There are many national organizations for early childhood education. One of the most well known is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (2015). I would love to work for this organization some day. I am not sure what jobs are available with them right now as that function of their website is down, but I am certain that a Master's Degree in early childhood studies would be able to get me an entry level position somewhere in the organization.
Another national organization that looks promising is the NAECTE, the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2015). As an organization, this is more of a Community of Practice as their purpose is to promote growth and advocate for their members, create a forum for discussions of issues in the ECE field.
A third national/international organization I find intriguing is the HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2015). They are an independent organization based on the landmark research study in the Perry Preschool Program, which tracked 123 children born in poverty through the HighScope Preschool Curriculum in the 1960s until their 40's. The study showed the effectiveness of early childhood education. They have several job opportunities such as vice president, training and curriculum specialists, and various teachers and administrators at several different programs. I feel that with enough experience I could qualify for one of these positions. It would be awesome to work for such an organization!
In the federal arena, there are several agencies that perform work in the ECE field. Obviously, each military branch has their child and youth programs with plentiful opportunities to work in centers or administration. But within the Department of Health and Human Services there is an office within the Administration for Children and Families dedicated specifically to early childhood development. Their job is to "promote a joint approach at the federal level to improving the availability of high quality early learning and development programs" (Early Childhood Development, 2015). I am not sure I would want to work for the federal government any more than I do. Eventually I would like to work outside of the military in one of the organizations I mentioned above.
References:
Early Childhood Development. (2015). About. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/about
HighScope Educational Research Foundation. (2015). About us. Retrieved from http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=761
The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. (2015). Home. Retrieved from http://www.naecte.org
The National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2015). Home. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org
BethAnn, are you presently a member of NAEYC? Would NAECTE be more of a volunteer CoP or is there a paid position for this organization? I am told that working in a military early childhood facility is very different from a facility not associated with the military. I understand that they still have to follow state regulations, but they also have government regulations to follow and they are pretty strict. I think I would be up for the challenge working in a military center. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJill
Hello BethAnn,
ReplyDeleteGreat resources! I think that all three of the organizations that you researched would be interesting to work for. The HighScope Educational Research Foundation sounds like a great organization. I like how they focus on children who are born into poverty. It is interesting to find all of the jobs that we are able to hold with out Master's degrees and a little more experience. It makes me feel very excited about the future! Great work!
Hi BethAnn,
ReplyDeleteThese are interesting organisations you have chosen to work with. I like in particular NAECTE because I see it as an organisation where teachers can air their views and make remarkable difference in the educational sector. I look forward to becoming a member. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for these resources. I am especially interested in the High Scope Educational Research Foundation and the effect they had on their children who were part of their program. I always like to read about the positives of the field and how peoples life have been effected by their ECE experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such great resources. I would also love an opportunity to work for NAEYC. I would have to say my ideal job would be an inspector! I would love to go out to program's around the country and check for evidence of accreditation standards being used throughout an program!
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