My Search for Collaboration and Opportunity
by Lisa Martin
I realize the importance of really getting involved
in the community I have identified to be the central focus of my Capstone project
– Newark, New Jersey. I think it would
be helpful to collaborate with those who share similar passions outside of the community
of practice (CoP) I intend to form. I was surprised to find that there were so
many organizations with similar objectives. The first group to capture my
attention was the Newark Education Trust, “a non-profit local education fund focused on
ensuring a quality education for all Newark children” (Local Talk News, 2011,
paragraph 1). Not only would my CoP share their goal, but the membership of
their collaboration is also very similar to what I have planned, with
representation from the education, business, and community coming together. Another
organization of interest, that supports the Trust, is the Newark Alliance which
is a collaboration of higher education, local business, and state entities to
improve education in Newark.
I
also feel a great need to support my own personal commitment to lifelong
learning. With that in mind I am interested in Education
Pioneers, a national organization that understands the importance of having
strong leadership and systems in place to support education. “They believe that for schools, districts,
and systems to enable all children to achieve at high levels, we must
focus on effective teaching and the quality of leadership and
management of these schools, districts, and systems”; a belief I share
(Education Pioneers, 2014, paragraph 1). In the past they have initiated
projects in New Jersey, and a major effort was geared towards bringing talent
to Newark. I believe that being involved in this type of organization will
encourage me to constantly think outside the box and improve my practice.
Speaking
of practice, I have been considering what opportunities might provide the best
utilization of my education and talents. The first thing I need to do is create
a resume as an early childhood professional, I have to be able to market myself
even though I have no real preschool experience. I would love the chance to
work with s dynamic organization like the Children’s Defense Fund, but there were
no current postings other than a data entry position. The Goddard School was
looking for a Program Director within reasonable travel distance here in New
Jersey. I definitely want a more administrative/executive role, but if I am
going to be a program director I will start my own center, which was my initial
plan. Lately, I have been thinking about working with an established organization
devoted to improving equity and access to quality education for all children,
hence my desire to work with the Children’s Defense Fund.
I am
going to create a resume highlighting my education at Walden coupled with my
management and business accomplishments and send it to the United Nations
Children’s Fund, Save the Children, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the
Children’s Defense Fund, and other organizations I discover that make huge
contributions to helping children. I was so sure about what I wanted to do when
I started this journey, but now I just feel the need to be in a position to impact
the lives of the greatest number of children and families. I feel I can do more
as a children’s advocate at CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates, than
overseeing my own small program.
Furthermore,
the only positions available in early childhood in my state are teachers,
administrators and associate administrators, and most of them require preschool
teaching experience. I know that I could be a good teacher, but that is not my
passion. I can step into an advocacy role without the teaching experience. I
have the knowledge of child development, as well as the communication,
organizational, and leadership skills that would make me an asset to any of the
groups I mentioned. I also have a wealth of personal experience that makes me
genuinely empathetic and compassionate. I am culturally competent, with a firm
grasp on my own cultural framework, and an understanding of the influence of
social and cultural identities, which allows me to interact well with all
people. Unfortunately, I have been unable to identify any advocacy positions in
my area. Hopefully, sending out my resume will generate interest and
possibilities.
References:
Education
Pioneers. (2014). Our mission and values. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://www.educationpioneers.org/what-we-do/our-mission-and-values
Local
Talk News. (2011, January). Newark Education Trust launched to ensure quality
education in Newark. Retrieved January 18, 2014 from http://localtalknews.com/newark/education/724-newark-education-trust-launched-to-ensure-quality-education-in-newark
