National and Federal Level Early Childhood Community of Practice


The first community of practice on the national level that appeals to me is the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

NAEYC Mission Statement

NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1).

I chose NAEYC because I am impressed in how involved they are in protecting the rights of children, families and educators.  They have so much information for teachers to keep them current on early childhood issues and for parents on parenting and research that shows why children need to be in the care of people who are passionate and committed to providing the best early learning experiences that they can. 

A current job opening at NAEYC is - Affiliate and Member Relations Manager
This job sounds interesting and would put me in an organization that is very active in early childhood education and supporting families with young children.
Some of the skills and experience needed for this job are a BA degree, 3 years related work experience specifically in component relations or association management along with successful work experience with volunteer and non-profit boards.


The next organization that I found interesting was the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families or commonly known as Zero to Three.   I chose this organization because they are so committed to infants, toddlers and their families.  They let teachers and families know about the current research about infants and toddlers and how to support their learning and development.
  "ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. 
Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life" (Zero to Three, n.d.).

A current job opening they have available is for a Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer.  The qualifications for this position are, 12 years of business related experience,

Understanding of the Social Sector, either from professional or volunteer involvement in a national

advocacy or non-profit organization, Sophisticated understanding of non-profit financial management, and able to contribute to development strategies across funding sectors where appropriate.

Education

Advanced degree in Business or related field. Knowledge of early childhood development and related

health, education, and public service systems a plus.

The next organization that I found is the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education  or NAECS-SDE.  

What is NAECS-SDE? NAECS-SDE (National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education) is a national organization for state education agency staff members with major responsibilities in the field of early childhood education. The Association promotes high-quality services to young children and their families through improvement of instruction, curriculum, and administration of programs. Members of the Association have an opportunity to share ideas and to work together toward the solution of common problems (NAECS-SDE, n.d.).

  I found this organization interesting because it is a support system for early childhood specialists who work for state education agencies.  They have more regulations to follow than a non-profit child care center and school that they have to be trained in what is expected of them as teachers by the government.   
I did not see any job opportunities at this time.  Some of the skills that I would need to fulfill a role with this organization would be to have a strong background in early childhood education and child development along with administrative background.  

References
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
Zero to Three. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naecs-sde.org/aboutus

  

 


    

Community of Practice
The first community of practice that appealed to me was a non-profit agency in my area called Community Resources for Children.  This agency appeals to me because their mission is something that I believe in.  The mission states:

The mission of Community Resources for Children is to provide resources for the early care and education of children in Napa County (Community Resources for Children, n.d.).

They provide parents and early childhood educators workshops that will help them provide the developmental needs of children.

A job opportunity with this agency that appeals to me is an Early Learning System Specialist. Some of the skills and experiences that I would need to fulfill this role would be:

1. Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, Child Development, or related Social Science field. Prefer Master’s degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, or in a related Social Science field

 2. Knowledge of current ECE practices for children 0-5 years old, licensing requirements, funding and support systems, including, but not limited to, Head Start/Early Head Start, Title 5, Title 22, child care resource and referral agencies, etc.

3. Familiarity with the CLASS and ECERS assessment tools is required. Certification in CLASS preferred.

4. Prefer bicultural and bilingual competence in Spanish and English and at least three years of experience working with low-income children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The second community of practice group that appeals to me is another non-profit agency in my community is called NapaLearns.  I chose this agency because they are committed to helping children succeed in school.  They partner with schools and the office of education to provide resources for schools, teachers and parents on education.  The current emphasis is helping to provide access to technology for children and their parents to help with English language learning and with math. The individuals that come together to meet about these issues are from many educational backgrounds, diverse levels of experience in  education and bring their knowledge and expertise to the community of practice.
The mission states: 

Partnering for Innovation and Success

In partnership with Napa County schools and the County Office of Education, NapaLearns encourages the success of EVERY student by providing resources, funding, and support to help district staff adopt new teaching methods focused on the demands of the future:

• Early childhood reading and math
• Project-based learning opportunities in grades K-12
• Technology and Internet access for all (NapaLearns, n.d.).

I did not see any job listings on the NapaLearns site but it looks like if there were a job for an early childhood professional the qualifications would need to be to have a good understanding of how to teach reading, math and technology skills to young children, teachers and parents.  A degree in early childhood hood education or a related field.  Living in this county it would also be important to be bilingual and bi-cultural.
  
 The Third community of practice group that appeals to me would be First Five of California. 

 This organization strives to support children, families and early childhood educators in the early learning foundations.  "The promise of First 5 California is to continue to invest in services and programs that directly benefit children and families and to advocate for a sustainable early childhood system for future generations" (First 5 of California, n.d.).   I choose this organization because they are a good resource for me and for parents. 
I did not see any job postings on this web site but since it deals directly with early childhood it would be important to have a degree in early childhood education or child development.  It would also be important to have a good understanding of appropriate practices in early childhood education and have the ability to plan workshops to educate parents and teachers about the importance of early learning and what their role is in a child's first learning experiences.  It would also be important to be bilingual and bi-cultural.

References
Community Resources for Children. (n.d). Mission. Retrieved from http://www.crcnapa.org/about_us/mission.html

First 5 California. (n.d.). Welcome to first 5 california. Retrieved from http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/

NapaLearns (n.d). Vision and mission. Retrieved from http://napalearns.org/about/vision-mission/

 

        

 

supporting families