Organizations in my Home State of Pennsylvania
First Up: Champions of Early Education Link: https://www.firstup.org/
Easterseals Link: https://www.easterseals.com/
Children's Literacy Initiative Link: https://cli.org/
I chose these three local organizations because while researching their websites I saw qualities and passions which I am interested in with the field of Early Childhood Education. I want to work somewhere whose vision and mission drive on creating nurturing, diverse high-quality educational communities of young minds. I want to work with others who have similar beliefs and are passionate about educating children and their families about empathy and taking care of one another and the Earth around us. Growing up I was fortunate to attend private schools all of my educational life from early childhood up through college. A huge takeaway that I got from my schooling was the importance of being kind to all living things and taking care of the Earth. In the first organization, I found I was excited to see that they partner up with other local organizations to teach children and their families about nature and give them an opportunity for hands-on learning out in local parks. I would love to be a part of an organization that teaches and inspires others to care for and love nature. The site mentions how in today's society we are bonded to technology and are constantly consumed with some kind of technological device rather that be a phone, computer, TV, or tablet. It is important that we are able to get kids back outside and form a bond to nature because nature and our outdoor environment need our help for conservation and help decrease global warming. To change the world and make sure we have the natural resources needed to survive we must educate our next generation on the importance and necessity of giving back to earth and not taking all that mother nature has to offer for granite.
The second organization is one that I have lived close to for my whole life and my family has been a contributor to donating to them as well. Easterseals' mission is to help people with disabilities live with a great amount of independence and provide support for both them and their family members in finding ways to immerse people with disabilities into local communities, businesses, and schools (Easterseals n.d.). I have been interested in working with children with special needs since one summer in college when I worked as a summer camp volunteer and assisted counselors with support for campers who acquired more a one on one support and guidance. I fell in love with helping these campers and being there for them during the summer. I learned so much from them and could relate to their feelings of being unsure of how to fit in with others around them. One of my main drives and motivations for being a member of the ECE community is teaching others about empathy and inclusion. No one likes to feel left out and like an outsider of the group particularly young children in the camp and school environments.
The third organization is dedicated to providing literacy support and help to both educators and education programs to improve school literacy programs for children in fifth grade and below. Their mission is to close the learning gap for children living in disadvantaged school systems. As I mentioned before I was fortunate and privileged to attend private schooling however many children particularly families who are in the minority both racially and economically do not have this same privilege. I want to give back and ensure fairness and equality in terms of the education being provided to all students regardless of their family's economic class.
I believe that I have the experience and education to take on these roles and become a part of the staff in these groups. I will continue taking online training and any other coursework necessary to work with individuals with special needs. This is the one area in which I feel the least educated and experienced working in however I am willing to put in the work and take the extra courses to achieve this goal. The other main component in pursuing my dreams and improving my leadership in the field of ECE is stepping outside of my comfort zone and making connections with members of these organizations and seeing where it is where they may need guidance and assistance with the experience and education that I attain.
