Getting to Know your International Contacts-Part 2

I began to research the Harvard University's "Global Children's Initiative".  There is a significant effort to build an integrated international approach to children's survival, health, and development in the earliest years of life.  The Global Children's Initiative (GCI), draws on lessons from the work done in the United States and uses these outcomes to improve children's health and development globally for all children from the poorest to the most affluent. 

They focus on 3 strategic areas:
1.  Reframing the discourse around children' health and development by educating high-level decision makers about the science of learning, behavior, and health in the early years.

2.  Supporting innovative, mulit-disciplinary research and demonstration projects to expand global understanding of how helathy development happen.

3.  Building leadership capacity in child development research and policy.

Strategic area #1 really relates to our week 4 discussion about how economists, politicians, and scientist play a role in the early childhood field.  It is these decision makers that need to be educated on the how and whys of the early childhood years.  The GCI is working to make this happen globally for all children.  With strategic area #2, the more people worldwide that understand what can be done to ensure a healthy development, the more children and families will reap the benefits.  And for numbers 1 & 2 to excel, quality research and appropriate policies need to be in place.

Guided by the strategic areas, the GCI has begun activities in three domains:
1.  early childhood development
2.  child mental health
3.  children in crisis and conflict situations

Activities to improve early childhood development include, educating the leadership of key international agencies, publish and disseminate papers to establish a strong scientific framework for global work, and conduct systematic communications research to identify the most effective ways to translate the science of child development for global peace makers.  To address the health and development needs of young children in various settings, assessments and interventions are taking place in various countries.

Mental health has recently been an under-addressed issue for young children.  Three initial projects are being worked on to improve child mental health in Rwanda (children affected with HIV/AIDS), Shanghai, China, and Carribean nations, Barbados, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname (child maltreatment). 

The two main issues that affect childhood crisis and conflict situations that this initiative focuses on are:
1.  post-earthquake Haiti and Chile
2.  strategies for addressing acute malnutrition

Finally, the core mission of GCI is educating and training activities that will incorporate all of the domains.  They also provide developing opportunities to provide leadership training  for individual researchers, policymakers, and institutions.

Harlem Children's Zone Continued...

Previously I chose to focus on the Harlem Children's Zone based in New York City, New York.  Their motto is "Doing whatever it takes to educate children and strengthen the community".  This week I focused on viewing each of the programs offered and the article, A Results Focus for the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative.  I was astounded by the dedication and enthusiasm that staff, the community, and families have for this program.  The Baby College program is for men, women, and caregivers that have children pre-natal through 3 years old.  They discuss topics with families about controversial topics, such as discipline, which is to teach, and punishment, which is to hurt.  The Gems program is for children 4 years old.  They have strong parent involvement and parent groups that are designed to see the world from a child's point of view.  Teachers model for children, as well as parents.  They have a low child-to-teacher ratio, 4:1 with hours from 8am-545pm.  Community Pride program is where the community supports children from the families to the buildings where programs are housed, to the block where families reside.  Many organizations and businesses help to make the community a safe and pleasant place to live by painting murals and planting flowers in the neighborhood.  Housing authorities also help tenants who are currently renting own the apartment where they live.  The article, A Results Focu for the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, produces data and information  that this program has on the community and for society.  This makes policy makers willing to invest in such programs.  It also lets local stakeholders know how and whether the initiatives are making a difference. The HCZ hires staff that are motivated to educate, but to also go out into the community and make a difference. 

Getting to Know your International Contacts-Part 1

Using the alternative option for this blog assignment, I reviewed the website:  Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre's page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/).

The international community has committed itself to meeting Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  These goals include:
*halving poverty rates
*cutting deaths of children by two thirds
*all children will complete at least primary education 

I chose to review the imformation provided by this organization about poverty in China.  There has been a change in the social securtity system that has put in place a minimum living standard and by 2002 would have covered 23% of poor urban households.  However, there are provisions that inhibit families from receiving these funds.  A large number are disqualified because they are unregistered migrants or they are disqualified from local administration, as you will see later in the case study of a family in China.  There is much concern that this amount is too small to meet people's basic needs.  Although there are disadvantages, there have been major strides in poverty.  In 2001, 5%  of people lived below national poverty line.  Rural poverty in 1978 was 250 million and in 2000 rural poverty was decreased to 35 million, a reduction from 30.7% to 3.7%.  There still is an enourmous rise in inequality in China from East to West.  China has made the transition from a centrally planned to a globalised market economy, helping to reduce chronic pevert and the disadvantaged population.  However, as often occurs with change, it has created new forms of vulnerablity and poverty in the forms of needing to restructure state-owned enterprises, loss of 31 million jobs, leaving 14.6 million people without full-time jobs, and increasing unemployment to 12.3%.  Many people are migrating to the cities for a better opportunity, causing a massive migration of 120 million people. 

The case study of a young boy, Xiao Bo, talks about the Minimum Living Relief Scheme that is to provide families with a minimum income to provide for basic needs.  His family orginally made a living on their farm in rural China.  However the farm was taken away to urbanize the area.  They were given an amount of money for their farm and the father was promised a job in the factory.  The factory ended up closing, leaving the father out of a job.  The Minimum Living Relief Scheme did not apply for them because they were compensated for their farm.  Many jobs require you to be under 30 years old or have a higher education.  The parents do without many necessities, such as life threatening medication, but are sure their children receive their education so they have a better future.  It amazed me at how the young boy was so mature, understanding, appreciative of what his parents are doing for him.  He was able to see the long term goal, in that his education will eventually help his entire family, not only his.  Although very disturbing facts and realties, their love for one another and their priorities are commendable.

Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre.  Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

Web Resources

"Doing whatever it takes to educate children and strengthen the community"

Harlem Children's Zone

http://www.hcz.org/

 

I chose to explore the Harlem children's zone website because one of our Head Start classrooms participated in this type of program last year.  I do not have much information about what is currently going on with the project, because it was not my classroom that participated, however, this assignment has sparked my interest in finding out from our director what is currently happening within our program in relation to the Harlem Children's Zone project.

The focus of this organization is to develop a new method to end the cycle of generational poverty by addressing the needs of the entire community.  There motto is "whatever it takes" when it comes to helping children to succeed.  The organization began in 1970 with a truency-prevention program.  In the 80s and 90s with the crack epidemic in Harlem, NY, a new approach was needed.  In the 90s the organization turned a public school, at the end of the day, into a community center with services and activities during the nights, weekends, and summers.  The also began a Peacemaker's Program that provided classrooms with assistants from the AmeriCorps to help teachers.  In the early 90s a pilot project was implemented with a range of support services to an entire city block, addressing all problems poor families were facing.  In 1997, this project extended to 24 blocks and became the Harlem Children's Zone Project).  In 2007, the project stretched to 100 blocks.

Today, more than 10,000 children and 7,400 adults are served with a budget of around 75 million dollars.  Geoffrey Canada, president and Chief Executive Officer, speaks about the cost.  He mentions that it costs about $5,000/child for this program and that it costs around $100,000/juvenile put in jail.  For $5,000 children bringing something to their community, where as 5 years in jail, they bring nothing. 

The program is comprehensive, holistic, and integrates health services, social services, educational services, and culture.  The goal is to work with children and families before they are behind.  They begin working with children before birth by helping the mother prepare for the first months of the child's life.  This program continues working with the child through graduation of college.  The findings showed that even if a child did well through hish school, they seem not to do well after.  That is why the program continues with children until they graduate college. 

The current issue/trend has come about from President Obama.  He has created the "Promise Neighborhoods" project based on the HCZ project that will reach across the country.  He states in his speech that "if we can get someone to stand on the moon, we can get man to stand on his own two feet".  I look forward to researching this website fully and sharing information with all of you.

Professional Contacts

This week I began to communicate with other early childhood professionals in my work place.  I knew that there were two women that run an organization in Rwanda who recently visited our Head Start classrooms to share their culture with our children and for them to experience our preschool education here in the United States.  I contacted our early education director, explaining my assisgnment for this course, and she readily shared their contact information with me.  At this time, I have sent each person an email and am waiting to hear back from them.  Our director also suggested that I speak to one of our assistant directors who is from Germany and who has many contacts with education staff over there.  So at this time I am in the process of speaking with her and hopefully she will be a great resource for this assignment.

When I first saw this assignment I thought, wow, how am I going to do this?  I have lived in PA my entire life, am afraid to step foot on an airplane or cruise ship, so I have never left the east coast of the United States, so I certainly do not have any contacts in another part of the world!  But when asking colleagues, they are more than willing to reach out and guide me in the right direction.  If there is anyone else out there that feels they won't be able to complete the first option, I suggest asking colleagues or friends. 

I look forward to reading everyone's findings...