Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

Before I begin with my post for this week I want to share a website I found and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Is called EPals, Inc. it offers K-12 schools, teachers, and students and parents a safe and secure global online communications and collaboration platform for building educational communities, providing quality digital content and facilitating 21^st century learning. In other words, one can communicate and learn from others that are half way around the world. Their website is http://www.epals.com/, join in and start enjoying what others in the field have to say and teach.

 I found this website and this organization as a whole really interesting, full of information and stories that touched my heart. The first story I read was Case Study - Nan Nan: life in a poor migrant family is tough, it talks about a 14 year old girl that her parents migrated to the city from the farm life and has had a hard time making the transition. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

The second one I read was Case Study - Nanuram: the schoolboy ice-cream seller is about a 12 year old boy that had to begin selling ice cream during his school holiday vacations to help his family survive. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=photos

Reading these stories made my heart hurt, feeling sad for these children losing their childhood because they have to help their parents to survive.

Sharing Web Resources

 

 

The organization that I receive letters from is the National Latino Children’s Institute.

Building stronger communities so that each child has what they need to succeed requires not only an understanding of the existing conditions, but the ability to create unique programs and build alliances with diverse members of the community—government, community-based organizations, religious and other leaders, etc. NLCI has a twelve-year proven track record in bringing people together to work on specific issues and helping to create a better future for all children. NLCI has identified the best strategies for working with the Latino community and partners with community organizations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico to test ideas and implement new programs. The community programs are frequently chosen from winners of the La Promesa de un Futuro Brillante Awards, a recognition of exemplary work in the Latino community.

Our Mission

NLCI's mission is to focus the nation's attention on the contributions and challenges of young Latinos by advocating for their success and well being through partnerships and programs.

Our Vision

NLCI envisions communities and a nation where young Latinos are heard, valued and a priority for the future of our nation.

If you are still looking for organizations take a look at this link, is offered through the NAEYC.ORG website.

http://www.naeyc.org/links is the  Links to National Early Childhood Organizations

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I was not successful on finding anyone from another country in our field to conduct the blogs with, but I will continue to look. So for now, I will use the World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals. I listened to the interview of TJ Skalski ; Principal of The Mother Earth’s Children’s Charter School (MECCS), the first Indigenous charter school in Canada. Originally from the Blood Reserve and raised in southern Alberta, she eventually left to complete her education, including a Masters of Education degree.

I enjoyed listening how she is fighting to preserve her native routes in her life and in her community.

For the second part of our assignment I have also decided to use the World Forum Foundation website. I like that they united professionals in this field from around the world, exchanging ideas and programs that have been successful in their respectful countries. For this week I looked into Global Leaders for Young Children; their Mission it to improve life chances for young children around the world by providing opportunities where developing early childhood leaders can become effective change agents and advocates for quality early childhood development services in their home countries.

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/initiatives/global-leaders-for-young-children