People Sharing Their Experiences and Knowledge

The Southern Early Childhood Association:

Since 1948 the Southern Early Childhood Association has brought together preschool, kindergarten, and primary teachers and administrators, caregivers, program directors, and individuals working with and for families, to promote quality care and education for young children. They share ideas in local, state, and regional meetings, in professional development institutes, and through the association's publications and resources. Members receive many benefits, including a journal, Dimensions of Early Childhood, and discounts on publications and conference registration. http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/seca_states.php

Texas Early Learning Council:

The Texas Early Learning Council is an advisory council established by Governor Rick Perry in late 2009.  In 2010, the Council was awarded a three-year grant from the federal government to achieve a series of goals towards improving school readiness in Texas through targeted strategies stemming from the Council's four priority areas: Parental Outreach and Communication, Early Childhood Workforce and Professional Development, Collaborations and Standards and Data Systems and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. Over the course of three years, the Council spent $11.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to improve key aspects of early care and education in Texas.  Impetus and rules for the Texas Early Learning Council and other similar entities throughout the country were both created in the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, which required the Governor of each State to designate or establish a council to serve as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (referred to simply as State Advisory Councils).
As the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act states, State Advisory Councils must:

• conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs and services for children from birth to school entry, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten services for low-income children in the State;
• identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among Federally-funded and State-funded child development, child care, and early childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among State agencies responsible for administering such programs;
• develop recommendations for increasing the overall participation of children in existing Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood education programs, including outreach to underrepresented and special populations;
• develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for public early childhood education and development programs and services throughout the State;
• develop recommendations regarding statewide professional development and career advancement plans for early childhood educators in the State;
• assess the capacity and effectiveness of 2- and 4-year public and private institutions of higher education in the State toward supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and practice or internships for students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten program; and
• make recommendations for improvements in State early learning standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate.

The Council met four times throughout 2010 in order to develop a comprehensive federal grant application built around the mandatory components listed above. http://earlylearningtexas.org/home.aspx
Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children:
The Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children (HAAEYC) is one of the largest chapter affiliates of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) a national organization comprised of early care and education professionals.  Our mission is to promote and support high quality care and education for young children through improved professional practice and broadened public awareness.  A nonprofit, volunteer organization, HAAEYC is governed by a 16 member board elected by the membership. HAAEYC Concentrates its efforts on four major areas:

• Program: Plans a broad range of educational opportunities, including two major   annual conferences for early care and educational professionals
• Outreach: Targets public policy, advocacy and community outreach
• Organizational Support: Manages the finance and staff of the organization
• Membership: Focuses on member recruitment and service http://www.haaeyc.org/

All the resources listed were chosen due to their affiliation with the betterment of educating young children and providing support for both families and the community of professionals involved. These connections can reveal various career opportunities in the field, as well as the added structure of continuing to become a well-rounded asset to fighting the cause. I personally believe as long as you are an open-minded dedicated individual to not only supporting but always learning about innovative ways of educating based on identifiable need, your drive will help you obtain any additional skills needed to be productive. Quite often, we forget that by relating to the experiences of others, we gain a better perspective on life in general.