Profile of a Volunteer

There is a lady, I'll call Mrs. Doe,  at my church who volunteers her time to teaching catechism, reading at mass, and coordinating an entire bereavement committee. My church parish has many elderly families, and Mrs. Doe decided that something needed to be done for families upon the death of a loved one. Although family and friends usually prepare food for funerals, Mrs. Doe felt that this was one less thing that a family needed to worry about. She organized a committee consisting of groups of ladies that prepare food for families in our church parish for the day of the funeral. I am in one of the groups where I am in charge of a vegetable. Other ladies in my group are in charge of desserts, salads, etc. The church stepped in and now donates a ham to each family.

Mrs. Doe's work has directly impacted families in our church parish at difficult times in their lives. Although organizing this committee was not mandatory, she saw a need in families lives and acted on what she observed. She also called on others to give of themselves which is a rewarding experience.

What touches me most about Mrs. Doe's work is that she herself is an elderly person. Her work proved to me that you are never to old to start something new. She had a vision, and she went to our pastor and presented the idea to him. Not only did she advocate for an issue, but she also took it upon herself to coordinate the committee and do the work. I admire her for stepping up and not feeling as though her ideas were not valid. Her work has taught me that if I have an idea, I need to act on it.

So many times over the years, I have thought about a parenting education class within my church parish. Parents may be reluctant to attend a public class, but may feel more comfortable within their church community. As I type this profile of Mrs. Doe, I am beginning to think I may need to follow her lead, and talk to my pastor about this type of class.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

The first time I heard about Facebook was when my oldest son entered college in 2007.  The intent was for college students to stay connected or to make connections. Soon after he began complaining that "old" people were beginning to take over Facebook. Of course, now the rest is history. I never started a Facebook page out of respect for having 3 college students. I feel like I don't need to know everything my children are doing. They need to have their own lives. I consider myself pretty computer savvy but have never been interested in social media.

Recently I connected to LinkedIn. I am still trying to get comfortable with setting up profiles, etc. which my son has taken over. I thought maybe I could post some downloads from Children's Defense Fund but I do not think I can. If anyone knows how to do that please let me know. Those of you on LinkedIn, please be patient with me while I learn.

Facebook is such an effective tool to use in spreading messages. Unfortunately, some of the messages are negative, but there are also some very inspiring messages that others tell me they have read. I would like to start a Facebook page just for advocacy work. I think what makes social media so effective is that people do not feel pressured into something when they can read it on their own time. When someone confronts you face to face about working on a cause, you are put on the spot. Letting people read about early childhood issues, and presenting them with the problems and solutions, empowers people to come to their own conclusions.

One of the issues my children dislike about Facebook, is that people feel the need to comment too much on an issue. However, in advocacy work, this could work as a positive aspect. The more we can get people talking about early childhood issues, the more attention these issues are receiving.

I will take any suggestions from anyone about how to set up a Facebook page on early childhood advocacy issues, and any help you can give involving LinkedIn. Thanks!

Advocacy Messages

My job involves a lot of driving and so the radio is how I learn about the happenings in the world. At least twice a day I hear the ad for adoption. "You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent". The ad goes on to say that there are many children who would love you and your faults. I think this ad is effective because it eliminates the fear that people have of adopting. Many adults may not feel worthy of adopting a child.  The ad is trying to promote adoption of young teens making the point that they need a parent, not a parent that is perfect. I also think the phrase is catchy because the ad is short but is played repeatedly throughout the day. People listening to radios in their cars or at work will hear the message a few times a day, everyday.

Another ad that I have found to be effective is a radio ad on stroke awareness. Two people are together and one of the people keeps saying "I'm having a stroke". However that person is not really saying anything. The other person makes observations such as you are not moving your arm, and your face looks weird. After every observation, you hear the phrase repeated "I'm having a stroke". I think the use of repetition is very effective while at the same time giving the listener examples of how people act when they are having a stroke. Because the ad is short and simple, the listener can remember the basic signs of a stroke.

Ads are very effective if the information is short, to the point, and includes a catchy phrase that people will remember and repeat throughout the day.

My Own Capacity

          I am passionate about getting parents to make more informed choices in regards to their children's early care and education. Many times parents are not aware of the benefits of high-quality care, and other times they are aware, but do not have the funding to send their children to high-quality programs. Research has proven the benefits of high-quality care and education especially for the most vulnerable low-income children. If the government truly wants to increase school readiness of these children, they need to provide more funding to parents so their children can receive better care and education in a center that is licensed and quality rated.

          I am in a good and a bad position in terms of resources. I work for the government so I am involved in the conversations. However, my position in not very high up so I have to be careful in what I say. Because I work with programs in 15 parishes, I am asked for feedback or how I think something should work. I am able to be heard on weekly conference calls, I am also able to keep up with the government's thinking. I am in close contact with the director of an advocacy group that is keeping up with the many changes in early childhood in Louisiana. The director has spoken to me and asked if she could call me for feedback on their ideas. I have the experience of owning a licensed child care center for 18 years. I have experience, knowledge, and now the position to be heard.

          I need to grow in many areas, but mostly I think I need to grow in confidence. Although I have knowledge, and experience, I hold myself back thinking that I do not know enough. There are times when listening to others' perspectives is effective in advocacy, but there are also times when I know I should speak up and I do not. The director of the advocacy group I just made contact with seems to be the kind of person that will pull me out of that place.

My Role as an Advocate

I have spent my entire adult career life in early childhood. However, those were not all years of pride. When I opened my child care center, my parents did not speak to me because I was a college graduate and I was going to "babysit". Most of the parents looked at you as their nanny and you worked for them. Thank goodness over the years, the image of early childhood providers has gotten better but it was not until I started this Master's program with Walden that I felt supported in my passion for early childhood education.

Each element of early childhood (which I am considering micro) is connected to something bigger (macro). Each service or program somehow interacts or overlaps to another program. Getting to know the bigger picture of early childhood systems allows you to figure out what is best for each smaller segment.

To be a leader at the community level you must first have passion and perseverance in the work you are beginning. You must develop relationships and be able to communicate effectively. You must able to address the needs of your community, and include the work of other agencies to meet those needs.

Whenever I think of resources in early childhood I always think of money. In order to educate, inform, or improve the field, we need money. In Louisiana we have tax credits for businesses who donate to early learning programs. However I do not feel that the state has publicized this enough. I do not know of any program in my local area that has received any donations.

Electronic newsletters are a great way to get information to a large group of people. Also meeting face to face is very productive. Many times others in the field need to know their value. So many providers are tired and feel defeated. Motivational speakers that speak to their worth and the worth of their work will get providers joining the movement.

Taking on a leadership role in early childhood advocacy is a large task. You must stay focused on what is happening on the state level while not losing focus of what local communities need. Somehow you must keep the connection between the two to make advocacy work. You can keep that connection by including as many stakeholders as possible. There are many people whose work touches the lives of children and families. Make sure that all perspectives are included.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

I worked with someone named Katie a few years back. She worked for my regional Resource & Referral Agency. She understood my passion for the early childhood years but also understood that I could rarely speak about my opinions. I work in state government and there are strict rules about giving an opinion on a topic because I would be speaking on behalf of state government. When she and I would get together, we could talk for hours about early childhood education, and private child care specifically. I knew how busy she was, but she always took time out to listen to my suggestions. We talked about the latest research and how we wished we could get our communities to understand that research. She was not only advocating for early childhood education, but by giving me her time and attention, she was advocating for me. She was giving me an outlet to talk about issues that I was passionate about. She listened to me talk about all those things that I wished I could talk in public about. Her compassion and time truly impacted my work, and still does today.

Week 1 - EDUC 6766

Well, I would have never thought that I would be this far into the program when I started about a year and a half ago but here I am. These classes move so fast that as soon as you think, I will never keep up, you are finished one class. One class moves into another and before you know it, here we are, almost at the end. I am so happy to share this final stretch of the journey with such knowledgeable, compassionate colleagues as all of you have been to me. I met all of you in the last class for the first time but because of the class size we soon bonded and I feel like I have known all of you for a long time. Everyone take a deep breath because here we go!!!