Time Well Spent

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.
-Benjamin Disraeli

 

 

 

My educational journey with Walden University has taught me a great deal about myself and others. I have learned that ineffective communication causes relationships with others and also affects the quality of care and education that is provided to families. Another aspect of the field that I have learned thinking beyond my local community. Gaining knowledge about issues on a global level allowed me to restructure my goals into encompass children and families that are also in need of quality programs. Last, developing and maintaining relationships with children and families is important as relationships are the driving force in success.

 

 

 

A long-term goal of mine in the early childhood field is to recruit others, especially parents to develop a passion about the field. Also, to share my passion with others to increase the knowledge and interest in the field and early education of children.

 

 

At this time, I would like to thank all my colleagues and my professor in challenging the ways in which I thought about the field. This is been a very intense course however, I feel that it has brought out the best in me which, in turn, directly affects that children and families that I work with. This has been the best and most challenging course in my educational journey and I have am thrilled about this experience.

 

I wish you all success in the future. I would also like to maintain contact with you all as well. I can be reached by email at conyersa@mail.gvsu.edu

 

 



Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

There are numerous international programs that seek to provide equality, positive social change and quality care for children and their families. Three of such programs include: Hands of Hope through Joyce Meyer Ministries, Free the Children and the International Children's Network.

Hands of Hope created by Joyce Meyer and her family, which is home-based in St. Louis, MO; has a goal to "help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith" (2013). This ministry works with over forty countries worldwide and coordinates with fifty different organizations to provide services to children and their families; such as: adoption and foster care disaster relief, food service, human trafficking, medical assistance, prison ministry and so much more. There were numerous job opportunities that are available, most of them are technical jobs. The job I found most interesting is the Hands of Hope Social Media Community Producer. This job entails: coordinating social media posts, collaborate with team members, domestic and international travel, and ensuring brand support. Qualifications include: knowledge of video/audio encoding formats and processes, knowledge of writing and engaging audiences through multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and others, excellent understanding and mastery of the English language, including grammar, ability to organize and prioritize work and three years relevant experience Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of experience.

Free the Children was founded by Craig Kielburger and is based in Toronto, Canada. At the ripe age of 12, Craig and eleven of his classmates set out to help children around the world. This organization promotes international aid and education for all children. With services in nine different countries, Free the Children seeks to provide equality and hope to all children. The employment opportunity that I am interested in is the Educational Programming Coordinator. This two-year commitment requires one to hold a bachelor's degree with professional experience in sales and marketing, hold a passion for global issues, a self-starter, a team player, possess a positive and professional attitude and be eligible to work in Canada.

The International Children's Network (ICN) is based in Washington state and was created to end poverty in 3rd world countries such as: Uganda, Kenya, Guatamela, Peru, the Philiphines and India. The founder and President, Don Windham promotes positive social change for orphaned and at-risk children through sponsorship. Although there are no employment opportunities at this time, ICN does accepts volunteers and internships to those who are interested in this organization. Those interested in volunteering can help with: youth/church groups, medical volunteers and engineers,

References:

Joyce Meyer Ministries. (2013) "Hands of Hope." http://www.joycemeyer.org

Free the People. (2011). http://www.freethechildren.gov

International Children's Network. (2013). http://www.icnchildren.net

National and International Roles in the ECE Field

Three International programs/organizations that I will include in my Communities of Practice include: AmeriCares, UNICEF and Child Fund International.

AmeriCares, founded in 1975, is a crisis prevention and solution based organization based in Stamford, CT. Founded by President/CEO, Bob Macauley after a jet crash holding Vietnamese infants; AmeriCares operates in 90 countries across the world. Currently, there are no employment opportunities that I finding interesting, AmeriCares has a 12-week summer internship that is held every summer. Internships for this organization are held from June to August and are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. These students must possess interest in humanitarianism, global health and international development for children.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was created in 1946 to assist European children who were faced with famine and disease. Since 1946, UNICEF continues to help children and protect the rights of children globally. By focusing on issues that affect children such as: survival, development, education, gender equality, children with HIV/AIDS, child protection, advocacy and policy; UNICEF is fully committed to ensuring the protection of children. UNICEF is active in over 190 countries in the world. The employment opportunity that interests me is the Education Specialist (Emergency and Cluster Coordination) in Congo. This position is responsible for the “planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of the Education programs” (www.careers.unicef/org) . The qualifications for this position include:

·         Possess an advanced university degree in Education, Primary Education or in the Social  Sciences

·         Five years of progressively professional work experience in National and International levels within the field

·         Experience in working with United Nations or other International development organizations is a plus

Child Fund International has been helping improve the lives of children for seventy-five years through child sponsorship.  Founded in Richmond, Virginia, by Dr. J. Calvitt Clarke and based from the approach that “focuses on working with children, regardless of race, creed or gender, throughout their journey from birth to young adulthood, as well as with families, local organizations and communities globally to create the environments children need to thrive.” (www.childfund.org). The Child Fund International is a great way to help children of the world. With twelve ways to help assist a child or children, those who wish to help children are given options to help.  The job opportunity that interests me is that of a Child Protection Specialist. This position allows a candidate to collaborate nationally and internationally with colleagues as it relates to child protection laws and agenda, maintaining quality programming, and seek out further sponsorship. Qualifications for this position include:

•   Bachelor’s degree required/Master’s degree preferred in a field related to child protection (international development, child development, community development, social work, psychology, education, sociology, anthropology, public health, etc.)
•   5 years of experience in community based child protection in development and/or emergency work
• Demonstrated experience in results-based child protection program design, implementation and/or evaluation
• Proven ability to provide high quality child protection technical assistance, guidance, and coaching to international and field-based implementing staff and partners.
• Knowledge and experience in working with community-based protection
• Experience with USG and other key child protection donor agencies and grant making processes (e.g. USAID, PEPFAR, DoS, DoL, UNICEF, DFID, etc.).
• Knowledge and/or experience in the case management, Organized, detail-oriented, team player, self-starter and results-oriented individual.
• Excellent presentation, public speaking and interpersonal skills.
• Bilingual preferred
•  Significant Travel outside of the US required.

References:

http://www.AmeriCares.org

http://www.ChildFund.org

http://www.UNICEF.org

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Researching communities of practice within the early childhood field locally, in state and nationally was fun for me and also very enlightening. This provided me with an opportunity to explore. compare and  contrast the different agencies, their services and the job opportunities that are available. I began my search locally with the Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership, Inc. This agency provides a vast array of services to five different counties in west Michigan. This non-profit agency seeks to assist low-income to moderate-income families with services from clothing to home weatherization programs. This agency also has a head start program that offers head start services to fifteen different locations in Muskegon and Oceana County. I first became interested in this agency during my undergraduate years and contacted the CEO, Kenneth Shelton regarding a possible internship but I relocated and was unable to participate. I feel that this is a great resource that I can use in my current profession as well as in my future profession in the early childhood field.


Another agency that I have a relationship with currently is the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD). The MAISD provides strong educational services to the Muskegon County and provides a few services to neighboring counties: Oceana, Ottawa and Newaygo counties. The MAISD is a great resource for educational services for the state of Michigan, especially Muskegon County. I have contacted this agency several times in order to best help teens that are having difficulties in school. The MAISD services children grades K-12 and also participates in many of the school and job fairs within the Muskegon Community. The website is:
Last, the third organization that piqued my interest is the Michigan Department of Education. Through the MDOE, I have learned about the Project Great Start. This program provides services to children from birth to age eight, to ensure that children receive the proper health, reach age appropriate development and reach age appropriate school readiness (http://www.michigan.gov/mde). This appealed to me as I am able to learn from a state level what is being required of the school systems and other child caring programs throughout this state.

Outside from becoming an entrepreneur with a child and family learning center, I also would like to create a non-profit similar to the Muskegon Oceana Community Action Partnership that helps all families who are in need in the Muskegon area. I also am becoming a teacher at a learning center as well as a hospital. Both jobs, one in Michigan at KinderKare and the other at the Children's Hospital in Boston, require previous experience in working with children, excellent communication skills (verbal and nonverbal), willingness to work with children and their families, and a minimum of a high school diploma is required. Both positions also require a college degree as well. For instance, a hospital teacher in Boston must possess a Bachelor in Early Childhood Studies and be certified by the department of early education and care certified.

References:

Michigan Department of Education. http://www.michigan.gov/mde

Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnerships. www.mocap1.org

Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. www.muskegon-isd.k12.mi.us

Farewell

Hi All,

This has been an interesting and enlightening course. I have learned a great deal about to how communication builds or destroys relationships within one's professional and personal lives. With this increased knowledge and techniques, I feel that I am better equipped to effectively communicate. I would also like to thank my colleagues for their viewpoints, experiences, and suggestions throughout this course. I have read how other's have reacted or can react in situations and been provided feedback that will be utilized in the present as well as the future.

Furthermore, as we venture into our next course and throughout our personal lives, I wish all of you good luck and prosperity. It has been wonderful interacting with so many educated and professional people who possess so much knowledge in a field that is somewhat new to me.

Anetri'a

Adjournment

Throughout one's life there are numerous instances in which group work presents itself. While working in groups individuals participate in five stages of group/team development. These five stages include: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The last stage adjourning occurs when the group work has ended and the group members are given a chance to reflect on their experiences. (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). Participating in group work is an experience that everyone will partake in.

When I recollect on my group experiences I have found that one groups that share common goals, possess clear and establishes norms while learning to perform to to reach the goals. The group that was difficult to leave occurred when I was a participant in the TRiO/Upward Bound Program. This program allows for at-risk teenagers and first generation potential college students to experience life as a college student. This six-week summer program taught us about time management, self-sufficiency, autonomy, education, people skills diversity and etc. This program taught us how to work in groups and how to be independent as well. Living in the dorms with new people and other life skills were also learned. I think that living in close quarters and interacting with other students on a daily basis for six weeks helped mold long-lasting friendships. I was in this program for two summers and our closing rituals included a ceremony/graduation of each participant. We would receive individual awards and have a celebratory dinner that included our families. This adjournment was hard for me as the participants and staff became a significant aspect of my life.

As I think about the adjournment from this Master's level program, I think that outside from graduation, my colleagues and I will be able to express our accomplishments and experiences via our blogs and within our course site. In general, the stage of adjournment allows for thoughtful recollection of past, present and future goals.

Conflict Resolution

When thinking of a recent conflict or disagreement that I have been involved in, I automatically thought of a conflict that I have had with my cousin and my uncle over a cell phone bill. Although, this is a personal conflict, I used some of the communication techniques that I had learned in the professional arena. Like many teenagers transitioning into adulthood, my cousin was leaving for college and about to live in his "own" in an off campus apartment. Long story short, I added him to my account for a cell phone. The first few months his portion of the bill was paid on time however, before I realized it, the bill wasn't paid for three consecutive months. At this point, I was livid but decided to take a step back and think before I reacted. I called a "sit-down" and we were able to compromise on payment arrangements. These was done only after phone conversations, text messages and emails. In the past, I have observed situations like this one destroy friendships, familial relationships and other interpersonal relationships. I did not want to cause a rift in these relationships because we are a very tight-knit family. This compromise worked out because it did not lead to further conflict and we were able to maintain our bond.

Colleagues, what would you have done differently or can you offer further advice?

Communication Style

As I learned more about myself as a communicator it was surprising to learn that others scored me within the same range. I scored myself to have moderate communication anxiety, moderate verbal aggression and as a people-oriented listener. As I used my mother and a colleague, they scored me to have mild communication anxiety, moderate verbal aggression and as a people-oriented listener. I feel that I was scored less by my mother and colleague as they are unaware of the physical anxiety that I experience when I communicate with others; such as my heart pounding and I also begin to break out in hives. This usually happens when I speak in front of a large group of people. As I communicate better in one-on-one situations and in small groups.

Also, as I learned more about communication this week the communication aspects that I found most interesting are that our self-concept affects how we communicate and interact with other. I have been able to realize the value of self-concept. Considering the discussion assignment, I was surprised to see how much of the things that I identify with I instantly attributed to someone else just based from a picture. Another insight, that will assist me in both my professional and personal life is self-efficacy. Which is the predicting one's success based on one's self-concept and self-esteem (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). Self-efficacy also plays a vital part in communication with others as it assists with choosing how one will communicate. Using these two communication methods will better assist me personally and professionally by allowing me to remain mindful of myself and how I behave during communication with others.

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Communication Strategies

As I ponder on the many instances in which I communicate with others who are culturally different than me, I find that my communication styles vary. I find that the these instances are based upon the settings and/or situations that I am involved in. These settings, whether they be in the workplace, local eateries, at home; while I am communicating with my neighbors and other locations.

While I am continuing to learn about communication and while I am learning better communication techniques, I feel that utilizing the following three strategies to become a better communicator both professionally and personally:

1). Learn to be become a more action-oriented listener as I am first a people-oriented listener and less tasks are accomplished. This primarily occurs in the workplace.

2). Lessen my incidents of rudeness. I am aware of instances where I may appear to be rude and easily frustrated, which can be observed in my matter of fact speech and language.

3). Become more knowledgeable about the cultural differences of others in order to become more empathetic to help others.

Using these strategies will assist me in becoming a better communicator while building positive relationships with others.

Communication on Mute

For this week's assignment, I chose to observe the TV series The Big Bang Theory. While first observing the show on mute, I observed the relationships between the characters to be mutual friends and for some they were roommates. During most of the show, the characters were usually at the apartment of their friends having lunch/dinner and they were also at what appeared to be a lunch or breakroom eating. A lot of this show appeared to be centered around meeting up with friends and eating. The friends also appeared to be "nerds" and their love of food, science and video games their friendships appeared strong. By spending a significant amount of time with one another, eye contact, close body promixity and postures the friends are like family. During their interactions, I observed their feelings of disgust, annoyance, happiness and embarrassment especially by their facial expressions body movements.

A few assumptions that I made while observing this show include: all of the male characters were roommates and all of the characters were extremely intelligent. The assumption of the plot that I made was that two of the male characters when one became upset in regards to his roommate waking him up early for work. This cause so much friction in their friendship to were they only gave each other a head nod during most of the episode.

During this assignment, I found that my assumptions would have been a bit more accurate had the series I watched was a show I know well. However, I do feel that my assumptions were correct in the relationships with at least two of the characters. My "aha" moment was finding out that this episode centered on the selfishness of Sheldon and his need to have his roommate do everything for him. I found that it is not always the external factors that make-up who people are but more importantly what is on the inside that makes up who someone is.

Competent Communicator

As I began to think about those who I feel are competent communicators, I thought about the upcoming Presidential election. As I viewed both the speeches of the Democratic and Republican nominees this past week, I felt empowered by the speech of President Barack Obama. His honesty, intonation, direct eye contact, motivation and the clarity in not only this speech but all of his speeches have provided a standard for me to follow. His love for God, his family and the U.S. is evident in his speeches and the passion in which he exudes during his speeches are quite motivational.

I have a great fear in public speaking but as I watch how great of an orator President Obama is, I would like to model his intonation and the clarity with which he speaks. His abilities to persuade and motivate others are attributes that I would like to have.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Throughout this course, I have acquired knowledge about the many ways in which I, as a professional can support children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds. This support will allow me to:

• build better professional relationships with families
• foster equity and social justice
• develop partnerships within the community
• create a welcoming and diverse environment

By utilizing these perspectives, my hope that my classroom is one that provide inspiration parents, children, community members and others as it relates to diversity equity and social justice.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in relation to diversity, equity and social justice is to continue to foster change as rapidly as society changes.

I would like to thank my colleagues for their words of wisdom, encouragement and for sharing their personal and professional experiences. I wish you all success and good luck in the future.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I found that piqued my interest in is Malawi. Malawi is located in southeast Africa that is encompassed with beautiful land and wildlife. With a population of 13,603,181 natives, who speak the native tongue of Chichewa and also English, this country maintains its rich African culture and heritage.

If I was working in an early childhood setting in a hospital and a family emigrated from Malawi, I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the family by: 1) conducting personal research on the country's deep culture as well as surface culture 2) begin to learn the native language of Chichewa to have effective communication with the family 3) communicate with the family about their wants, needs and expectations from the hospital as it relates to their culture and heritage 4) create a training for those working with the family to provide an understanding of the culture and 5) create an environment that will be welcoming to the family by labeling the hospital in both Chichewa and English.

By preparing myself and the hospital for the family, I hope that I will be able to assist the family, myself and the hospital by providing an environment that encourages cultural differences. I also hope that the family would educate both myself and others to increase our knowledge on their native land and daily activities to decrease the instances of microaggressions and any form of an "ism."

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

Being an African-American woman entails having countless incidents of bias, prejudice and oppression directed towards you in both overt and overt ways. One particular incident involved myself and some childhood friends of mine. We were walking to school as we were all middle school-aged children. During the early to mid-nineties there was an influx of skinheads in our area and increased racially motivated violence. Skinheads are a subgroup of youth that make their stance of white power known through violence and antagonizing other races of people. As we were walking and talking we head a car speed behind of really fast and the dreaded "n-word" being used numerous times. Our initial reaction was to run to a safe place, which we did but we never left one another's side. Safe to say we made it to school without further incident and reported the information to the proper authorities and school personnel.

As I think about this incident feelings of anger, frustration, fear, relief and trust pop into my mind. Anger and fear come to mind as I remember being fearful for what may happen to a group of children from black, white and bi-racial ethnicity's. The feelings of relief and trust come about as I am thankful and blessed that we were safe. I also say trust because that incident brought us pre-teens closer together. My feelings of frustration as it is 2012 and I continue to hear about incidents such as this and some incidents more graphic and violent that involves bias, prejudice, oppression and some form of an "ism."

This incident diminished the diversity that is prevalent in this country and in my local neighborhood by continuance of the overt use of white privilege, the use of power over others, racism, and superiority. At that time, I believed that the rights that my ancestors and other fought and died for were in vain. This incident also taught me that anyone can be treated in an unjust and unfair way. In order for such as incident to changed for an opportunity for greater equity, the mindsets of both the skinheads and even the group I was with would have to change. These mindsets and beliefs include:inferiority and superiority, power, and so on.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we we asked to share an example of a microaggression that we have witnessed or that has happened in the past. We are aware that microaggressions occur daily and that they are the source of various negative emotions to their victims. One incident in which I observed this week occurred when I was in a passenger in the car with a Caucasian male friend and we stopped at a store to purchase items before going to a mutual friends home. After went purchased our items, we retreated back to the car. As we fastened our seat belts, there was a group of young black males who appeared to be walking past the car. My friend quickly looked his car doors with what I automatically assumed was "fear." The males walked past the car and into the store without incident. I immediately began to discuss this matter and his actions. He began to state that his actions were a "natural reaction." As I began to questions his feelings and thoughts as to why this behavior was natural to him, he stated that it was a behavior that was learned from his friends and family. I further questioned his childhood and questioned his feelings, emotions and behaviors if these behaviors were directed towards him because he is a homosexual. At this time, he has yet to answer me but did text me to apologize for his actions. I responded by accepting his apology but he was further informed that he and I would discuss this matter more thoroughly.

I wanted my friend to understand that treating others differently based on their looks is wrong. I also wanted to discuss his experiences as a gay male. I hope he realizes that the microaggressions, discrimination and prejudice that he becomes a victim of are the same microagressions, discrimination and prejudice that he displayed in front of me.

This observation conjures of experiences that I have been involved in and assists me in having empathy for the victims and anger/pity for those who committed the offense.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

In obtaining perspectives on culture and diversity, I received information from a 30-year-old African-American female who is involved in a domestic partnership, a 45-year-old, single African-American female who with a school-aged child and a 21-year-old involved in an interracial relationship.

The first interviewee states that culture is "your ethic background, history and beliefs and diversity is being able to adapt to other cultures, races and beliefs.

The second interviewee states that culture is "a set of beliefs, attitudes and ideas from a group of people and diversity is the knowledge, attitudes and relationships with those whose cultures differ from one's own culture."

The final interviewee states that culture is the "practices and behaviors of one's background and diversity is being open to difference whether it be individuals or a group of things."

Collectively, I believe that all of the interviewees understand the general definition of culture and diversity. There similar idea of culture being a way of life, behaviors and attitudes and similar to what I have learned thus far. I would also add the food people eat, the music they listen to, and other daily aspects of their lives that are influenced by their culture. The interviewees discussed diversity in terms of acceptance of others and their culture. Diversity does involve acceptance of others, their culture, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and etc.

In reading and interpreting other's perspectives of culture and diversity, I believe that understanding both topics is a matter of learning and growing. I also believe that culture and diversity will be are essential in learning about human nature and most importantly, one's self.

My Family Culture

If my immediate family and I were evacuated to a host country with different cultures, three items that I would bring with me include: my Bible, a cookbook and a picture of my immediate and extended family. I would choose these three items as they are items that keeps my family together. My Bible is the foundation of the family and through God and our faith we understand that God is with us at all times. I would also share our family scripture, Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." This scripture after every prayer at all family events; as it is recited by my 90-year-old great-grandmother, so it is very near and dear to me. Although, it is may seem simple, a cookbook is important because it will bring memories of how my parents have taught me to cook and also bring memories of family cook-outs, dinners and any other celebration that brings the family out from their busy schedules. Being with family is very important to me and food is a way that we show our love and appreciation to one another. Two recipes that I would share are my grandmother's strawberry cake and my mother's baked macaroni and cheese. My last item that I would bring is a picture of my immediate and extended family. We are a small family so extended family is also considered immediate family. This includes my uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews. I would point out every family member and explain their relationship to me and the importance as each person holds a very special place in my heart. If told that I could only keep one item and I had to give up two items I would be very upset to the point of crying hysterically and then anger but knowing that my memories will help me remember my family and culture, I believe that I would eventually come to terms with this rule.

One insight that I have learned from this exercise is that all the things that I make important in life such as a phone or computer are not as important as I think they are. I also learned that my values, beliefs and relationships with my family are more important than any device and have long-lasting effects on me which I can then teach others.

When I Think of Research...

This course has both refreshed and increased my frame of reference by providing me with a more in-depth explaination of the research process. I have learned new topics and ways to create and implement such aspects of research as: data collection and most importantly the differences between quantitative and qualitative research. Due to the knowledge I have acquired during this course, I have learned how to proprerly conduct research. Through the utilization of research techniques such as direct observations, interviewing and sampling; any future research that I conduct will be better implemented. Some challenges that I found included narrowing my my hypothesis and redesigning my research simulation according to the topic of the week. I found that these challeges to be difficult especially while redesigning my research as my knowledge about research increased.

I believe that as I further my education, experiences and career(s) in the early chilhood field, I will continue to look at this field with multiple sets of lenses. As I incorporate research with my perceptions of the field, my respect for the field and researchers increases as research is a vital role in the field. I will also continue to remain abreast of any new research to continue to learn.

Research Around The World

Early Childhood Research in Africa continues to help not only the children and families in Africa but also teaches others, such as myself, about the plight(s) of children and families who reside there. I found that the Early Childhood Development Virtual University in Sub-Saharan Africa students researched consisted of similar topics of research held in the United States such as: father's roles in early childcare and development, quality and training of early childhood staff, and parental and educational collaboration.

Although, I have studied the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, I am surprised with one specific study that involved grandparents being the primary caregivers for their grandchildren under the age of eight, who have been affected by the HIV/AIDS virus. I am also familiar with the millions of children affected and how they become orphans due to their parents dying from the deadly disease themselves or placing their children in an orphanage due to not being able to care for their children. I was impressed with the number of grandparents taking care of their affected grandchildren and admired their tenacity to ensure that the children were with family and being cared for.

Information that I found noteworthy and that I researched further is the University of Victoria. Although, this University is based out of Canada, it addresses the field of early childhood by using various approaches along with allowing students, specifically those in Africa to learn and teach based on their culture.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

One topic that has recently piqued my interest is Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that: clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; andobstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. (www.cff.org).

In my current profession, I have participated in trainings that include meeting the medical needs of children with Cystic Fibrosis and how those working with these children and their families can become better educated and trained to effectively assist this population. This training also taught me how to become a positive support for these families. Until I became in a working relationship with families who are affected the disease, I had no frame of reference about this disease. I know can state that I am knowledgeable of the financial responsibilities, proper use of medical equipment, different types of medication, diet regimen and physician visits that these families have to attend.

If I possessed the means and knowledge to conduct research studies on Cystic Fibrosis, I imagine some positive contributions from these studies include: finding a cure for the disease (as there is no cure) and helping to create national resource programs that would better assist families who are affected by the disease to better manage the daily tasks associated with this disease. I would also develop alternative medical equipment and medications that are more cost effective for these families.