A Place in the International ECE Community

By Lisa Martin

I spent the week looking at international organizations that help children and families, and it seemed each mission statement spoke to me and my personal mission. It was as if my vision had simply been amplified and these organizations are doing the very things I dream of doing but on a far larger scale. For example, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shares my desire for “quality education for all and lifelong learning” (UNESCO, n.d.).  The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) works to improve the economic and social well-being of all people, something else I would like to contribute to doing. I possess the type of communication skills the OECD looks for in their employees, but I lack the finance background required for most of their current open positions. I also could not meet the qualifications for any of the current open positions at UNESCO. There was one that sounded good to me, Director of Education for All, but it required fifteen years of education experience.

The Association for Childhood Education International’s (ACEI) mission matches up perfectly with what most of my classmates and I want “the optimal education, development, and well-being of children, from birth through early adolescence, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society” (ACEI, n.d.). ACEI has great internships for people like me pursuing graduate degrees in education, and I would love to apply for one, but you have to reside in Washington, DC. The Division for Early Childhood, yet another organization whose mission and vision I share had a few current open positions, but I did not meet the qualifications.

The truth of the matter is that I identified several international organizations who have visions and missions that mirror my own, but I had difficulty finding an actual position for which I was qualified to apply. The Academy for Education Development (AED) had one consulting position under education, but it was to revise a manual – something I had no interest in or the qualifications to do. The United Nation Children’s Fund, the organization I most want to work for has a temporary position for an early learning consultant. Unfortunately, I do not have the ten years of experience required.

As I said before, I will send my resume to Save the Children, UNESCO, Children’s Defense Fund, UNICEF, DEC and every other organization whose mission and vision encompass my passion for helping children and families. Hopefully, they will be able to identify a place for me and allow me to begin making the type of contribution I desire.

Association for Childhood Education International. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://acei.org/about-us/about-us.html

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (n.d.). Our mission. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/about/