Job/Roles in the ECE Field - Internationally

Looking at different agencies and Communities of Practice that are international was an eye-opening experience. One of the organizations I was drawn to was Unicef (www.unicef.org) because of the focus on early childhood education. The website explained so many of the issues that I feel strongly about, such as equality for schooling and looking at gender roles in education for young children. They spend a great deal of time advocating for young children and getting appropriate schooling because of the role early childhood education plays in later development of young children. One of the jobs that I found interesting through the Unicef website was a Programme Specialist in Mauritania. It appears to be a management position for the Unicef office for the country of Mauritania. The qualifications are to have an advanced college degree and five years experience that is relavant. In addition, they are looking for someone who can speak both French and English. The second organization I was intriqued by was FHI 360 (www.fhi360.org) because of the complex way of thinking about human development. The mission and vision of the organization is about looking at humans as a whole, not the sum of the parts. They seem to acknowledge the complexity of life and development, and look to help advance the devlepment in any way necessary. The job posting I found on the website that I found interesting was a Project Director out of Washington, D.C. It was a position overseeing the people who provide technical assistance to state educational agencies who, in turn, provide technical assistance to local educational agencies. The requirements for the position are grant writing experience, supervisory experience, as Master's degree and also 10-15 years of relavant experience. The third international organization that caught my eye was the International Step by Step Association (www.issa.nl). I was intriqued by their programs, which include everything from early care and learning to parenting education programs. They advocate for parents' needs and for early childhood programs.