Getting to Know Your International Contacts

I am very sad to say that to date I have not made contact with the professionals out of the U.S. I have sent emails and waited patiently, however there have been no replies. While reading up on thru the Global Children’s Initiative through Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child I have learned that the vital constant is that early childhood development needs more attention.

One of the insights that I gained is that a goal is for the initiative to attempt to educate the higher-level decision and policy makers. This is so important and I feel that even as important that this is in other countries we could use this advice in our own country as well. It seems to be that in the U.S. and I am learning, in other countries, policy makers who make important decisions about the education of children, do not have backgrounds in education. An example of this just in my hometown is the decisions of a governor who has not worked in the educational field. I have never worked in the fast food business. If I would get a job running a fast food restaurant and try to make changes, most of my decisions might be off base, and the employees would not appreciate where I was coming from. When there is a policy maker who wants to implement changes, who has worked as a teacher, principal, or other educational professional, then I will believe that they have a better advantage at making a true change for the better.

The Center’s first effort outside of the U.S. was in Brazil. The main effort there is to educate the policy makers along with implementing more effective policies and practices to produce a more productive healthy society. While implementing the project in Brazil one of the most important activities is translating the Center’s resources, multimedia, and agendas to the people so that there is proper communication. The Center is ensuring that not only are they just translating, they are adapting their work to the Brazilians so that there is an understanding to carry on their practices. Early childhood education is important no matter where you live. I know that it might sound cliché but the children are the future to our society.

In Zambia there was a lack of knowledge about the progress of early childhood development. The Center decided that it was important to open up a project to learn more about the region and help them with early childhood programs. One of the resource tools I looked at was a survey that they Center used for children and their parents. I was amazed that one of the questions asked if the parent knew what a well-check doctor’s visit was. Then I realized how much we all sometimes take for granted. There are people in this world that do not have the luxury to take their child to a doctor to ensure that their children are properly developing. The thought of doing this might not even come to mind.