Exploring Roles at the International Level
I found four international organizations that had job
prospects that interested me. The organizations were UNICEF, Save the Children, the International Step By Step Association, and the World Federation for Mental Health.
UNICEF (n.d.) is an organization that works to save
children’s lives through efforts in “health care and immunizations, safe water
and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.” I chose this
organization because I believe the work they do is important, and they have
many projects going on around the world that I could become involved in. Since
they deal with many children who have experienced crisis or trauma, they are
pushing for prioritizing the mental health of these children involved. For
children in these situations, UNICEF offers “psychosocial support and programs
that are specially conceived for traumatized children” (Wylie & Tarneden,
2018). I would want to be a general staff member through UNICEF that helps with
the psychosocial support efforts and provides strategies and resources for
coping with mental health issues. To do this job I would need experience in
dealing with children with mental health issues, and know coping strategies to
help them. I also believe I would need to work generally in UNICEF first, so I
understand the program and what types of children they encounter since it is
different than what I’ve dealt with in the public school system. They don’t
have any current job postings open that I would be interested in, but I care
heavily about the mental health of children, so this interested me because I
could work directly with children who experience toxic/traumatic stress.
Save the Children (n.d.) is an organization that provides a
voice for vulnerable children with efforts in “health, education, protection,
and disaster relief.” I chose this organization because they do a lot of work
with children who need support in different areas and I want to be able to
participate in that. While looking through their available job opportunities, I
found a Site Coordinator position. This individual oversees all aspects of the
after school programs, which include “Developing Reader and Emergent Literacy
Blocks, Healthy Choices, homework/math help, and enrichment activities.” As an
educator, I value the importance of education in children around the world and
therefore see why this job is essential in making sure everything is organized
and runs smoothly. To fulfill this role, I would need experience in education
or psychology and leadership experience since I would be in charge of other
adults and managing a few projects within the after school programs. I will have
to supervise the work of the project coordinators and recruit students for
program participation.
The International Step By Step Association (n.d.) is an
organization that focuses on early childhood development to provide
high-quality services for young children. They “challenge existing knowledge
and practice and co-construct new approaches and models” (International Step By
Step Association, n.d.). I couldn’t find any job opportunities available or
even possible prospects through their website. However, if an opportunity arose
with regards to working on a team to co-construct these new approaches and
models for high-quality education, I would want to be a part of that. I believe
for this role I would need experience in education and experience with adapting
curricula and resources. I also would need to be a great team player since I
would be working with others who will have ideas that I either agree or
disagree with.
The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) (n.d.) is “the
only international multidisciplinary, grassroots advocacy and education organization
concerned with all aspects of mental health.” This organization interested me
because it is one of the only global organizations that focuses on preventing
mental health disorders and responding to existing ones. The World Federation
for Mental Health has different “sections” and you can apply to be the chair, vice
chair, or general secretary. I would be interested in applying for any of these
positions, but specifically in the Youth section of the Federation. This
section focuses on serving the global youth population to “fuel efforts to
redefine the way Mental Health is seen and catered to” (The World Federation
for Mental Health, n.d.). My capstone project focuses on providing information
for parents and educators to learn more about mental health, with the hopes of
eliminating the biases and stigmas that surround it. This section interested me
because that is their goal, and in any of the positions I would be able to aid
to this cause. In order to be a part of this section, I would need to be a
member of the WFMH and have experience in the subject of my chose section,
which I have as an educator. I would also need leadership experience and the
ability to work well with a team.
References
International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.issa.nl/about_us
Save the Children. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/global-programs
UNICEF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.unicefusa.org/mission
Wylie, H. & Tarneden, R. (2018). Mental health needs of children and young people in conflict need to be prioritized, conference says. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/mental-health-needs-children-and-young-people-conflict-need-be-prioritized
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post, I also am interested in the Save theChildren Site Coordinator position. The International Step By Step Association is another organization who focuses on the early years of childhood and the impact it has on children, families, and communities. Hopefully in the near future they will have a job opportunity thats right up your alley. I hope you were inspired to get out of your comfort zone and visualize a job opportunity on a global level.
Thanks for sharing,
Paola
Tara thanks for sharing your post really enjoyed reading it. The international organisations mentioned encouraged us to be actively engaged in the job opportunities mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing
Nadine
Tara.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the organizations you chose and the job positions you would like to do in each one. I also like that you looked at each one with your challenge in mind. When exploring the organizations I chose, I exclusively looked at how each one impacts education. The one organization we had in common is Save the Children. I also saw the position for Site Coordinator but did not choose it. After reading that you chose it, I find it interesting because I steered away from that position due to my own experiences. From my perspective, I knew I would not enjoy that job anymore because I no longer want to work in an after school program. I spent many years heading our school's after school program and I no longer want the late hours. I love that you chose to tackle mental health issues for your Capstone. Brain development is so interesting!
Trish
Tara,
ReplyDeleteThe last organization seems like a great resource for your capstone and I hope that you were able to find valuable information from them. Like Trish said, I also like how you kept your capstone project in mind when looking at the organizations job openings! UNICEF has a lot of interesting positions but I agree that one would benefit more if they already had experience with the organization such as through their internship programs as most of the postings not that type of experiences. That's actually one of the main reasons I have not applied to any of the positions because you wither need experience with the organization or speak another language. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights into these great organizations!
Amy
Tara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the organizations that sparked your interest. We share some of the same viewpoints as I also wrote about Save the Children and UNICEF. I think WFMH is a great organization as mental health is a current issues that seems to be on the rise. This organization could be a great addition to include in your community of practice for your CapStone project. I think a future in mental health could be beneficial to the education field.
Great organizations!!
Brianna
Tara, The World Federation for Mental Health is an organization I think that has a huge impact on children's lives as well as the lives of their families. I believe in the development of the whole child, the wellness of the whole child and many times that begins with the mental wellness of not only that child but their family as well. Mental health in childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones, and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities (CDC, 2019). Families need support and also to know how to find that support. This organization acknowledges the importance of mental wellness as well as how to seek those resources within ones community.
ReplyDeleteTara
Reference
CDC. (2019). What are Childhood Mental Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the organization that focuses on Mental Health. Are you looking to working with children who need additional support or are you wanting to work with pyschology? I know many children need people who put forth the effort to work with them and believe in them!
Great organizations posted.
-Kristiana Reeves
Tara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing about these wonderful organizations. I also chose Save the Children because I love what they stand for. Over the years, I have seen an increase in the issues that plague children. I appreciate these organizations as well as your enthusiasm to help children and families!
Alvia