Go Internationally! Exploring international communities of practice in ECE
Appealing to international communities of practice in ECE
Creating partnerships with international communities of practice in ECE provides opportunities to develop common solutions to difficult situations and issues. Here are some international communities of practice that appealed to me and could be appealed to you too.The Academy for Educational Development (AED)
The Academy for Educational Development is a non-profit organization that aims to develop many areas including health, economy, civil society, and education. In 2011, Family Health International and the AED came together to create FHI 360. The organization earns its success through its different core values. It resonates with me because the organization helps people with passion, respect, and integrity promoting innovation, diversity, and excellence. They are also driven by a strong personal commitment to making a big difference in the lives of underprivileged people. FHI 360 works to cultivate a workplace by promoting understanding and acceptance of differences regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, and other diversities. The career opportunities for full-time and part-time are vast on all continents. I see interesting jobs related to learning and education, research, counseling, and early childhood most of them in the United States, Indonesia, and Kenya. Each position requires specific qualifications but all are looking for people with these skills: good interpersonal skills and ability to work with others, organizational and administrative skills, ability to build and maintain relationships, and good communication skills – verbal and written.
International Step by Step Association (ISSA)
The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) caught my attention because they envision a society where families, communities, and professionals work together to empower each child to reach their unique potential and embrace values of social justice and equity, but more importantly, they believe in the holistic development of young children. The organization puts the focus on different age groups: from birth to three and from three to ten. They also impact other areas, like families, professional training, inclusion, and diversity. The organization is an international learning community powered by leading early childhood experts in Europe and Central Asia. Their commitment to uniting and supporting professionals and partners to deliver high-quality early years services equitably and the vision of challenging existing knowledge and practice and constructing new approaches and models seem interesting to me. At the moment, the organization does not provide available positions, however, they offer webinars and continued education to support teachers' and school leaders' careers.Childhood Education International
Childhood Education International works to transform education so that every child has access to quality and equitable learning experiences supporting their right to receive an education and learning. The organization not just ensures education, but also promotes education’s progress by transforming and reinventing education to meet the child’s needs, the needs of their community and workforce, and the emerging needs of the world. The organization supports its mission and vision by four guiding principles: start early, work collaboratively, act globally, and think innovatively. The 10 universal beliefs included in the Code of Ethics used also to inform about their decisions to contribute to advancing children’s education around the world seems thorough to me. The organization caught more of my attention knowing their print and online publications focused on innovations in education, policy, and research on a variety of topics. The publications offer a new path for early childhood educators and practitioners to write small posts or research articles. For ECE interested to share engaging stories about children and their potential, this is a great opportunity to catch up.Other international communities of practice that could interest you
The following organizations center their advocacy and leadership supporting issues and trends of the early childhood field like changing demographics and diversity, poverty, accessibility of education and care, exceptional children, family involvement, play, and preventing child abuse.
ASPIRA Association, Inc.
ASPIRA is a national Hispanic organization dedicated exclusively to developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic youth encouraging them to stay in school, preparing them to succeed in education, developing their leadership skills, and serving their community.Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America believes that every child can succeed and thrive in life. Big Brothers/Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. The organization develops positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.Child Care Aware® of America
Child Care Aware® of America is the nation's leading voice for child care, working with more than 600 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies to ensure that families in every community have access to quality affordable child care.Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Exceptional Children is an international professional organization devoted to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities. Covering many aspects related to exceptional children including learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, mental retardation, and developmental disabilities, gifted, and visual handicaps.GLSEN
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community.National Center for Children in Poverty
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is one of the nation’s leading public policy centers dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice to ensure positive outcomes for the next generation. It promotes family-oriented solutions at the state and national levels.National Center for Families Learning
National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) advances literacy and education by developing, implementing, and documenting innovative and promising intergenerational strategies. People can get involved in the following areas: two-generation practices, tools to assist literacy, learning efforts, professional development and networks, community and coalition building, and research.National Institute for Play
National Institute for Play is a non-profit public benefit corporation committed to bringing the unrealized knowledge, practices, and benefits of play into public life. It is gathering research from diverse play scientists and practitioners, initiating projects to expand the clinical scientific knowledge of the human play, and translating this emerging body of knowledge into programs and resources which deliver the transformative power of play.Prevent Child Abuse America
Prevent Child Abuse America focuses on changing the way our nation thinks about prevention, focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur. The organization works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development.Each organization is provided with a link to its website and pages to help you with an easy and pleasant reach.
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