My sister is currently teaching in Madrid Spain. In college, she majored in Spanish and then received her master's in the art of teaching. She wanted to become more fluent so she moved to Spain. Three years later, she is still living abroad, but will be moving home to teach in Georgia next school year. It is possible to find a job internationally with an ECE background. I will explore some international organizations that appeal to me--and the jobs that would interest me (if I were young and single like my sister!).
United Nations Children's Fund orUNICEF: The early childhood education portion was of interest to me especially the early childhood education and school readiness. This would be a wonderful addition to my community of practice. UNICEF works toward school readiness three ways: "children’s readiness for school; schools’ readiness for children; and the readiness of families and communities to help children make the transition to school" (UNICEF, 2012a, para. 5).
Luckily, UNICEF offers a listing of jobs on the website, so I started my search. France would be fun, but I couldn't find a job that appealed to me in France, so instead of focusing on the country, I focused on the job. I found a Health Specialist (specializing in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health). I understand that this job does not fit with my challenge, nor with my degree, but I love working with families and their young children. The job is located in Nigeria and one requirement is: "advocate for and influence resources for the replication of effective maternal, neonatal and child Survival interventions" (UNICEFb, 2012, para. 8).The job requires a university degree in a health field, but this area sounds so interesting! I believe educating mothers and their babies is important in the ECE field.
Save the Children: This website has a section on education--and what I found fits my challenge! The Literacy Boost program was created to "help ensure children around the world learn valuable reading skills that are key to unlocking further education and career potential" (Save the Children, 2013, para. 2). What a great resource! I would love to be a international volunteer...this isn't a paid position, but what a great experience to advocate for children! I can play, teach and read to the children of Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Middle East. No experience is necessary--but I'm sure a master's degree in ECE will be a wonderful reference :).
Association for Childhood Education International: This international resource is dedicated "to promote and support in the global community the optimal education, development, and well-being of children birth through early adolescence" Association for Childhood Education International, 2011, para. 3). This organization has created a preschool for young girls of Tanzania. My cousin is currently in Tanzania through his work with the Peace Corps. I've enjoyed his emails from his journeys and think it would be a great experience to work with preschool children of different cultures. This kind of relates to my challenge--but I'm including it because it sounds inspiring! A Reviewer seemed interesting to me---reviewers "represent teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and school specialists. The overall mission of the coalition is to set national standards that help assure quality and credibility in preparation for professional school personnel" (Association for Childhood Education International, 2011b, para. 4). Reviewers have to have experience in education--they do not receive monetary compensation, but what a great experience!
References:
Association for Childhood Education International. (2011a). About us. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from
http://acei.org/about-us/about-us.html
Association for Childhood Education International. (2011b). NCATE. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from
http://acei.org/programs-events/ncate.html
Save the Children. (2013. Literacy boost. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.7084483/k.8F5A/Literacy_Boost.htm
United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF]. (2012a). Early childhood education and school readiness. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from
http://www.unicef.org/education/bege_61627.htmlhttps://careers.unicef.org/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?
UNICEF.(2012b). Data overview. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from
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