Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

When I first read what part 1 of the blog assignment was going to be, I freaked out. I literally know 5 people who live outside the United States, and none of them are Early Childhood people. I begin to think about all my resources, yes I could call my job, and ask to speak to one our international trainers, and then maybe they could connect me to a international host of a child care program, but it is the weekend, and our office is closed. I would have asked people on Facebook, but I just deleted my Facebook account last week, so that is no longer an option.

Do you know what saved me? LinkedIn. I signed up to LinkedIn, when I was in my undergraduate program and trying to get a job. I hardly go on the website, but it is a great place to meet and network with other people who are in your field. I went to my contacts, and found two women who are both in the Early Childhood field, and live internationally. The first lady's name is Atica, and she lives and works as a teacher in the Dominican Republic. I sent her a message in LinkedIn, and was super excited when she agreed to be my pen pal for this course. The second lady's name is Rabsaris, and she lives in Puerto Rico. I am still trying to figure out her connection to early childhood, because it says that used to teach in Head Start. I sent her an e-mail and still waiting to hear back from her. My last but definitely not least contact is our very own Pam Castillo. Pam is one of my peers for EDUC  6162. I first noticed that Pam lived internationally when I read her post in the student lounge on the first day of school. Pam has agreed to be my contact, and I am super excited to learn from her, she lived in Korea for years, and now is moving to Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am excited to see what the women will teach me about early childhood around the world.

When deciding what website I want to explore more in order to expand my resources, I chose the website that I didn't know much about. The website that I chose is National Head Start Association. I have heard a lot about Head Start and visited a center who is Head Start last year, but I really don't know the in's and out's because I have never worked in a Head Start program. I know how important Head Starts are, and how they are the prime example of quality care, but I want to know more. I was excited to see that this website was offered as one of the resources.

I am excited about my connections and the website, and can't wait for this journey!