Sharing Web Resources

Although the Borgen Project does not primarily focus on child poverty.  They concentrate on preventing and making the issue of poverty extinct.  The Borgen Magazine focuses on humanity and how the Borgen Project works to help the impoverished communities world wide.  What I found particularly interesting is their childhood curriculum.  It was amazing to me that then understood that the issue of poverty impacts children on a different level.  The curriculum teaches the children about global poverty.  The lesson plan introduces students to the issue of global poverty, governance, and civic engagement. The lesson plan is designed to teach students that the size of a problem does not necessarily correlate to the ease with which it is solved. In this manner, the lesson plan will emphasize what can be done to improve the human condition, thereby reducing social injustice, desperation, and hardship. The curriculum will also teach students how easy it is to communicate with their congressional leaders and influence the decision making process of congressional leaders. By communicating with their congressional leaders students will learn how to formulate and express their opinion about a particular issue. By the end of the lesson students will have a greater knowledge of global poverty and civic engagement.

This was particularly interesting to me because I cannot recall a time where I taught young children about poverty.  Many of my colleagues stray away from teaching children about very serious issues.  I would guess that it is controversial to teach children about global poverty.  Children are very empathetic and want to help everyone.  This issue can cause them sadness.  Global poverty and its affect on children is an important issue. 

The Borgen Project thinking enough of young children by creating this curriculum is telling of their dedication to educating the world about global poverty.  This curriculum is age appropriate and teaches understanding and compassion.  It helps children think about how they can help.  It teaches them about government and policy.  Children get to participate in their government with the goal of helping children who do not have their basic needs.  The children learn so much in this curriculum such as understanding that many people lack basic necessities.  The primary objective of this lesson is for students to understand that they can influence the legislative process. It is a lesson that I have not thought about before.

What I have learned from the Borgen Project is finding new and inventive ways to teach young children about government and policy.  How important that we help them develop an understanding about differences and that not everyone has the same opportunities and resources as them. 

Getting to Know International Organizations: Part 1

I am happy to know that there are many organizations located in America and around the world that all have the same common goal.  Helping children and families who live in poverty.  While researching, I found:

The Borgen Project.

They are an organization that combat what they refer to as extreme poverty.  The way that they approach this issue is bringing about change through policy.  "The Borgen Project believes that leaders of the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global poverty. We’re the innovative, national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy(The Borgen Project, n.d.)".  They tackle major world poverty issues such as Global poverty, how poverty affects U.S. Jobs, poverty and the population and how we can solve the global poverty issue to name a few.  This organization is focused and determined to help the worlds poor by any means necessary.  They have outlined over 30 ways that each citizen can help eradicate global poverty.  They list ways such as write your congressman, build awareness by sharing information, fundraise, and donate to the cause.  Their efforts all go towards the benefit of children and their families who live in poverty across the world.  There was an areas where they addressed helping families gain access to clean water.  Although I consider myself socially aware of global poverty and its affects, I never considered what we consider need.  Some people across the world do not have access to something as basic and necessary as clean water to drink. 

My take away from researching this organization is the power of collective help.  We utilize social media and radio for our entertainment and enjoyment, however, we can utilize those same platforms to spread awareness and bring forth necessary aid to global poverty.  I also appreciate the many ways they laid out that I can be more helpful to the cause.  Sometimes the issue seems so big and so wide that I feel helpless but The Borgen project outlined many ways that individuals or groups can be active in bringing about a solution to this problem.  I am grateful for information. 

The Borgen Project. (n.d.). How to end Global Poverty. Retrieved from borgenproject.org: https://borgenproject.org

Sharing Web Resources

The website I chose was the National Black Child Development Institute.  https://www.nbcdi.org. They work to engage leaders, policymakers, other professionals and parents around the issues that impact the lives and of young African American children.  They help pair families with very important and necessary resources such as healthcare, education, literacy, child welfare and family engagement.  With the support of our Affiliate network in communities across the country, we are committed to our mission to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy"(NBCDI, 2018).

The aspect of the NBCDI that resonates is that they are one of few entities that exclusively dedicate themselves to the development of young black children.  So many websites and foundations are available to the multitude of children.  However, there is a great need of support for many black children.  Many African American children are overlooked due to the systemic racial oppression of the African American community.  With a specific and relentless focus on the strengths and needs of our communities, and a lens of cultural competence, we serve as a national resource agency providing programs, publications, advocacy and trainings related to early childhood care and education; health and wellness; literacy and family engagement.

One of the issues that caught my attention was their work to to fight for racial equity.  "On November 19, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 into law. This Law reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and makes significant advances to support early learning and financial security for families and children. New regulations, released in September 2016, include provisions designed to 1) strengthen requirements to protect the health and safety of children in child care; 2) help parents make informed consumer choices and access information to support child development; 3) provide equal access to stable, high-quality child care for low-income children; and 4) enhance the quality of child care and the early childhood workforce"(James & Matthews, 2017).  The NBCDI presents information to combat against the violations of civil rights in Mississippi.  Shedding light to the unfair practices of governing agencies against African American children and their families.  Asking that the state support AA families that enrol in childcare assistance programs.  They NBCDI also presented initiative that states ensure that African American children have equal opportunity and access to high quality early learning programs.  s. Increases in quality improvement resources should benefit providers across a diverse range of communities to make high-quality early learning programs accessible where participating families live and work.

The work f NBCDI is invaluable.  It is unfortunate that their services are necessary.  However, in 2018 there is substantial evidence that the African American children have been treated unfairly and suffer from lack of opportunity and access to important resources.  I support the NBCDI and recently joined in their initiative in order to bring about change and additional support in the my community. There are going to be some people who read this blog and think, maybe it is not just African American children but all children need support and resources.  I would agree that in some areas that would be true.  I would like to ask each of you to read the News portion of the website and shuffle through the articles to get a feel for what really happens in the lives of young African American children. 

James, C., & Matthews, H. (2017, March). Childcare and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Racial Equity. Retrieved from National Black Child Development Institute: https://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/resource-files/NBCDI_CLASP%20Policy%20Brief%20CCDBG%20and%20Racial%20Equity.pdf

NBCDI. (2018). News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcdi.org/news

Getting Ready—Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

I was excited to review, listen and learn from the podcasts present on the World Forum Foundation website.  Unfortunately they were not workings.  However, I did take time to learn about the World Forum Foundation and what they are about.  It is a place where professionals from across the world can exchange and share ideas that help young children.  It is a place where like minded individuals who care about children can be a collective of support to young children.  The host events and forums that benefit both the teacher the advocate and essentially the world's children.  This organization is definitely a benefit to the childcare profession.

I reviewed each website recommended to see which one would resonate with me most.  Initially I chose the Center for the Childcare Workforce.  However, that site is down.  It is unfortunate.  However, I decided to research and learn about the NBCDI (National Black Child Development Institute).  I chose this website because I am dedicated to providing a place in my community that provides excellent care for a demographic who historically have to settle for subpar care.  It has been my experience that childcare centers in urban areas are overlooked for funding and have to make due with the least funding and supplies.  The NBCDI has worked for more than 40 years, to be at the forefront of engaging leaders, policymakers, professionals, and parents around critical and timely issues that directly impact Black children and their families.  Their vision is to help foster in a society that ensures a successful future for ALL children. Specifically the NBCDI works to help young black children on issues such as education, early childhood care and health.  NBCDI supports and works primarily with Black children birth through age eight and their families, through coalition building with community-based organizations, foundations, corporations, school systems, elected officials, government, child care, Head Start and many other public and private partnerships.


As uncomfortable as it may be, there is significant truth to the needs of the black child.  The hardships may not be isolated to just black children, however, there is an lack of balance and black children suffer more in this country from substandard care and access to adequate healthcare.  Is it sad that there has to be an agency that advocates for young black children, Yes.  But this agency is needed and serves a very important purpose.  They have a report on the website called Being Black is not a risk factor.  It is an excellent read and I would suggest everyone read it.
https://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/NBCDI_SOTBC_FLORIDA_Report_%20Final%20(DA%2001-05-2017)_0.pdf