National Roles in the ECE Community

Mainly I Love Kids (MILK) is an organizational fund in Singapore that supports disadvantaged children within Singapore and overseas, providing them with the tools to develop into "contributing members of society" (MILK, 2012). It helps low-income families with the children's educations, vocational development, or special needs. As someone who has had many opportunities in life, I feel a sense of obligation to give back to the community in any way possible and help low-income families support their children with a positive education. This fund helps do so and provides a forum and outreach program that assists families in supporting one another as well. 

The Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism (2013) supports a research project by the Singapore Center for Chinese Language that aims to understand Singaporean children's preschool language use and exposure . The challenge that I am focussing on revolves around bilingualism in early childhood and this fund helps analyze how to implement such a focus in Singapore. It mirrors my own ideas about how early childhood becomes a critical period for language and literacy development. As a research fund, it focuses on understanding children's different language learning styles, the acquisition of language, and how language teaching and professional development can help assist the progress made in bilingualism curricula. 

Lee Kuan Yew is Singapore's founding prime minister. He has, for 50 years, pursued methods and program implementations that have allowed Singapore to be transformed from a "polygot former British colony to a united nation where everyone, while knowing English, knows also at least one other lanugage, their mother tongue" (Lee, n.d.). He has been able to successfully encourage bilingualism in local schools in Singapore to a certain degree that enables children to speak at two languages but is often limited to two languages. His ambition and similar aims emphasizes and encourages my own professional passion.

Despite being limited to Swedes in Singapore, working with the Swedish Embassy in Singapore would allow me to support new families and provide educational outlets that enable children to develop their Swedish language as well as procure or develop the English language. I would need to form more relationships to gain access to other organizations that could help with my support and I would also benefit from improving my Swedish and Mandarin skills. 

References:

Lee, K. Y. (n.d.). My lifelong challenge: Singapore's bilingual journey. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved from http://www.sph.com.sg/system/assets/735/drjFtBll_LKY%20bilingual%20book%20summary.pdf

Milk Fund. (2012). Mainly I Love Kids. Retrieved from http://www.milk.org.sg/milk/index.php

The Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. (2013). Bilingualism. Retrieved from http://www.bilingualism.sg/qql/slot/u210/pdf/Press%20Release/Press%20Release%20on%20LKYFB's%20Call%20for%20Research%20Proposals.28%20Nov%20(FINAL).pdf

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Collaborations are working partnerships between schools, families, and different local organizations and community representatives, creating communities (Adelman & Taylor, 2008). When done effectively, collaboratives improve schools, strengthen families and neighbourhoods, and lead to a reduction in children's potential developmental problems. However, if collaborations are poorly implemented, it can lead to reforms where promises and goals are made without fulfilment. Touch (About us, n.d.) is an organization in Singapore that was founded in 1994. They work with low income and single parent families to help build a positive environment. They reach out to individuals from different religions, races, children, youths, families, and people with special and healthcare needs, as well as the elderly. This organization have pursued a goal of establishing harmony in lives where individuals can thrive and succeed. I think organizations such as this one is necessary for communities as they provide support for those who desperately need it. World Vision (Who we are, n.d.) is a "Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization" that works with children, families, and communities across the world in attempts to reduce poverty and inequity. In Singapore, they help provide clean water and sanitation, food security, education, economic development, health and nutrition, disaster responses, and help children in crisis. The collaborative work that this organization helps organize is admirable and should be (and is already in certain places) adopted worldwide. As a human race, we need to work together to allow our societies to flourish, helping those who require an extra hand and transferring resources to one another to help facilitate those causes. As an individual, I want to do my part in ensuring the safety for not only our current generation but also to provide successful opportunities for future generations. The Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) (Code of ethics, n.d.) is a community of practice that provides support and resources for early childhood educators. As Singapore's society diversifies, AECES commits itself to build a foundation for excellence in teaching based on knowledge of child development as well as acknowledging the value of families within the early childhood community. This community of practice would allow me to gain more information about the community I work in and would also allow me to gain further insight into how others have tried and succeed (or not) from certain anti-bias implementation tactics. 

Having the professional aim of creating multilingual curricula and effectively implementing them, job opportunities that facilitate such aims are of interest to me. The British Council's (Mandarin curriculum in a local preschool, n.d.) bilingual curriculum is an environment that I find fascinating. Working together with a Mandarin teacher to foster positive educational experiences for children whilst also cultivating the awareness of Chinese culture and literature is something that I hope to one day be a part of. For this to become possible, I require more experience in the field of early childhood, understanding child development's progress when exposed to more languages and cultures. It would also be beneficial to learn more Mandarin as I only speak and understand basic, conversational Mandarin. Similarly, the German European School of Singapore (About GESS, n.d.) would allow me to foster the same ideals, however, with a more disconnected and dissected view of the languages, as their curriculum involves the languages being taught separately and with distinct differences in teaching methods. 

References:

About GESS. (n.d.). German European School Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.gess.sg/page.cfm?p=1

About us. (n.d.). Touch. Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/about_us

Adelman, H., & Taylor, L. (2008). Fostering school, family, and community involvement. UCLA. Retrieved from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/publications/44%20guide%207%20fostering%20school%20family%20and%20community%20involvement.pdf

Code of ethics. (n.d.). AECES. Retrieved from http://www.aeces.org/code_of_ethics

Mandarin curriculum in a local preschool. (n.d.). British Council. Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.sg/pre-school/mandarin-curriculum

Who we are. (n.d.). World Vision Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.worldvision.org.sg