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

At least three national/federal organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you and why you chose them

·      The National Governing Board of NAEYC – Although this organization is far from new to me I remain dedicated to its mission and would like to contribute my expertise and my passion for the field to further advance that mission.  I reached a personal goal of being on the 2014 ballot for the NAEYC Governing Board.  Next time I would like to be elected.

·      The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership – I would like to be able to attend the 2015 National Leadership conference presented by the McCormick Center.  The conference is an opportunity to “meet national experts, learn new skills, and gain the knowledge you need to be more effective in your leadership role. Equally important is the opportunity you’ll have to network with others who are doing similar work and experiencing the same challenges you do” (http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/professional-development/national-leadership-conference/).  I believe the learning and networking possibilities would add to my personal community of practice and expertise.

Buffet Early Childhood Fund – I am inspired by this organization, specifically the Alliance for Early Success, and would like to learn more about them, the work they do and perhaps ways to get involved professionally.  Here is some information from their website.

Established in 2005, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund is committed to establishing a more level playing field for all children as they enter kindergarten — a goal that should be a given in any society that values equal opportunity.

In partnership with other funders, we seek to redefine "education" to encompass the first five years of life and learning through an integrated strategy to invest in:

·      Practice, through Educare schools in the nationwide Educare Learning Network

·      Policy, through the Alliance for Early Success and the First Five Years Fund

·      Knowledge, through the Harvard Center on the Developing Child (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation) and the work of Nobel Laureate in Economics James Heckman.

(http://www.buffettearlychildhoodfund.org/index.html)

Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

Working as a member of the Goffin Strategies Group.  “Goffin Strategies Group is dedicated to strengthening early childhood education's ability to provide effective programs and services for young children through leadership, systems, and capacity development. Results are achieved through customized consultation, including design, facilitation, and implementation of multi-stakeholder change initiatives, documents that analyze and promote understanding of complex issues, and strategy development.

The collaborative and results-oriented approach of the Goffin Strategy Group mobilizes people and organizations to become focused in intent and action” (https://sites.google.com/site/goffinstrategygroup/Goffin-Strategy-Group-Homepage).

Skills and experience you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles

To participate in and fulfill any of the above mentioned roles I would need to continue to develop my communication, facilitation, and strategic planning skills.  I would need to remain focused on learning and understanding important policy issues that are affecting young children and their families.  I would need to build my personal community of practice to ensure I would have a network of people who could support me as I learned.