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

The American Humane Association

I came across this organization as a result of my research on the historical context of my challenge. The American Humane Association has been the nation’s leading voice for the protection of children and animals for the past 134 years. The organization’s mission is to insure the welfare, wellness and wellbeing of children and animals. The pairing of the two, children and animals, is no coincident rather it is the result of the story of Mary Ellen Wilson, that the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was created in 1873.

The organization offers many programs in support of both children and animals, in addition to training, education, and assistance to child welfare workers so they can provide the best support to children and families. The organization currently has only two job openings, unfortunately, neither of them was to my interest.

http://www.americanhumane.org/children/

Positive Discipline Association:

This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting respectful relationships as a way to discipline. The organization is based on the work of Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist, who was the first to introduce the concept of positive discipline and later the concept was brought into the United States by Rudolph Dreikurs, who strongly advocated for it. the concept is currently adapted by Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott. The organization offers a unique job opportunity for an Executive Director position. The duties are mainly administrative in nature which works out great with my Master’s specialization in management and leadership. However; I would have to increase my years of experience in management as the required minimum is five years.

http://positivediscipline.org/

Zero to Three- National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families

Zero to Three is one of the most reputable nonprofit organizations committed to advancing the importance of the first three years of a child’s life. I am passionate about working with young children, particularly infants. Zero to Three focuses on many areas such as behavior and development, maltreatment, care and education, and public policy. Working for this organization would afford me a great opportunity for growth. The organization employed over 100 staff members, unfortunately the three job opportunities available are geared more towards business management than early childhood education. Nonetheless, I would definitely keep checking their website for future opportunities.

http://www.zerotothree.org/

One of my dream jobs is to work for a toy manufacturing company that specializes in developing educational materials for early childhood education. So I began searching nationally recognized companies for such positions. I was surprised to see this job opening at

Lakeshore

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/

Job opportunity: Early childhood product developer

Job qualifications:

·         Minimum 2 years’ experience teaching in early childhood

·         BA degree in Education, Early Childhood Development

·         Knowledge of educational standards and curriculum

The current position would be a great fit for me and my qualifications.