Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

I enjoyed hearing the Parent and Family Stories.  These stories showed the benefit of Head Start and early childhood education to families.  The parents discussed the benefits of early childhood education to the children and how parents can be involved.  Policy makers and advocates need to hear these stories to understand the importance of Head Start and early childhood education.  These stories are examples of how families benefit from Head Start; therefore, the information can be used to support funding increases for Head Start.

As an early childhood educator, I believe that parents should be actively involved in early childhood education.  Parents have the opportunity to work with teachers to help their children.  In our school, we encourage parent participation.  When parents are actively involved in their children's education, children are more productive.  Therefore, parental involvement is essential to Head Start.

"Quality Programs for All Children"

The public opinion is fairly good for quality early childhood education.  The problem is that there is not enough funding for early childhood programs.  Head Start is needed to provide disadvantaged children with a foundation for education.  These children perform better later in school if they have access to quality programs.  However, the lack of funding shows that a greater focus has to be placed on the benefits of early childhood education programs. 

My hope for Head Start is to increase funding for the Head Start program.  Children need Head Start to help develop their educational skills and provide nutrition.  A change in public opinion will help get the needed revenues and resources to provide more access to Head Start.  The key is to provide information and research showing the benefits of Head Start.  Once funding increases, more families will have access to Head Start.

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy

Why did you choose this specialization?

I have chosen to specialize in advocacy for public policy because I believe that early childhood education needs more educators with an understanding of policies and systems.

 

Why are advocates essential in the early childhood field?

Advocates are essential in early childhood education because advocates help create positive change for children.  Advocates also work to create policies to benefit children and families.  Overall, advocates work to ensure that all children have fair access to a quality education.

 

What do you hope to learn about public policy and advocacy?

I want to learn more about developing policies and creating change in current policies.  I also want to become a more involved advocate in my field.  Therefore, I hope to learn more about working with other agencies, policy makers, and advocates to help create change.

Profile of a Volunteer

One of the most well known volunteer agencies in my area is AmeriCorp.  Larry Webster works with AmeriCorp and volunteers in the community to assist different organizations.  One of his strengths is that he brings in resources from other agencies to help local community programs.  Larry also works to get others to work as volunteers.  Based on my assessment of Mr. Webster, I have learned that volunteers must be willing to donate their time and resources to assist an organization or program that they believe in.  Volunteers must also be willing to work hard and dedicate a portion of their time to the community.  I have volunteered to work with churches and nonprofit organizations in the community.  My experiences have helped me to understand the power of giving back and the benefit of volunteer workers.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

I have used social media sites to stay connected with friends and family.  One of the most popular sites is Facebook.  I have a Facebook account, and I can communicate with all my friends and family at the same time.  I also use YouTube to watch videos and upload videos for people to watch. 

Social media can be very effective in advocacy work.  I would use Facebook to create a page for an advocacy effort.  I have seen many businesses and organizations use Facebook to connect to people.  This would help me to promote the advocacy project by encouraging people to sign up and use the social media information to support the effort.

I would further use YouTube to upload videos about the advocacy effort. This can help me reach a larger audience and communicate with people in new ways.  I also like that people can comment on the videos or follow my work.  Overall, social media tools can be very effective in supporting and promoting advocacy efforts.

Advocacy Messages

I like the following PSAs from the Ad Council:

Teach: Think you know.  This PSA is designed to encourage people to enter the teaching profession.  More highly qualified teachers are needed to provide a better education for families and children.  Also, the PSA promotes teaching as a profession and provides information on how to enter the teaching profession.

Together, we are feeding America.  This PSA focuses on how food banks are working to feed families across the country and to reduce hunger.  Hunger affects children’s nutrition and ability to learn.  Therefore, these programs and ads are designed to create awareness of the problem of hunger in this world.

I chose these ads because there is a growing need for teachers in education and hunger is a major issue that impacts learning.  New teachers in schools who are qualified can enhance the quality of early childhood programs.  Nutrition is equally important and providing food for hungry families can help overcome barriers to learning.

Reference

Ad Council. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.adcouncil.org

My Own Capacity

My passion is to help children in poverty to overcome the barriers that hinder their education.  As an educator, I have limited resources.  However, I can find resources in the community to help with the advocacy effort.  For example, I can solicit help from local businesses and from political leaders.  I have also learned more about advocacy in this course.  I plan to use this information to become a more effective advocate.  First of all, I want to learn more about collaborating with others and working with policy makers.  I have learned that it is important to search for local and national organizations that share the same goals.  These organizations can provide me with resources to help me address poverty in education.