Time Well Spent

Three deeply felt learnings I've received through this course is:
1) You can do anything that you set your mind to. You don't have to sit back and watch things go downhill, you can stand up and fight for what you beleive in. I didn't know I had the potential to do that until I took this course. This course has made my dream become a reality. I now know that I can do anything I want! I will one day have my own educational center!
2) Community of Practice - I never knew what this was and never even heard of it. Now I know that you can put together a community of practice to share information between people and work together to make a difference, so you're not doing it by yourself.
3) You can overcome anything. This course has taught me more about myself than I ever knew. So many times I wanted to quit and so many nights I spent whining that I couldn't do it and I would just quit!!! But look where I am! I set my mind to do it and I did. I went through a divorce, and raising my 5 year old by myself and somehow I managed to get my masters degree in the middle of all that. Never let anyone tell you that you can't do it and never get so down on yourself that you think you can't. Find those people that will support you and push you to do your best.

My one long term goal is to open my own educational center in an area of the United States that has taken away recess from children. I believe I read in New York, they no longer have recess because they are wasting time playing and not learning. This is where I would want my center to be. In the middle of their big mess!
I have another goal of being a workshop presenter also. I need to start attending workshops on play more frequently and maybe one day I can develop my own.

To my colleagues:
It has been so great to work the past year and a half with all of you! I have enjoyed your feedback and your ideas and help on everything! Thanks so much for all you've done and good luck to you!

Dr. Teri,
Thanks so much for all your feedback! You were such a great help! You have been the best professor I've had by far! I cannot tell you thank you enough. You made me a stronger person and a better person. You helped me beleive in myself and you pushed us to do our best. You are awesome! Keep up the AWESOME work!!!


If anybody wants to keep in contact I do have a facebook account under Shanda New - not sure how many Shanda New's there are but I'm probably the only one in Colcord, Oklahoma. :)

International Organizations

Since I was a little girl, I've always had an interest in homeless children. From seeing the commercials on television to my mother telling me after I wasted food at my meal that "a homeless child could've eaten that and here you are wasting food." The organizations I chose all have something to with giving children healthier starts and for homeless children. The three I chose are Save the Children, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Homeless International.
UNICEF is an organization that fights for the rights of children. They focus on four areas in child development: child survival and development, education and gender equality, child protection and social inclusion, and HIV/AIDS and emergencies. One job opening I found at UNICEF was an Education Specialist (Early Childhood Development). The job requires me to be

Accountable for  planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of Education programme(s) to ensure overall efficiency and effectiveness of the programme management, delivery and accomplishment of programme goals and objectives. Across the Education programme(s), accountable for identifying gender inequalities in education, and for developing innovative approaches and programmes to eliminating these inequalities. Collaborates across the programme(s) to ensure gender mainstreaming. Ensures that monitoring mechanisms are in place to track progress towards disparity reduction goals and targets in Education. It is required to have 5 years experience at a national or international field program relative to education. Fluency in English and one more UN language and this is one I would have to learn! and an advanced degree in Education.

Save the Children is similar to UNICEF, its focus is giving children the healthy start that they deserve. They have the same focuses as UNICEF does. They have an Advisor in Child Health job opening. Reponsibilities include:

Strategic vision, leadership, and operational planning,

Technical leadership and support for quality Child Health programs,

Promote program learning and innovation, advocacy,  Resource Mobilization from public and private sources, and manage program/projects.

Requirements include:  

• Minimum 7 years of field experience in international public health programming in developing countries, with emphasis on child health
• Minimum 10 years total US-based and field-based experience, including experience managing staff, grants, and health programs
• Academic qualifications include MD/MPH, DrPH, or PhD (health sciences)
• First author of recent peer-reviewed publication(s) on relevant topics. 
• Ability to travel 25-35% of time
• Familiarity with USAID policies, strategies, and program priorities, preferably at both the global and country level
• Prior experience delivering technical assistance, especially in developing country settings, desirable.
• Advanced experience in proposal development, program design especially community-based approaches to child health and survival.
• Strong experience in malaria program design and implementation preferred
• Must speak English fluently, and ideally, speak either French, Spanish, or Portuguese. 

Traveling is something I've always wanted to do and if involved helping children that would be amazing!!! Of course the other requirements I haven't reached yet, but I could work in a lower level organization to meet those requirements.

The last organization I looked at was Homeless International. "Our vision is a world in which all people can exercise their right to land, basic services and shelter.  Shelter is more than a house:  it is a space for privacy, economic activity, social care and personal fulfilment.   We help communities transform slums by supporting them to work together to secure land, build homes, access safe water and sanitation, and negotiate with governments – ensuring that they have a voice that gets heard" (Homeless International).

References

Homeless International. Retrieved from http://www.homeless-international.org/home

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2014 from http://www.unicef.org/