Profile of a Volunteer

The organization I chose to talk about is "A Child's Haven". They are located in Greenville, SC. There

purpose is to provides therapeutic intervention and prevention services for families and their young children who experience developmental delays as a result of abuse, neglect or poverty. When you choosing a voluteer I chose to an organzitation that I had never heard of before and that was local. On there website that has a section their that says voluteers. In this section it did not list an one voluteer but the did list the areas that a voluteer would be needed. Some of these areas are:

Tuesday Evening Childcare 5:30-7:30

Donations Sorting

Provide Children's Meal - Tuesday & Thursday Evenings

Host a donation drive

This organzation holds a annual "Holiday Happy Hour". This is a time when all families, workers and voluteers come together and celebrate the holidays. At this time you have the opportunity to sponsor a child or a familiy that is apart of this organzation.

I really enjoyed learning about this organziation.

website:
http://www.achildshaven.org/who-we-are

The organization I chose to talk about is "A Child's Haven". They are located in Greenville, SC. There

purpose is to provides therapeutic intervention and prevention services for families and their young children who experience developmental delays as a result of abuse, neglect or poverty. When you choosing a voluteer I chose to an organzitation that I had never heard of before and that was local. On there website that has a section their that says voluteers. In this section it did not list an one voluteer but the did list the areas that a voluteer would be needed. Some of these areas are:

Tuesday Evening Childcare 5:30-7:30

Donations Sorting

Provide Children's Meal - Tuesday & Thursday Evenings

Host a donation drive

This organzation holds a annual "Holiday Happy Hour". This is a time when all families, workers and voluteers come together and celebrate the holidays. At this time you have the opportunity to sponsor a child or a familiy that is apart of this organzation.

I really enjoyed learning about this organziation.

website:
http://www.achildshaven.org/who-we-are

Using Social Media to Get Connected

Provide a brief overview of your past and present experience with social media.


I don't have a lot of experience with social media. I have experienced more information of blogging since being at Walden. I see how a blog allows you to share information in an informal way that reaches a global audience. I also use facebook to stay connected to the world around me. I see how people use facebook as a networking tool that allows one to express themselves and get a response from may different people. This is a good way to have a forum. On facebook you can advertise and hold a forum on this site and anyone that is on facebook can be apart. Another tool that I have recently learned to use if YouTube. I notice that people  use this place as a free networking tool that also reaches many.

Describe what social media tools you feel lend themselves to effective advocacy.

I feel that out of those media tools listed about I would probably use blogging as a way to reach people pertaing to the issue of childhood obesity. I feel that blogging allows you to film yourself and to give people access to the information that you have shared.

Identify how you might use these social media tools to educate and inspire others in your advocacy work.

I would hold forum and also marketing comericals that can direct watches to other researches that have been done by me and others that have research the issue of childhood obesity.

Ask your colleagues for their suggestions and/or their help with using social media as a tool to promote advocacy efforts.

What are some social media that you have used that could benefit my advocacy position?

"Advocacy Messages"

When completing this assignment I decided to find advertising campaigns that also include some form  of imagery. In advertising our campaigns as advocates we have to remember to target all types of audiences. Some people are not able to read and they should not be left out of the information that is being shared. That is why I feel as advocates we have to keep all people in mind and remember that everyone is not like us and we have to meet people were they are. As an advocate I believe one of the great attributes are to me a servant. In serving putting people before us.

I chose two video campaigns that visually catch attention of parents.

 

Available in standard IAB sizes.

"Kiss on the Head"
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"Unwatch"
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"Talk to My Kids"
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In these ads it catches the eye of the target populatoin and it then gives them a reference to were they can go for more information. I feel that the visual catches their eyes and then they are able to choose if they would like to learn more.




Reference:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ads

"My Own Capacity"

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early childhood fuel your passion?

The field that really fuels my passion is infants and toddlers and also foster care. I feel that I have a direct passion for this age range. I specifically appreciate this age range because this is the most influential time in a child's life. In this time a child can learn so much from speaking to walking. Also they learn how to build relationships. I want to advocate for families with children this age so that I can be a point of contact for information and resources they can use in ensuring that there children get a good start. I also love with a passion fostering children. I know for sure that I will foster and also have a children's home for foster children. Fostering children is something that I have desired as a young child. I feel that the love I received must be shared with others.

What special skills do you have that will contribute to your advocacy efforts? How will you incorporate these skills into your work?

I feel that the skills that I am learning in this class will be the skills that I combine with the passion I have for the issue associated with fostering children. In this class I have learned how to find issues pertaining to early childhood development. I have learned different strategies to address the issues and I have also learned how to research previous research pertaining to the issues that I will address as an advocate. All of these things are important to understand as an early childhood advocate. Another skill that I feel is important is to socialize with people in the communities around us to listen for issues that are pertaining to early childhood development and with that choose the direction of advocacy I can go in.


What resources do you have at your disposal that can benefit your advocacy work?

Two resources that I will use is: Zero to Three's website and also NAEYC resources that are made available on their website. Through out my journey at Walden I have learned many things pertaining to different subjects in the early childhood field.

What knowledge, skills, dispositions, and/or talents do you possess that will contribute to your advocacy work?

The one thing that I feel will help me in my advocacy journey is the desire to help the people around me. I feel that as a advocate I only task is to help address that issue of choice to ultimately makes someone life better.

In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

I would love to learn about more advocates that are addressing the issue of fostering children and the effects of foster children.

My Role as an Advocate

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

When entering into my educational journey at Walden I initially started out in another specialization. When I learned what an advocate was I got excited because I though "I am already doing this". Once I realized that Walden offered a specialization in Early Childhood Advocacy I decided to change my specialization. My true passion is to advocate for issue that are going on in this field. I also just want to be a mouth for our children. In doing so the spirit of advocacy was ignited and I hope to eventually grow in this field.


Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

I feel that their are many issue that go on in early childhood development that are on a micro and macro level. I feel that advocating for things that are on a micro level can help assist with the macro issues. For example children in poverty is a macro issue that is affecting children across that globe. Advocating with an organization that helps fund schools supplies to our local communities and also help to educate the parents of low income homes can eventually help to address that nations issue of children in poverty.

What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?
I think the only thing it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues is to have the passion and a desire to do something about the issue pertaining to early childhood. Advocates on all levels are either a person of a group of people that are so passionate about issue that are going on and they want to do something about it.

What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?
I think that getting local and statewide organizations to help fund you as you choose to be a state leader is helpful. I feel that grants and other governmental programs that my be offered are also helpful in funding you as a state leader.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?
I feel that the proof is in the pudding. What I mean is when you are trying to mobilize others to either join your initiative are to just help others that are affected by the issue you are advocating I feel that information is key. I feel that it is important as an advocate to research the issue that you are advocating for and that proving that the tactics or resolutions of these issues are proven to be successful. No one is going to follow someone if they are not sure of their authenticity.

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?
My advice would be to research the position that this person is aspiring to go into. Maybe take the time to shadow someone that is already in a similar role. I also think that it would be important for this person to develop a network of people that also support this cause  to assit them. Even though this person is the point of contact in leadership it is important to also have people around that are supporting this effort and don't mind helping this cause.

"Personal Advocacy Reflection"

"Personal Advocacy Reflection"

This may sound weird but my inspiration person that was an advocate of fostering children was Josephine Baker. When I was little my mother would always have us to watch different history movies about African- Americans. I remember picking up a movie about Josephine Baker. I saw a beautiful picker of her and I said mom “I want this one”. When I got it how I remembered watching the movie and one major part caught my attention. When she became older in her fame she started adopting children. She not only adopted her race but she adopted all nationalities. This really inspired me to adopt and foster one day. I remember in the movie she had a beautiful long table and it was full of children of all nationalities. This really inspired me. Now I am an advocate of children and also ones that have been fostered. Seeing how she adopted many children made me feel that I could to. Also another organization that inspired me to foster and advocate for foster children was that Holt foundation. They are a Christina foster network that was started to help children find homes for adoption. Now it is worldwide and is helping children around the world. I love to see stories of how people take one concern and turn it into a movement. I feel that is the bases of advocacy. Learning in week one that advocates are normally people that are passionate about an issue of policy that causes them to want to do something about it. I know that one day I will have a foster care network that will also help children around the world.

Hello Advocates!

I am very excited about the new information we will be learning in the class. I am also excited about sharing this new information with you all. Even though this class is small there is an abundance of information that flows through all of you. I hope that in any way I can contribute things to this class that you all can take with you in your future endeavors.