Time Well Spent

I can not believe we are at the end of this journey. We have achieved a goal that required a lot of hard work and dedication. I have learned so much throughout this program that it is hard to narrow down to just three, but I will give it a shot.

1. I have learned a great deal about diversity and the importance of teaching children about diversity and acceptance of differences. Of course, as a teacher and a mom, I did this through teaching respect; however, I realized how much I lacked the knowledge of different cultures, so therefore, I was afraid to teach about it. Now, I have realized that we can learn about differences together. I have enjoyed learning about new cultures throughout this course and plan to continue to expand my knowledge of diversity.

2. Another topic I gained a wealth of information about is advocacy. I have a new found inspiration to advocate for children and education. I am not one to speak in large crowds or even small crowds of adults. However, I now have such a deep understanding of the importance of making a difference and the many ways in which one can be an advocate. I am thankful for this new understanding and plan to use this knowledge to benefit the early education field.

3. I have learned a great deal about technology and collaborating and learning with others using technology. In the beginning, I was worried that I would not get enough out of this program because it was all on-line. However, now I feel the total opposite, as I am amazed by all the knowledge gained from professors and colleagues throughout this program.

My future goals:

In my near future, I plan to open a learning center in my community. Before this program, I wanted to be able to offer underprivileged children an education at my center but had no idea how I would do that. Now, I have new ideas about ways to achieve this goal. I am so thankful that my capstone project allowed me to come up with these plans. Hopefully, in the next five years I will have my own center focused on educating low-income children through scholarships from the community and businesses within the community.

Saying Goodbye Is Hard To Do

Dear Professors and Colleagues,


Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to achieve a goal that was very important to me. I have enjoyed learning with each of you and appreciate all of the time spent helping me grow both personally and professionally. I have learned a great deal about myself and the education profession, and to each of you I am truly grateful. I wish you all the best in life with hopes that our paths will cross again!


Tabitha Krueger

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

International Websites:

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

This organization provides hope for millions of children and families around the world.  They help families in times of disaster and provide relief, recovery, and new developments. They work to provide education to children in over 30 countries around the world that need education to survive.

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

I like this organization as it is a tool for professionals to connect with other professionals in the early education field. This can provide educators with many valuable resources and insights into how to improve early education.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, fromhttp://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

This organization would be beneficial to research efforts or just for information regarding education topics. It also has information of policies and ways to improve economics and well-being of people around the world.

Job Opportunities:

Junior Professional Programme

The Junior Professional Officer programme (JPO) comprises a special category of staff members who are young professional men and women, interested in acquiring experience in the development field.  These staff members are sponsored by their respective Governments to acquire experience in international development cooperation activities under the close direction of senior UNICEF officials, while contributing to the implementation of UNICEF’s country programmes.

The general minimum requirements an individual must meet for entry into UNICEF as a JPO are:

• Citizenship of the respective country (Note:  selected participating donor governments sponsor a limited number of nationals from developing countries*).
• Age: between 28 and 32 years. 
• University degree equivalent to a Master's Degree or, as an absolute minimum, to a Bachelor's Degree;
• Two years of relevant professional work experience;
• Computer literacy in standard software applications;
• Demonstrate a keen interest in the work of the United Nations (UN), and of UNICEF in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNICEF’s mission and to the ideals of the UN Charter; and
• Demonstrate the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try, understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English and another UN working language, i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish or Russian.