Finale

Communicating with an international professional was very exciting. There were so many insights I gained from communicating with someone from UNICEF and also staying current with Children's Defense Fund website. Here are three outcomes I have while learning about the international early childhood field;

*The love and the will to fight for children is all around the world
*Funding for education continues to be scarce
*Many children are dying from diseases and poor health.

One goal that I have for the field related to international awareness is collaborating with other professionals and educators about the progress that is being made to make education affordable  for all families around the world. By collaborating and maintaining a relationship with professionals in other countries makes for great outcomes. We will share ideas, insights, and challenges so that we are able to help each other grow.


"Post at least three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development"

I was a bit confused by what was being asked of me when I first read this part of the assignment. I viewed this portion as two ways; what was the result of the learning about the international early childhood field or what was the challenges of learning about the international early childhood field. I decided to go with my first mind and shared the results of the learning I have gained from my international contacts.

Did anyone else feel the same? Best wishes to my professor and colleagues, I wish you all nothing but success!!

XoXo

UNICEF, International Contact: Part III

What are your hopes and dreams and what qualities are needed in order to be an excellent professional in the early childhood field?

These are just a few of the topics that Ms. Christine Muhigana and I discussed this week. We first began our conversation about quality education. She believes that all children deserves a quality education in their earliest years, one that makes for a rich future. Children who start school late either drop out or fall far behind and can ultimately continue the poverty cycle. She also believes that in order for a child to receive such education, highly educated and trained professionals are needed. She has heard of and witnessed individuals who were not highly qualified teachers teaching young children in their early years. The results for children were not good, in fact, it was almost as if the child never attended an education program and fell behind later in the school years. These professionals should be leaders and role models for our children, encouraging them to be the best individuals they can be. Ms. Muhigana also explained that from what she knows regarding opportunities for professional development, some colleges and universities offer students to experience a classroom setting to better prepare them as teachers and to get an insight on what to expect.

As we continued on with our conversation, Ms. Muhigana informed me that her professional goals include; making sure all children gain access to quality education, protecting children from abuse and neglect, and improving the health for children who are suffering from diseases and lack of nutrition. This was a touching topic for her and she feels that she is obligated to protect children, especially the ones who are suffering from poverty. In order for children to be the best, they must first have healthy, warm bodies. She hopes that one day, more people will become involved in helping children. She also hopes that education will be more affordable for families in the future. One of the challenges that she continues to face is trying to tend to all families who are in need, in a timely manner. She feel that a quick response is needed, but sometimes does not happen because of the millions of families who need their attention and support.

As I ended the conversation with Ms. Muhigana, since she had mentioned it as a goal, I decided to take a look back at UNICEF's website to see what additional information I could find regarding abuse. I found that in 2002, millions of children suffered from sexual abuse. These children were under 18 and was forced to have sexual intercourse. Indeed, this organization is working to respond to such trauma and I will share one of their statements regarding the matter.

"As part of UNICEF’s commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Rio de Janeiro Declaration and Call for Action to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, UNICEF works to prevent and respond to sexual violence by engaging different government sectors - justice, social welfare, education and health - as well as legislators, civil society, community leaders, religious groups, the private sector, media, families and children themselves."

I continue to pray for the well being of our children.

More of CDF

"We can do better" - Children's Defense Fund

One of the links that I explored on the website involved news regarding a 14 year old boy name Noah, who was accidentally shot by his best friend. A devastated mother shares her story about losing her son and how she wished she could have taught him about the dangers of guns before his death. She admits that she feels horrible for letting her son play in a house where guns were visible and in the reach of children.

The area that I searched through thoroughly was the policy priorities section. The reason I focused on this section was to read about their concerns for children and their families. Here is what I found:

*CDF believes poverty should come to an end
*All children should be eligible to receive a high quality education in the early years
*By the fourth grade, children should be reading at their levels and should continue to receive high quality education until they graduate from high school
*All children and pregnant women should have access to good health coverage
*Children should be protected from child abuse and neglect and placed with caring guardians



Another link that I followed that relates to one of the issues that I have been studying regards high school students, who shared their families' immigrations stories. Some worry about their future because of their illegal status. Those that are legal are worried that their parents will soon be deported. Fortunately, they are learning their rights and striving to be a voice for children who are experiencing some of the same issues that they are facing.

This website has definitely added to my understanding of excellence and equity in early care and education. I say this because CDF is determined to voice the rights of children and the importance of them to have the best education possible. They want all children to be included with a wonderful education; no matter their financial status. Additionally, information that I have grasped from this website is that there is a major need for congress to withheld from cutting investments funds in early education. If not, more of our children will be in prison in their later years and the cost for that is much more than investing in education programs.
 

Will the members of congress do what's best for our children or continue to overlook the positive benefits they can gain if children are provided with a rich education?

I guess we will have to wait and see........

International Contacts: Part II

Are we aware that millions of children in other countries are not enrolled in school?

This is in fact what I have learned from my professional contact from UNICEF. There is a estimate of over 57 million primary school aged children who are not in school, and has been little progress of bringing them back. Sub Saharan Africa, unfortunately, accounts for more than one half of this population. Most of these children are suffering from poverty, natural disasters, displacements, diseases, gender, and being exposed to child labor just to name a few. Girls who experience inequality and poverty are affected the most due to having less access to education because of their locations or their families simply cannot cover the cost for their education.

Sad right?

On a brighter note, excellence and equity is the forefront of UNICEF's discussion. As part of their equity strategy, they are working on getting down to the bottom of why so many children are out of school. The financial crisis and lack of funds have denied out of school children their human right to a good education. Because of their commitment to children and their well being, UNICEF has created programs that will ensure all children with access to a stabled education, to produce a healthy future.  Some of those programs include:

*Education for All
*Millennium Development Goals
*World Education Forum's Dakar Framework for Action
*A World Fit for Children
*United Nations Girls' Education Initiative
*School Fee Abolition Initiative

"Universal access to quality education is not a privilege - it is a basic human right." -UNICEF