Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

It was very interesting exploring a variety of jobs that foster the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood.  I found information on the following organizations and possible job opportunities:

1. International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is a membership organization that connects professionals and organizations working in Early Childhood Development (ECD). Established in the Netherlands in 1999, ISSA’s network today stretches across the globe. While ISSA offers general membership and information-sharing to all interested individuals and organizations, ISSA’s core members are non-governmental organizations, located in Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe and Central Asia.

ISSA’s overarching goal is to promote inclusive, quality care and education experiences that create the conditions for all children to become active members of a democratic knowledge society. ISSA accomplishes this through: raising awareness of the importance of quality care and education, developing resources, disseminating information, advocating, strengthening alliances, and building capacity to create conditions where all children thrive.

Job Opportunity:  Early Childhood (Birth to Age 6) and Primary School

Step by Step classrooms foster democratic habits. Children are encouraged to:

• Make choices and accept responsibility
• Learn independently as well as cooperatively
• Be tolerant and respectful of differences

Using a thematic or project-based approach, classrooms are organized around developmentally appropriate learning and activity centers. The specific organization of this environment places a high priority on peer learning and ensures that children have the opportunity to make decisions each day. Activity centers are geared to the interests and learning level of each age group.

The role of the teacher is to facilitate children’s learning and create a community of learners. Teachers do not strive to be fountains of knowledge. Rather, teachers create a climate for learning, exemplifying the qualities that should be developed in children—intellectual curiosity, independent learning, enthusiasm, empathy and caring.

Teachers interact with children as they work and play. They observe and listen to children, record and evaluate their observations, and plan developmentally appropriate learning activities. In an environment where teachers encourage children to pursue their interests, children develop a strong sense of importance and self-initiative.

In many countries formal preschool services reach only a small percentage of children and families most in need of services. For this reason, ISSA is reaching out to children and families without access to quality preschool programs. For many communities, a range of creative, flexible strategies to provide parents with the knowledge, skills, and practices needed to support their children’s development is urgently needed. The development of community learning centers, which address the learning needs of both parents and children, is a high priority of SbS’s expanded community activities. ISSA’s goal is to expand services to reach families whose children are not attending formal preschools. Additional programs include: parent-child activities, parent education workshops, adult education, and informal developmentally appropriate activities for children from birth-7 years of age.

2.  UNESCO’s mission is to promote education as a fundamental human right, to improve the quality of education and to facilitate policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building. As the Preamble to UNESCO’s constitution reads, the States parties believed ‘in full and equal opportunities for education for all, in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth and in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge". Since then, the world has changed but the right to education is more fundamental than ever for building knowledge societies.

Job Opportunity:  Education Roster - Early Childhood Care and Education

From time to time UNESCO employs consultants and authors who are recognized specialists or authorities working either in an advisory or consultative capacity, or providing the skills, expertise and knowledge needed for the delivery of a specific service or product. They should possess specialist skills and knowledge not readily available within UNESCO, and for which there is a temporary, short-term need, rather than a continuing need.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Consultants should have relevant professional experience at the national, regional

and/or international level. Professional experience should be of 2 years for junior level, 5 years for intermediate level, 10 years for senior level and over 15 for highly specialized senior consultants, in one or more of the above mentioned fields.  Significant experience working in developing countries may be required for some assignments.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

Advanced university degree.  Normally excellent knowledge of English or French. Knowledge of another UNESCO’s official language (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) would be an advantage.

3.  Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with a staff of more than 14,000 people working in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters.

U.S. Field-Based Positions:

Save the Children runs and coordinates programs for children and families in 29 states across the country. Our field-based positions work with local and national partners to implement programs in Early Childhood and Education, Literacy, Nutrition and Exercise.

International Field-Based Positions:

Our U.S. headquarters also recruits a limited number of qualified individuals to support field-based programs in a variety of International locations. In addition Save the Children International and 30 national Save the Children organizations around the world also recruit for positions overseas.

4.  UNICEF:  We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress.  UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path.  We believe that we can, together, advance the cause of humanity.

Job Opportunity:  Consultancy assignment: Sustainable Scale up of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and the Role of Social Enterprise

If you are a passionate and committed professional and want to make a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.
Key competences, technical background, and experience:
• Extensive knowledge in ECD, Sustainable Development, processes and contents of post-2015 Agenda
• At least 10 to 15 years of proven experience in the area of ECD
• Ability to network, consolidate and present ideas clearly
• Strong analytical and writing skills; ability to prepare analytical reports in English.
• Familiarity with UNICEF programmes and policies

Reference

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from

http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from

http://www.unicef.org/

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved

from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/