sisters. That would explain why there were showing so much affection for one another.

I think my assumptions would have been more correct if I had been watching a show I knew then I would have known the characters a little more, and their relationship with one another. The more you watch a show the more you will know about the characters and why they act the way they do.

Reference

O’Connell, P. (Producer). (2011). Jessie [Television Series].  [With Debby Ryan, Peyton List, Cameron Boyce, Karan Brar, & Skai Jackson]. Los Angeles, CA: Hollywood Central Studios.