Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The three organisations are:
1. WestEd
This organisation believes that all students should succeed in school, and that all these learners, infants to adults, should thrive within the community despite any circumstances that they may have been born into. This organisation appealed to me because it's focus is not only on children but also on adults, which would include the parents of the children being catered to. This allows for improvement in circumstances which might repeat themselves in family generations. Generational curses are broken by being able to make a difference in the lives of one household in the larger family setting.

The job opportunity that interest me was that of; Program Assistant. Skills and experience needed includes:
   Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software and web/intranet environments.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work as a team member.
• Comfortable handling multiple and shifting tasks with a number of program staff.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Tolerance for changing work priorities and deadlines and willingness to take on additional responsibilities.
• Resourceful and attentive to details.
• Interest and/or knowledge of education issues is desirable.
• Proactive in anticipating potential challenges, offering ways to improve processes, ensuring follow through.

2. Administration for Children and Families
Their goal is to seek to have children, youth, families, individuals, and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure. In doing this they provide avenues for parents to be assisted in their parenting skills, provide programs for children to be involved in order to be better educated. This organisation not only seeks to help the children, but the family as a unit. This is important to me because trying impact a child alone will not have the same effect as if the family unit was impacted together. The family will grow in knowledge and so would the child.

No available job opportunities.

3. The Erikson Institute
The Erikson Institute seeks to prepare child development and family service professionals for leadership. They do so in providing academic services, community service and engagement. This development in professionals is so that they are able to improve the life of children and families. The reason for choosing this organisation is because like they other two I chose it focuses on the development of the family unit and how its development will have a positive impact on the community.

Job opportunity is Assistant Director. Qualifications include:

Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills balanced with excellent organizational and administrative skills.
Ability to work as part of a team in a fast-paced work environment.
Ability to work with people from a variety of diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics, including culture, race, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, social class, and abilities.
Ability to use technology to improve communications and services.
Familiarity with student information systems and relationship management software.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required; Master’s degree preferred
Minimum of two years of full-time experience in a higher education setting required, preferably in registration and student records, academic advising or enrollment management.
Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across diverse groups of constituents, including students, faculty, academic advisors, alumni and other staff.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

In Barbados there are very limited organisation that purposefully come together to work on behalf of the children in society. Below are the three that I found interest in;

PAREDOS-
This is an organisation that that seeks to assist parents in parenting their children. These parents mostly include those who are underprivileged, teenage mothers, or any parent who is seeking assistance in know how to raise their child. This organisation interest me because, my challenge is based on parents being able to leave a positive legacy for their children, and in doing so I will be seeking to overcome the barrier between teacher and parent, ad be able to get parents more involved in their child's education. PAREDOS' purpose is directly dealing with parents and parenting and therefore if I can become involved in this organisation, then I would have a better opportunity of reaching more parents.
A job opportunity in this organisation right now would be more voluntary work. This voluntary work would include speaking in certain environments, such as seminars or just a session on parenting. The experience required is minimum.

VARIETY The Children's Charity
 This organisation's goal is to raise funds for the sick, disadvantaged, and disabled children in Barbados and in the Eastern Caribbean. What interest me in this organisation is the impact that they have on the children, and being involved would be a great opportunity. Though being involved may not directly mean interacting with the children, but knowing what little I am doing can have a great impact on the children's lives. In this organisation volunteering is my better option, I could also become a member of the charity with a annual fee. No experience is required.

H.O.P.E for Children

This organisation provides food, school uniforms, school supplies, hygienic supplies and other essentials. Recently they have increased their programmes to ensure that the children have a progressive and productive future. I was drawn to them because they not only focus on the physical needs but also in developing the children into responsible adults. Voluntarism is the option of being involved, and no experience is required.  

References
Parent Education for Development in Barbados
http://www.paredos.net/ 

Variety the Children's Charity
http://varietybarbados.org/

H.O.P.E for Children
http://www.hopeforchildren.org/