Job Roles In ECE Internationally

 The organization, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), works to support the needs of the most vulnerable children, families, and communities in one hundred and ninety countries. As a young child, during Halloween, I along with many other children, carried around a little orange box. Our hope then was to raise monies for hungry children all over the world. Today, the need sadly still exists. The Unicef site shares great stories of hope, and accomplishments. Their mission, together, we are working toward the day when ZERO children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood (Unicef, n.d.). 

     Unicef's work is important and relevant; they continuously work to raise monies and support, while employing many talented individuals working from varying careers. Reviewing their career and job opportunities yield little in the way of employment for educators. The vacancies were for positions for managers in civil engineering or deputy directors who responsibilities include outreach, research and analysis of global economics. I do not have the necessary knowledge, background or experience. I was able to find temporary assignments and consultancy assignments. If I were to follow varying links there are careers I am sure listed in roles to ensure support for varying needs of children.

I feel strongly about Unicef’s efforts as they have radically improved the lives and the conditions as well as mortality rates in children. The number of under-five child deaths has dropped more than forty percent since 1990. (Unicef, n. d.). 

A worldwide organization I learned about recently is Association for Childhood Education International.

There website is http://www.acei.org

They state their mission as Our mission is to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society (Association for Childhood Education International n.d.)

Their efforts is through their work with the United Nations they have developed The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. The group has developed eight goals; eradicate hunger and poverty, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal healthy, combat malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, develop a global partnership for development (The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development n. d.).  The work towards achieving these goals are tasks that I cannot even begin to comprehend. Nevertheless, they are imperative, if children are going to have the necessary and basic requirements for sustained learning and growth.

As I looked for employment, they listed no jobs are available. I researched the agencies, The United Nations Global Child Development group, but no luck.

My assumptions are that consultative groups may hire and work with many of these organizations.




The next organization is the International Step by Step Association: Quality 

The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is a membership organization that connects professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education. ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives. Established in the Netherlands in 1999, ISSA’s network today stretches across the globe from Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia, Asia, and the Americas. While ISSA offers general membership and information-sharing to all interested individuals and organizations, ISSA’s core members are the 31 nongovernmental organizations, located primarily in Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, that implement the Step by Step Program initiated by the Open Society Institute (OSI) in 1994. Within its network, ISSA supports a wide array of programs that collectively provide a comprehensive set of educational services and advocacy tools intended to influence policy reform for families and children, with a special focus on the years from birth through primary school (The International Step by Step Association, n. d.). 

Finding a career would most likely be through one on the thirty one nongovernmental organizations. So I googled the Open Society Institute and found a position for Program  Associate in New York but the position was one to provide support but not on an educational level but rather on program administrative level. Then I chose to follow a link to partnering programs and I found the site Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training. Again, I had no luck at finding any available jobs.

 Reference

United Nations Children’s Fund [unicef]. (n .d.). Retrieved from

http://www.unicefusa.org

The Association for Childhood Education International (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.acei.org

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Diversity in Early Childhood Education And Training Retrieved from

http://www.decet.org