As a consequence of interacting with international early childhood professionals via web sites, I am reminded that there are many others who share my very same goals and hopes for children's lives as they grow and become contributing adults in a world that will need them, too.
They legitimize my beliefs in the critical nature of committing to children the tools necessary to live at peace and prosperity.
We no longer live far apart from each other, and so communication about needs and strategies can be shared with a world wide pool of professionals.
We also have much to share and learn from each other about poverty, its sources and its consequences on the lives of children, who might grow up to be leaders, or not. I found the issue of poverty to present more differences than similarities between the poverty we experience in the United States, and that which is found in developing nations. There is no single source of poverty, and so its eradication will come from a collaboration of professionals in many fields who know the people and needs of the local area. There remains a common strategy, however, in appropriate care and education of young children as a long term investment in any country's well-being.
My goal is to continue searching out early childhood professionals from around the world who can help me better understand the needs of the children I serve now, and those that I may serve in the future. The United States continues to be an attractive home for immigrants. Keeping abreast of international child and family issues may prepare me to be more sensitive to immigrant children's needs and strengths whenever they arrive in my community.
My professional goal to improve the lives of children and families in my community echoes the initiatives of UNESCO, even in underdeveloped nations. UNESCO gathers the advocates for children's rights internationally, all striving to achieve the best care for the youngest population that can propel communities toward better lives for all. The website outlines the efforts to strengthen education systems, and stresses the inclusion of early childhood care and education as part of the government-sponsored programs for elementary to high school aged students. There are universal issues with regard to access, quality, and funding. Typically, the poorest children have the least access to early education, and many government-sponsored programs are directed at serving poor communities. Vietnam's national early childhood policy is less focused on universal access than on providing supports to poor children in the effort to eradicate poverty (UNESCO, 2005), such as our local child care voucher programs are aimed at keeping parents employed, and Head Start is offered to families in poverty to closed the school achievement gap between poor children and those from families with higher incomes. There is not full consensus on the government's role in funding early childhood education efforts. In the report, Market Control is Not an Option, participants in the World Conference on Early childhood Care and Education in Moscow concurred that the cost of care is prohibitive to many parents, making the government the most likely source of funding accessible, quality care. UNESCO's Investment statement,however, indicated that services delivered by the private sector are often more efficient than governments, and that governments may provide complementary funding to assure even quality and access.
Three insights I have gained by exploring UNESCO's site relating to my professional goal of being an agent of change in early childhood to better my community are that the recognition of the impact of early childhood on the success of the community is evolving around the world, that access and quality issues are large enough to be discussed at world forums, and that the same political polarities that exist in the U.S. about funding this important element of our well-being divide nations abroad, as well. Those who continue to advocate for early care and education are all in good company of committed individuals world-wide.
Reference:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/
The Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) web site provides links that explain more about the mission, structure and results of the program. A most useful link is an audio from Chicago Public Radio, This American Life, both interviewing CEO Geoffrey Canada, and explaining much about the foundations and importance of early childhood development as a basis for community development. I recommend listening to this audio to hear the evidence of the positive impact of strong families and solid education on the development of good, successful citizens. I am fascinated that this organization makes themselves available to all parents in the Zone by recruiting them right off the streets, literally, stopping pregnant women and anyone pushing a stroller to recruit them for Baby College, the birth to three component of the program. All three issues are addressed in this one, very simple method of marketing. Awareness of the resource, accessibility to the program's free, neighborhood-based classes, and responsiveness to the immediate needs of parents-to-be. The programs themselves cover all three issues, providing a free service, near home, and in a family-friendly atmosphere. This program does not abandon children at 5 years, or seven, or even 18 years. They are partners with families until the children finish college.
There are limits to the number of children who may attend the promise academies, slots which are filled by lottery. It is Mr. Canada's desire to never have to leave a child out of high quality education. With regard to responsiveness, the children's Head Start programs teach and speak English, French and Spanish, neighborhood languages.
By viewing the link for the Harlem Gems, I am encouraged that this Head Start program goes beyond even what Head Start has defined as quality, including a one adult per four children staff to child ratio. Using English, Spanish, and French languages makes this program more accessible to its citizens. I am further encouraged that this vision for equity is not reliant on government funding to be realized, rather by solicitation of private corporations and individuals. Though Head Start is made possible by a combination of Federal and State grants, the HCZ is primarily funded by large corporations and private individuals. This puts its success in the hands of those who will gain the most return for their investment.
Take a look at this web site to get a real look at how the science of early childhood development is changing the lives of children living in poverty, and making the eradication of poverty in Harlem a real possibility.
http://www.hcz.org/
I continue to try to contact an early childhood professional abroad, with no response, and I enjoyed listening to several short podcasts on World Forum Foundation Radio.
TJ Skalski is a principal at Mother Earth Children's Charter School in Alberta, Canada. In this podcast, she describes her school as a charter school with an indigenous focus. The school struggles with high turnover of administrative staff. She is the fifth principal in five years, and the sixth superintendent has just started. She sees that the school must reinvest in children, and give them hope of achieving beyond what they can see. She describes her community as being trapped, and reflects that she was inspired to achieve by her family, their values and their work ethic, which she believes is missing in her students. Her school aims to make native culture and language a priority to preserve and strengthen her community.
http://www/worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio/php
Ms. Skalski's description of difficulties in her native cultural setting is similar to many of the problems in the public school system near where I live in Ohio, though the cultures are different. Lack of committed leadership trickles down to staff who are less invested in the children than they should be. Many children are stuck in poverty, not completing high school, and not able to make a positive impact in the community. Strong, committed and courageous leaders in education are in short supply for the need, it seems.
The Global Children's Initiative has been launched by The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University to gather interdisciplinary information that advances the outcomes for children around the world. They work towards informing high level policy-makers about the science of child development for use in economic development decision-making in three areas; early childhood development, mental health, and children in crisis and/or conflict. The reputation of Harvard University may lend solid credibility world-wide to the science of early childhood development as a basis of economic prosperity. Such a source of factual, and credible information about children's development and the international discussions of research and practice, is sure to be a tool for improving the lives of children and the communities they live in.
http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
