Finally, the Final Blog Post!!

First of all I can hardly contain myself!! Finally, finally, we are finished. The blog was my nemesis throughout the duration of my program. This may not count as a deeply felt learning from the course, but I have to admit I am not a blogger!!!J

So…when I began my program I truly felt that I was going to utilize my education to work as a Program Director of an early childhood education program. Now, I cannot see myself doing that. I feel my passion has been discerned over the course of this program and I feel my area of expertise lies in working for organizations that assist children and families that are suffering due to traumatic experiences both locally and internationally. My background is in mental health and I feel both my experience and knowledge are complementary to support this goal.

Next, I had the expectation that I would primarily be working with children and didn’t really take into account the large family component that is necessary for successful implementation of programs.

Lastly, I think I found a belief in myself. I found the belief that I do have the knowledge and skills to make change happen. I finished this program and I now better go and do something with it, because I have been given the gift of knowledge to help others.

My long term goal has always been to work internationally with children and families. I have investigated programs such as Food for the Poor and HEART over the past several years and would love to work for one of those organizations when my children are all old enough to endure such travels. Essentially, I would love to work to help alleviate the suffering children endure from starvation to loss of loved ones in order to help children heal and have the opportunity to grow and learn, give children the gift of childhood!!

I would like to thank all of my colleagues in these courses! It has been inspiring to hear the great work all of you are doing in your communities and for children. I have learned so much from the experience and knowledge you have all shared with me and I wish you all the best of luck!! Dr. Teri, I appreciate the hard work and dedication that you have poured into this final capstone project for all of us. It is clear that you have a passion for helping your students and to see all of us grow and be successful in our profession. I am so thankful for the guidance you gave me and the commitment to our educational goals you have shown.

On a side note, I have been out of touch with the “real” world for so long I look forward to reading some fiction and probably need a good recommendation!!

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

International Organizations

I first chose to explore the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH). This is a membership required organization that seeks to explore ways to improve the overall well –being and healthy mental and emotional development of infants worldwide by taking into account factors relating to culture, geography, and environment. This organization seeks to find scientific research and resources to assist all infants globally. Since my paper revolves around infants and early childhood mental health I felt this organization was a great resource to learn what is currently taking place worldwide with this issue. I felt this was very exciting to find out about, and could prove to be an excellent resource long term.

http://www.waimh.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

Next, I looked at Plan International. This is an organization similar to UNICEF. The premise behind this organization is to assist all children globally with increasing their overall chance of success by promoting their potential and strengths despite environmental stressors. While education is one factor that Plan heavily supports, other factors such as health and safety are much larger concerns. As Maslow points out, basic needs of safety and security must first be met in order to work on other needs. Once again I am very interested in how to serve children educationally that have challenges related to safety and security. Also, I have always wanted to go and work in India or Latin America when my children are all old enough to endure the travels, so this organization speaks to me on a personal level as well.  

http://plan-international.org/what-we-do/education

Lastly, I researched the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This is a group sponsored by the United Nations to bridge the gap between different countries and cultures in order to promote global collaboration on topics relating to education, health and safety, and communication. In terms of education this organization works to bring educational opportunities to all children of every nation in a safe and humanitarian manner. This organization offers a wealth of information in terms of resources, journal articles, and current events worldwide on topics pertaining to education. The amount of information this organization offers is tremendous and I feel that it offers useful and valuable resources.

http://en.unesco.org/themes/education-21st-century

I recently read on LinkedIn that individuals who volunteer are more likely to land a job, due to the experience they gain volunteering as well as the networking opportunities. With that in mind I found internships available through UNESCO. An individual must be enrolled in a graduate or post graduate program in a field that UNESCO supports, such as education. The internship last for 2-6 months, and while there is no pay for the position it offers supplementary experience and education to standard coursework. Individuals must speak and write English, be proficient in MS office, as well as have a student Visa. While I don’t plan to pursue my Doctorate degree just yet, this would be a great opportunity for someone that does plan to do so.

http://en.unesco.org/careers/internships