The
three local or state organizations that I chose to research are Boys and Girls
Clubs of America (Alaska Branches), the Alaska Association for the Education of
Young Children (AAEYC), and the Alaska Head Start Association. Although I am
very firm on working for the military throughout the duration of my career, I
wanted to take this opportunity to branch out and look into a few other
organizations that could be of potential interest to me. I also think that it
is important to be aware of other organizations in the state you live in to
build communities of practice. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Alaska was an
obvious choice since my current place of work is basically a military version
of a Boys and Girls Club. Some significant differences between a Department of
Defense organization and a Boys and Girls Club are the funding, staffing and
demographics. The Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children is a
local affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC). The AAEYC serves the needs for early childhood education professionals
in the state of Alaska. The Alaska Head Start Association is a branch of the
national program that is so well known amongst early childhood professionals.
One
position that sparked my interest on the BGCA website was the Dragonflies
Assistant Teacher. This position seeks an Assistant Teacher for a Pre-K
classroom. The organization is seeking someone with at least 6 months of
experience tutoring, mentoring, or supervising children.
One
position that interested me on the Head Start website but was not open in
Alaska was the regional field specialist. This sounded interesting because the position
was a part of a regional team that assessed early childhood education practices
at various Head Start locations.
Most
of the positions that were available for the organizations I looked up required
an Associate’s Degree or a CDA. Some also required several years of experience
working in the early childhood field. I am thrilled to almost be completing my
Master’s Degree, but I am so concerned about the transition I will face. All of
my work experience has been primarily with children and youth ages 9 and up. I do
not have a whole lot of experience working with younger children. I do,
however, have a passion for advocating for all youth which I why I chose to work
towards my Master’s Degree in this specific field. I hope I made the right
choice.
References
