Sharing Web Resources

Save the Children has a component called Education. Within this component there are many areas that deal with Education such as Girls Education, A World with no Math, Healing and Education Through the Arts, Reading in Rural America, and Literacy Boost. Those are just of the few areas that are under Education component. HEART (Healing and Education Through the Arts) is the are that really interested me this week. HEART helps children who have experience extreme poverty, limited opportunity, and loss of family and home due to a natural disaster heal emotionally and learn critical skills, so they can achieve their highest potential. HEART has already reached 10,000 children and is looking to reach 50,000 children by the year 2015. This component is relevant to my professional development because I teach children dance on Saturdays and I'm also incorporating it in my daily activities with the children I provide care for.

Dance is a way to express your emotions through movement. I teach liturgical dance which allows children to pick songs that they can relate too and express the song through movement. The younger children normally pick songs that gives them a lot of energy, normally fast and happy songs. I have been dancing for about 12 years. I started dancing right after my parents divorced and dancing really helped me to channel my emotions. In dance classes its not just about moving but I take time to allow children to write and read. They keep a journal of how they feel throughout the week and we have circle time to see what songs describe how they are feeling or what songs can make them feel better.

Save the Children has a Literacy program called Literacy:Success in School: Creating Lifelong Learners. This program helps children in 13 states by expanding the curriculum in English, math, and science. This program is offered to school based programs for disadvantage children. The passion for this program is driven from the fact that 60% of low-income families cant afford to have books in their home. I found this to be very alarming and I find it hard to believe that with the percentage why would government officials close libraries and school?

In various e-newsletters Save the Children foundation provides information on how the government is involved. In April 2013, President Obama wrote a proposal to reform U.S. International Food Assistance Program. Also, in this reform President Obama urges law makers to ensure that these food assistance programs continue to reach the worlds poorest children. Save the Children foundation believes that President Obama proposal will help them in reaching more children if the U.S. International programs were more flexible, timely, and cost effective.

Save the Children foundation is really a great organization after the heart of children. I truly believe that poverty rates will decrease if this program continues to get support from people around the world as well as the government. What I found in this organization is that although they are creating change globally they have a strong desire to help the children in the U.S. first. They are launching programs that goes inside the school to help children. In additional, they have web links of parents who show gratitude for how the Save the Children foundation has their children and family.

Read more of this organization at   http://www.savethechildren.org

Getting to Know Your International Contact: Part 1

After three weeks of posting numerous Facebook post, LinkedIn statuses, emails to numerous of early childhood organizations, and speaking with family and friends I have found one International Contact. I made contact with this person through a mutual friend. The connection was made Thursday and it was better to email her rather than calling.

My International Contact name is Frau Doktor Anika Schmidt and she from Germany. She has a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood from Freie Universiate. She also has a Doctorate in Psychology from Freie Universiaet in Berlin. I asked her about what role she plays in the Early childhood field, are there any changes she would like to see happen in her country in the ECE field, and as a ECE professional what are ways she can help to make the early childhood better? She expressed that she works directly with Robert Bosch Siftung Center for Early Childhood Education (which is in conjunction with Freie Universiate) and she professionally assist the Hamburg government on Childhood Education in the political realm. Her desire is for her country to make changes in having more excess to ECE for fulltime working mothers and single parents. In Germany, there are not many funds that support working mothers and single parents. Lack of funds is due to the belief that children are suppose to be at home during the early stages of life. The government also made policies that restrict families of ECE funds for children under 3. As a ECE professional her focus is on political policies in the state of Hamburg encouraging the shift of preschool being regarded as an intrusion the private family life and making it an integral part of the German education system.



In addition, I asked Frau what were her views on poverty. She explain, Living in Hamburg and Berlin, poverty tends to be found in areas outside of the city, and areas tend to have families of ethnic minorities, single parents, and blue-collar workers. There are lower access to ECE in those areas, and the quality of education is lower, although there isn't as much of a disparity as in the US. 

Although, my international contact and I shared two emails I learned a lot in two days. Reading her email made me feel grateful and appreciative because the education system in Germany is way different than the US. In Germany, kindergarten is NOT FREE. The government feel that the children should be at home and children are not suppose to begin school until the age of 6. Germany government forces parents to pay tuition for children enrolled in kindergarten. In addition, I learned that along with the curriculum children must learn the state religion and prepare for jobs in the industry. As I was reading the email I couldn't imagine a 10 year old learning how to work. 

This week I learned that poverty is not a new topic. Poverty is happening globally and that the government needs to pay more attention to this issue. For a country (USA) to be one of the richest countries in the world I find it hard to believe that they are amongst the top countries with the highest homeless rate. In addition, I learned that people living poverty don't want to discuss the issues they have with their living status. It is great to know that there are organizations like "Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness" that are helping to eliminate poverty. I am very excited about this organization and I hope that by sharing this resource others will step up to help policy makers form better decisions about homelessness and poverty. 

If you would like to read more about source here is the link: Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness

Sharing Web Resources

Save the Children is a leading organization whose automate goal is to change lives of children across the nation. This organization work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and local partners to create a lasting change in the lives of children. Save the children helps families who have experienced disasters, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and diseases. This is an organization that welcomes all people who have a desire to help children and their families. You can become an advocate, donate funds, sign-up for their monthly newsletter, spread the word thru social sites, send ecards, become a volunteer and sponsor a child. I encourage everyone who has a passion for change to visit this website and see in what ways you can help. Here is the link Save The Children.

·         Each month the organization releases a publication in reference to an area that is harming children. In September, Save the Children release an publication called "Beyond School Walls- A Boost for Readers. This publication discussed how children are failing to read and learn globally. This really stuck out to me because there are so many children who don't know to read and this shouldn't be. This publication showed that 250 million primary school age children cannot read or write and this whether they attend school or not, 20% of children that live in poverty are 4 times more likely to be out of school than children living in wealthy populations and 60% of children in the U.S who come from low-income families have no reading books at home. Save the Children created a program called Literacy Boost which is currently helping 24 countries around the world. Some of the countries are Haiti, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. This program is designed to help children read and learn in as well as out of the classroom. Literacy Boost is also helping children living in extreme poverty and girls have the highest rate of being illiterate. Currently, more than 30 million girls are out of school every day. I really feel that this website addresses lot needs of children and more educational professionals should get involved. Children not reading, living in poverty, dealing with hunger, and not having medical supplies is not just a U.S issue it a GLOBAL ISSUE!!!

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·         Read more of this article: Beyond School Walls

Getting Ready-Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

 

Searching for two Early Childhood Professionals outside of the U.S. made me nervous and excited. The nervous portion of my emotions comes from the thought of not being successful in making a connection. As I begin sending out emails I found that many of the email addresses that I choose were coming back failed delivery. It took me moment to see why they were coming back that way. My understanding of the failed delivery is that the email addresses were not from the U.S. For example on email address I choose was Canadian Child Care Foundation ydionne@cccf-fcsge.ca. Any email that didn't end with org, net, or com came back failed delivery. 

The other emotion being excited comes from looking forward to communicating with other professionals across the world in my field. Im really hoping I can make this connection so I sent an email out four places..Kosovo Education Center, El Salvador, Step by Step Program/ Tipa Tipa, and Honduras. In the email I explained that I am a graduate student at Walden University working on my M.S in ECE. The purpose of the email is to find other professionals in my field and create a communication line of each other dreams, inspirations, issues, and activities in regards to children.

Outside of the resources that was provided to help make this connection I also used my facebook and instagram page to ask for help. I made a post to my family and friends asking them if they know any one how could possibly help with this assignment. In addition, I spoke with a head start coordinator at my local church who has a group that focus on helping to stop trafficking of children. I asked her if she could look to see if she has anyone in her organization who might be able to help. As the search continue I hope that the connect will be made. I haven't received back any responses but I'm keeping "HOPE" alive!!! 

The Early Childhood Organization I choose to research is Save the Children. My ultimate goal is to create change in my community in the lives of all children. Currently, Philadelphia is ranked one of the highest cities for child trafficking. While this is sad I just became aware of this information recently. If I didn't know about this I'm sure there are others who don't as well. Save the Children Organization offers services in child protection, child survival, education, health and nutrition, hunger, and emergency response. This organization partners with governments and internationals agencies to promote awareness on issues relating to children and how to keep them safe. I have signed up for there newsletter and I'm excited to read ways in which I can help children.

 Save The Children