Time Well Spent

Below is my blog link:

www.nickonharris.blogspot.com

Three deeply felt learnings from this program:

As I reflect upon my experience in this course, the three deeply felt learnings that stand out for me is the importance of leadership. For example, I thought I knew what a leader was and what was required of one. However, after taking this course, I have learned more than what I anticipated. For instance, I leaned that a leader will motivate others to share their vision. I also learned that there are many leadership styles and that different situations call for different forms of leadership (Mind Tools, Ltd. 2011).  With that said, I thought intensely about the type of leader I want to be and I concluded that I want to display the characteristics of a democratic leader because under this leadership style, the opinions of others are valued, the team’s voice is heard, and it seems as if the team would have greater job satisfaction because they are valued…hence the team would work harder to see the leaders vision come into fruition.

I also learned the importance of identifying a challenge and conducting research so that I can find out what others are saying about my challenge so that I can see what did and or did not work well for them so that I can modify and adjust my approach as I work towards a solution.

I also learned of the importance of the community. I always knew it was important to get others involved in social change and more specifically in social changes that affect children and their families. However, I didn’t realize how deep I could go in my attempts to seek help. This course has taught me to not limit myself in terms of the assistance I seek but to provide opportunities for all to partake in creating a change.

One long term goal:

My long term goal is to not only create a program that provides families with access to affordable and quality childcare/programs, but I also hope to provide families with access to affordable quality nontraditional childcare by creating a childcare center that allows parents/families that work late nights, over nights, and or weekend to leave their child in a safe and nurturing environment.

My hope is that I continue to motivate others around me so that they share my goals and vision and to work towards social change.  

Farewell Message:

I won’t say good bye to you my classmates nor to Dr. Teri, I will simply say “I’ll see you later” because I am hopeful that our paths will cross again as we take a stand to create social change within our communities and ultimately on a national level.  I would like to thank all of my classmates for an amazing 8 weeks. I have learned so much from each of you and you have all provided me with food for thought.

I would like to thank Dr. Teri for all of her patience and for pushing me to always dig deeper within myself  by not giving up when faced with a challenge and to never settle…to always go to the core of an issue so that I can tap into my investigative skills to create change.

My Favorite Quote:

“All children can and will learn, they just learn differently”  ~Nickon Harris

Reference

Mind Tools, Ltd. (2011). Leadership styles: Using the right ones for the situation. Retrieved from

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm

Nicky

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

  

The International Forum for Child Welfare (IFCW)
The International Forum for Child Welfare (IFCW) is an international non-governmental organization. The IFCW was founded in 1989 to strengthen national non-governmental child welfare organizations worldwide through capacity building and to collaborate on new initiatives on behalf of children. In addition, the IFCW is to work for children worldwide to improve the quality of their lives and to enhance opportunities for the development of their full potential.
The IFCW organization is funded through annual membership fees and cost contributions from members, foundation grants and event participant fees.
I would like to have an opportunity to work for and with the IFCW because they are committed to serving children and their families from diverse political backgrounds and socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, gender, and regardless of the language they speak. I selected this organization because they focus on issues as they relate to children across the world, and they provide opportunities to learn from your peers by conducting conventions. I would also like to work for this organization, because I share their goal which is to provide children with opportunities to develop to their full potential and I would like to share in the many milestones of children as they continue to grow and develop into productive citizens.
 In order for me to obtain employment in any capacity with the IFCW, I need my Bachelors Degree, experience working with children, and speaking more than one language is a plus.   

http://www.ifcw.org/

International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)

The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN), was founded in 1977, and is the only multidisciplinary international organization that brings together a worldwide cross-section of committed professionals to work toward the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and exploitation globally.
ISPCAN's focus is to prevent cruelty to children in every nation, in every form i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, street children, child fatalities, child prostitution, children of war, emotional abuse and child labor. The ISPCAN is committed to increasing public awareness of all forms of violence against children, developing activities to prevent such violence, and promoting the rights of children in all regions of the world.  I was drawn to this organization because children’s voices are often left unheard simply because they are little people. However, I feel children should be respected and given the opportunity to be a child and hold on to their innocence; no one should have the right to strip them from that. Hence I would love to lend a helping hand and not for monetary gain but for personal gains. To work in this field as a communications coordinator, I would not only need my Bachelors Degree with a concentration in International Issues and in Communications, but having a Master’s Degree is preferred.

 http://www.ispcan.org/

International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC)

  .The International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the to eliminate of child labor, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries to deal with the problem and promote a worldwide movement to combat child labor. IPEC currently has operations in 88 countries.

The aim of International Labor Organization is to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work related issues.

The IPEC's work to eliminate child labor not only prevents children from acquiring the skills and education they need for a better future, it also perpetuates poverty and affects national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity and potential income. Withdrawing children from child labor and providing them with education and assisting their families with training and employment opportunities will give them the tools they need to grow into productive citizens.
I selected this organization, because my mother grew up on a farm. However, she had an opportunity to go to school and be successful, but her older siblings did not have that same birthright. In fact, many of them had to drop out of school around the age 10 to work on the farm in order to support the entire family right here in the United States (in the south). As a result, my mother instilled a strong work ethic in my siblings and I and both of my parents taught me that having a good education was the key to a “good” life. As a result, I want children from all over the world to have an opportunity to have a good education and not work for minimum to no wages; I want them to “have a good life” by focusing academics and the social aspects of education.
To work in this field, I would need my Bachelors Degree, and experiences as a Social Worker and experience working in International Affairs is preferred.

  

References

 http://www.ifcw.org/. Retrieved on April 8, 2013

 http://www.ispcan.org. Retrieved on April 8, 2013

http://www.ilo.org. Retrieved on April 8, 2013