Exploring Roles in the ECE community: Local and State Levels

What is Smart Start?

Smart Start was created in 1993 as an innovative solution to a problem: Children were coming to school unprepared to learn.
Policymakers recognized that progress would require tapping into the same innovative spirit that inspired private sector advances, and therefore, established Smart Start as a public/private partnership. Independent, private organizations work in all 100 North Carolina counties through The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., and 77 Local Partnerships.
The power of Smart Start is that it delivers outcomes by giving communities local control to determine the best approach to achieving them.

Smart Start’s Vision

Every child reaches his or her potential and is prepared for success in a global community.

Smart Start’s Mission

Advance a high quality, comprehensive, accountable system of care and education for every child beginning with a healthy birth.http://www.smartstart-nc.org/


Job opportunities:  I researched the smart start childcare agencies in my county and three surrounding counties and found no job opportunities.

I think that becoming apart of this statewide community of practice will give me the experience I need to move beyond my current role as a preschool teacher and explore the other aspects of the field. There are so many community of practices within this big umbrella of early childhood in our state.

I did find this event in my search of communities of practice in my state. I think it would be a good opportunity for me to volunteer with other advocates for children and families. I need to become a part of a community of  practice that focuses on advocacy for children and families.  If  I attend this event it will be my first "political" early childhood experience.

I co-founded a Birth-Kindergarten majors club at my Alma Mater, Fayetteville State University. I consider it a community of practice that is important. I would like to serve as a mentor within this group of adult learners. I also feel as though I have a lot to learn from them. The mission of this community of practice is to serve as support for current and future students as well as serve the community through acts of service. 

*There is an opening for an assistant Birth-Kindergarten professor open. However, you have to have a doctoral degree to be considered for the position.