** Final Blog Assignment **

3 Consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my personal and professional development.



1. My friend who teaches internationally, in Dubai (UAE) informed me that many Asians migrate to the country in hopes of finding better paying jobs to support their families, however, because of the public school laws and the cost of international school fees, many of the Asian immigrants have to leave their children and families back home. Some migrants work in Dubai for years before returning back to their home countries. Dubai is a country known for glitz, glam and wealth. Many Asian immigrants find work in tourism or building some of the countries biggest sky scrappers. Some countries, such as Dubai require expensive tuitions in order for children to receive the best quality educations, kinda similar to here in the U.S.

2. Many countries do not address equity, development, funding OR quality education programs in the same way as we do here in the United States, or let alone, Georgia. I find it interesting that the United States is still playing "catch up" with other countries as far as developmentally appropriate activities as well as proper developmental milestone characteristics among children and the resources available for their families.

3. I appreciate the awareness of different issues and trends in the educational system around the world and I also plan to connect with other professionals and advocates to hopefully raise funding, and promote healthy, safe and nurturing environments for children around the world.


My goal is to subscribe to different newsletters on various websites such as ZeroTOThree, NAEYC, and other organizations regarding volunteering, donations, upcoming events, trends and issues that'll allow me to connect with other educators and professionals in the filed of early childhood studies. Forming partnerships and continued research are important characteristics in a world of ever changing research, technology and development.

Professional Goals, Hopes and Dreams. :)

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?


        Where I work, high turnover rates and program standards, such as safety and interactions amongst the teachers and students are some of the main issues being discussed regarding quality and early childhood professionals. Many "professionals" tend to resign from their jobs because of the very low pay rate. The average childcare professional in my community makes about 9-10.50 an hour regardless of training and educational background. However, my daycare center is blessed to have had the same professionals for 2 years or longer and they seem to have an intrinsic desire to teach, mentor, tutor and provide each child with the individual safety and attention that he or she may need in order to thrive developmentally in all arenas, cognitively, socio-emotionally, and holistically.


What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

There are many opportunities and requirements  for professional development. Last week, all of the staff and professionals at my daycare center took a 2 hour first aid and CPR course. We are normally closed on Saturday's but I love that everyone was able to make arrangements to receive training in case of an emergency for the safety of our children. For myself, I took a 60 hour Directors certification course, while simultaneously taking courses here at Walden and was able to receive my certification to be a director 2 months ago. I am very excited about my journey and what the future holds for my family and I. We are in the process of opening an additional childcare center. There are many training courses available for professionals, including Dual Language learner courses that focus on support for immigrants and dual language speaking children and families, and family engagement and GELDs, which is Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards which focuses on children and their developmental milestones from birth through age five and what they should be able to do between those years. 

What are some of your professional goals?

& What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

To first receive my Master's of Early Childhood studies and become a childcare director and advocate for ALL children and families, especially for immigrant and lower incomes. To be able to enlighten them of the many available resources available for their children to receive quality educations from quality programs while providing support and aid. I also plan to be a professional constantly seeking knowledge and constantly connecting with other professionals, locally and globally to bridge many of the equity gaps in the educational system. I am really living in my dreams as we speak. I run a business with my mom and sister that is flourishing, we are not only a childcare facility but we provide love and support to all families regardless of culture, and socioeconomic status. We have provided funding and support to families that have lost babies that have attended our childcare, we have also provided free tutoring and mentor programs to the children of our center. We genuinely love our children and will go above and beyond to provide them with safety, love and support! Our parents LOVE US! AND WE LOVE THEM! Some of the challenges are watching the children grow up and leaving our center. Most of our children have been there since birth and they are now in 1st and 2nd grade! Our summer camps provide some of the best filed trips and activities to keep the children active because play is so important in development. We have accepted many immigrant families and got over language barriers by learning to say and interpret things from their levels of understanding, that is also one of the many challenges faced!

Current Issues in Comparative Education

Three New Insights that I gained about early childhood around the globe...


1. Grand Challenges Canada, offers the Saving Brains program which offers interventions that nurture the brain of children living in poverty in the first few years of life.

Stress and adversity are apart of life, however if children are given support, love, and affection they can give a healthy response regardless of their situation or where they may reside in the world. However, children that suffer from toxic stress (stress from war, abuse etc.) may have a much weaker chance at becoming resilient and making a positive outcome of their situation.

2. Nucleo Ciencia Pela Infancia (NCPI) is a Brazilian organization where policy makers get together and form effective and fundamental policies that are going to empower the education of young children and their healthy development. This organization take the initiative to bridge the gap between what policies makers know and understand versus what they actually implement and do. Brazil has always been a place with a desire to seek equity within early childhood and hopefully these policy makers can spread knowledge, ideas and investments globally for all children.

3. iLab Primeria Infancia is an innovative cluster group that works with many children and families in rural areas around Mexico and Brazil. They use science and technology to create interventions to assist families going through adversity and poverty, as well as to positively shape the cognitive, socio-emotional and holistic development of children.


Additional Information I acquired about issues of equity and excellence...

Some children are born into families of low socioeconomic status and poverty, as a result they are NOT granted the same opportunities as their higher class counterparts. Children born into families where poverty exist tend to suffer academically, socially and lack an extensive vocabulary. However, quality preschool programs can reverse these cognitive and academic gaps within the early childhood community by affording poorer families access to them. Most children are born into disadvantaged situations that affect how they learn and attain new ideas from their experiences and environment.  The idea that some children are disadvantaged before they even start preschool. 

Sharing Web Resources

• What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

I love the advocacy and approach that the Global Fund for Children organization uses to promote safety, better health and nutrition, as well as improved education opportunities for all children across the world. The donations, investments and partnerships are passionately influencing the communities and promoting change. This organization motivates me to passionately want to network with other leaders around the world and organizations to improve the wellbeing of children around the world. 

• Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

Sub-Saharan Africa represents The Global Fund for Children organization's largest regional portfolio. In East and Southern Africa, our grantee partners address a broad range of issues associated with HIV/AIDS, forced displacement, gender-based violence and gender disparities, and access to and provision of education. In West Africa, most of our grantee partners address the issues of trafficking, child labor, and gender-based violence. The many issues of this region made me really want to advocate and promote change for the innocent children suffering in those areas. 

• What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

We ensure your dollars are used efficiently, effectively, and transparently.

We maximize your donationsBy leveraging your support to garner additional funding for our grantees, we make every dollar go further. Since 1997 we’ve helped our grassroots partners attract and absorb more than $17 million in new, direct funding from other donors, with more than $10 million garnered in the last four years alone.

• What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

** Some of the Programs offered **

The Global Fund for Children fosters a caring work environment that promotes collegiality, mutual respect, and professional development. We set standards of excellence and quality in our work, firmly believing that children and youth deserve the best we can offer.

We believe that every person has equal rights, and we affirm the diversity that enriches our globalized world.  In line with these core values, it is our policy to actively seek a diverse pool of candidates, from a variety of backgrounds, who are committed to the mission and vision of The Global Fund for Children.

Current opportunities:

Vice President of Programs

Program Manager – Step Up Initiative

Director of Development US

Managing Director UK Trust (London-based)

Development Officer, UK Trust (London-based)

Grantmaking Internships

India Office Launch Intern, Paid – Extended deadline (DC-based)