Establishing Professional Contacts

I joined the National Association for the Education of Young Children(  NAEYC)  when was I  an undergraduate.  I decided to find contacts using the NAEYC Global Alliance network.  I was able to join the NAEYC Global Interest forum and also requested to join  the  Early Childhood Network. There are early childhood professions who live and work all over the world in these two groups. I placed a message on the forum website requesting to establish contact with any members who would like to share their experiences and information on issues & trends affecting early childhood education in the country where they work. I also joined the World Forum  Foundations , WoFoNet  so that I can  find additional contacts from over 90 countries. Hopefully I will establish many contacts and have great conversations to report in the weeks ahead.



The organization that I chose to explore is the National Black Child Development Institute(NBCDI). http://nbcdi.org.  I grew up in the inner city of Philadelphia, and the importance of education for young black children is important to me. I have nieces and nephews who attend public schools in Philadelphia. The school system in some of the communities is not of the highest quality and schools are overcrowded.  This organization is one of the leaders in making sure that we are aware of the issues that directly impact Black children and their family. They have over twenty affiliates, one of which is in Philadelphia.  I live in Colorado Springs now and they a new affiliate in Denver, Colorado.  There are many great resources on their website.  I was  able to download publications that I can use in my future studies

My Supports

 My definition of support is assistance that you receive in  any order to accomplish your goals and live life to its fullest..

                               

 First, there is nothing more important to me than family. Support is  living and sharing my life with my family. My family is always there for me no matter what the outcome. Every single day, I think about how lucky I am to get to wake up and see my family every single day. I retired from the military after twenty six years but, I lead a very busy life teaching preschool and going to school for my Master’s Degree. If I didn’t have their support I would not be able to function. I depend on them to push me forward and to keep me on a straight path.  They have helped me in every possible capacity to understanding what the right thing to do is in any given tough situation. They are helping me live life to its fullest. They are not all here with me physically but, I can count on them for any support that I may need.

Second, I am fortunate to have military retirement benefits so my income  as a teacher is a supplement. I can go to work everyday and enjoy what I do without having to worry about what happens if my job goes away. I don't depend on my job of  as early childhood educator as a main source of income and this takes a lot of load of my shoulder.I have great military health care benefits  for me and my spouse. I am thankful to be able to receive treatment for my chronic illness .   We receive military discounts at numerous places;  shop at military commissaries; and use free post facilities( i.e. fitness center, recreation center,legal center) that you may have to pay for elsewhere.

I am fortunate to be able to have support like this today. I don't think I would be able to afford my house or live comfortably if I didn't have the support of my family and the benefits I receive from serving in the military.I would be struggling to make ends meet everyday. 

                     

   www.successfulworkplace.com

         Challenge: No Health Care Benefits         

                                                                     

I can't imagine having to use non- military facilities for  medical treatment.and to pay for my medical costs . I would have work several jobs just to afford the cost of the prescription. My medication cost as much as a mortgage payment. I would either have to suffer with pain or find the most generic supplement that will provide at least some comfort. I would need support of the government or a health  plan to help me afford medical treatment. If I didn't have my military benefits it would place a burden on my family and I would need their assistance to help me financially, physically and emotionally. I would always be worried about losing my teaching job because I would not be able to  pay for the high cost of health care without the extra income. 

Anita Marve