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

This week we were asked to look into three national or federal level jobs in the early childhood field. I chose to look into the NAEYC, The Children’s Defense Fund, and Zero to Three to investigate job opportunities.

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children)

I chose to look into this organization because this has been our most used reference in all of our courses here at Walden. All of the jobs here are located in Washington DC. The following jobs are available: Conference Coordinator, Chief Technology Officer, Copy/Production Editor, and Managing Editor of Books and Resources. None of the jobs really appealed to me because I really enjoy working in the classroom or close to the classroom.

These jobs are all corporate positions. The Conference Coordinator simply requires a Bachelor’s Degree and that it is. The Chief Technology Officer requires 5-10 years in the IT world along with a Bachelor’s degree. The Copy/Production Editor requires a Bachelor’s degree along with three years of copyediting. The last position of Managing Books and Resources Editor requires five years of editorial work along with a Bachelor’s degree. You can find more information here if would like http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs.

The Children’s Defense Fund

I chose to look into this organization because I am pulling a lot of resources from them for my Capstone. All of the available jobs are also located in Washington DC, and they are all corporate positions. The positions include Web/Writer and Editor, Research Direct/Mail Manager, Press Secretary, Operations Coordinator, Database Manager, Communication Assistant, and Accounting Manager.

All of these available jobs do not seem like a match for us. The Web/Writer and Editor requires a degree in journalism, and the rest of the jobs require at least three years of experience in that area. If you would like more information, you can go here http://tbe.taleo.net/NA4/ats/careers/jobSearch.jsp?org=CHILDRENSDEFENSE&cws=1.

Zero to Three

I chose to look into this organization because we also referred to them often for excellent resources in past courses. I am also amazed that there is an organization out there that is emphasizing how important the first five years really are. The current jobs available include Senior Writer, Infant Toddler Workforce Manager, and Administrative Assistant.

These positions are also corporate positions as well. The position for Senior Writer and the Infant Toddler Manager position both require a Master’s degree in the early childhood field. The Administrative Assistant position requires 3-5 years experience in administrative work. If you are interested in finding out a little bit more, you can go to this link http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/careers/careers.html.

Overall, I did not find anything that I would be interested in applying for. Most of the jobs are on the corporate level, and I want to continue interacting with children daily at the local level. However, these organizations are excellent resources for any professional in our field, and I do plan on continuing to utilize them after graduation.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

This week we were asked to share some local and national programs that would benefit young children. I have shared a little bit about each program I chose, and I have done a little research for career opportunities in each area.

CYS (Child and Youth Services)
http://www.hoodmwr.com/cys_childcare.htm

CYS is just one of the many programs offered to military families. I chose this program because my son participates in a lot of activities with CYS each year. Children can choose sports to enroll in, extra-curricular activities like piano to participate in, or attend summer camps. Children get to meet other children just like themselves who may also have a deployed parent. CYS offers $300 in free activities and $100 in free sports per year to children who have a parent deployed or who died in combat. For the younger children under five, there is part time preschool available, childcare at the gym, and parent’s nights out twice a month at a really reasonable cost.

There are currently no job opportunities currently available where I live, but I could see myself working here in the future. Daycare teachers can make anywhere from $10-$17 depending on how many hours you have. We all would qualify for the $17/hr because of our education. I have looked into becoming a CDC Director here recently, and you only need a Master’s Degree and a certificate that says you are licensed to be a Daycare Director. If you live near a military base, you should look into working with their CYS Program because they do take care of you monetarily and with benefits.

Head Start
http://www.txhsa.org/

Head Start is an education program that gives children who may be behind because of poverty or physical disabilities a chance to get a head start before they begin Kindergarten. I chose this program because I spent a lot of time substituting in these classrooms, and I really enjoyed it. Today there is even an early head start. I have been in one of these classrooms, and I was able to meet a three year old who was participating in the early head start program. After two years, she was ready to begin Kindergarten with her classmates. This program varies by state, but it is a national program. Bill Clinton spent some time during his presidency pushing our nation's Head Start program. In Texas, nearly 68,000 students have been served.

I found one opening at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas for a Head Start Teacher. I am sure that more openings will appear as the end of the school year is approaching. We all qualify for this position because you only need an associate’s degree or higher in early childhood. It says that teachers will be paid $1300 per pay period which is twice a month. If anyone is interested here is the link https://insperity.ats.hrsmart.com/cgi-bin/a/highlightjob.cgi?jobid=73734. I would love to work for Head Start, and this may be a route I consider as I will be job hunting this summer!

YMCA
http://ymca.net/

The YMCA is a program that focuses on physical fitness. I chose this program because I am trying to find some activities for my boys to do this summer. Children can enroll in summer camps or sports. Parents have the option of dropping their child off here so they can work out. So far. I found a summer soccer camp that is a week long that I would like to enroll my younger son in as well as seasonal sports throughout the year. This program is also nationally found.

There are a lot of jobs currently open through the YMCA. There are many part-time jobs open if you need a second job, and there are many professional jobs open if you need a full-time job. I looked at the Child and Teen Director. There were no qualifications listed, so I am assuming that they will just be looking for the most qualified candidate. The salary for this position is between $39,000-42,000. There are also many jobs open for their summer camps that are approaching, and the pay is between $7.25 -$8.50.

There are many organizations that benefit children today, but these are the ones that I took interest in. I really liked this assignment because we are six weeks away from graduating and the door is about to open wide!