Roles in The ECE community: National or Federal Levels

http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/features/issue/poverty.asp

Communities of practice, in my opinion, are life-changing organizations that share a common interest in a situation, and bring thoughts, expertise, knowledge, and passion together to solve an issue that will make society just a tad bit better than what it is.  I have been tasked to share national organizations of communities of practice that I would be interested in being a part of.  The first that I have chosen is National Association of Social Workers.  NASW (2012) view on poverty is what appealed to me greatly.  This organization is very hands-on within communities and is a great support system to those who are experiencing poverty.  Within this community, social workers tackle the complex issues of poverty through community organizing in poor neighborhoods.  For instance, the communities’ assets are combined with additional resources to build up the local systems that support health, education, and financial viability (NASW, 2012).  The organization strives and fights for poverty on a national scale.  This organization has even joined forces with Congress to increase the minimum wage and advocates for the importance of ending poverty rather than just reducing the number of welfare recipients (NASW, 2012).

There was one job that I became immediately interested in, the community impact director, under the sector of advocacy.  The job requires a Bachelor’s, but a Master’s is preferred and the skills and experience needed include: five to seven years relevant experience, including: positive youth development, public policy, program development and evaluation; strategic planning and analysis, grant-making, and/or research; experience in collective impact and working with low-income communities and other diverse groups, with the ability to build and sustain productive relationships with diverse individuals, groups, organizations and communities, experience; demonstrates ability in planning and implementing community-based initiatives; ability to build consensus; collaborate with and convene multiple partners in efforts that produce specific deliverables and demonstrable outcomes; ability to meet aggressive deadlines and handle multiple priorities; proficient in attending to detail with ability to organize, prioritize and effectively contribute within team setting; excellent analytical ability and superior problem-solving skills; excellent communication, interpersonal, listening, writing and facilitation skills; ability to take concepts from initiation to completion with minimal supervision; knowledge of current youth impact area research, local and national issues and trends; Microsoft Office skills and experience required; Commitment to excellence and the mission of United Way!

These are some available resources listed on the site:

Resources
• Code of Ethics
• NASW Bylaws
• NASW Chapters
• HIPAA
• About the Profession
• Governance
• NASW Foundation
• Social Workers Across Nations

http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/

The second organization I chose consists of members of The Community Action Partnership that developed Rooting Out Poverty.  It includes input from several hundred key leaders from the local, state, and national levels. It offers solutions and strategies for promoting quality child care; employment and training opportunities, especially for those lacking basic skills; responsible health, energy, and conservation policies, assistance to those elderly and otherwise most vulnerable of people, and more.  I chose this community of practice because it focuses on setting up statewide summits on poverty, and long-range action plans.

Rooting Out Poverty was designed to educate and inform every American that the country's poverty epidemic is intolerable -- and correctable. It can also help reframe and refocus work, encourage collaborations, spark community discussions, and stimulate new ideas.

A position that interested me most was a family visitor.  A program called The Parents as Teachers program is seeking a Family Visitor to provide home based and family development support services in Anchorage to families with young children prenatal to 5.  Knowledge of child development and the ability to work independently is preferred.

http://www.halfinten.org/

The last organization I chose to share is Half in Ten Campaign.  This organization discusses poverty issues in relation to creating good jobs, strengthening families, promoting economic security, and cutting poverty in half.  My reason for selecting this organization is self-explanatory. 

I have learned so much about communities of practice during this blog assignment.  More importantly it expands my research knowledge. 

. 

Local and State Levels

Mississippi Early Childhood Association is a chartered, non-profit, educational organization with affiliates in many local areas. It is an association for all persons concerned about the care and education of young children that exists. I chose this organization because it focuses on the whole child which includes helping people that are genuinely interested in young children to work together, increasing knowledge and understanding of members through educational means, bring relevant issues about needs of  children to the attention of the public, encourage development of local associations to support the organization (http://www.msearlychildhood.org/links).

 Early Childhood Association (MsECA) is to connect early education professionals to one another on the local level.  Affiliate groups of MsECA meet regularly to discuss issues of interest in the areas in which members work.  Most of their meetings also offer educational programs which are approved for contact hours for child care licensure.  In addition to this grassroots support of early education, each affiliate has representation on the MsECA board.  The affiliate president serves as a voting member of the executive board a nd is able to bring a unified voice from the local members into statewide decision making. 

The next organization that I chose was Early Childhood Institute.  The mission of the Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute is to develop and provide research-based practices and policy recommendations that promote high quality early childhood development and learning for all young children in Mississippi.  The motto was very appealing to me.  It touches the lives of children, families, professionals, and the community.  It serves communities statewide and provides expertise in several counties in Mississippi.

The last organization of interest is Every Child Matters.  This organization was established July 20th, 2001.  The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make public investments in children, youth, and families a national political priority (http://everychildmatters.org/).  I was interested in this organization because it takes a different approach on the well-being of children and families.  What makes ECM different is that it focuses on raising the visibility of children’s issues during “elections”.  The organization encourages candidates to support, and the public to demand, greater investments in programs that address the needs of America's families. 

 Job opportunities of interest are strictly the managerial positions for organizations.  I like to come up with ideas that help everyone individually and collectively. Skills needed for any job within leaderships requires effective communication, collaboration, enthusiasm, knowledge of the purpose, etc.

References

http://www.msearlychildhood.org/links

http://everychildmatters.org/

http://earlychildhood.msstate.edu/