I was motivated to start advocating for young children when i began working for Head Start. I am often reminded of how I felt as a child when someone (an adult) would treat me unfairly and make me feel as if I didn't matter. When I was a child, you weren't important in society.
It is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the Micro level as well as the macro level because as the saying goes you must crawl before you can walk. If you start at the lower local levels you can inform and recruit more people for your issue or cause. The strength you build at the lower levels can help you add to your group and make it more powerful because there is strength in numbers.
To be a community leader on early childhood issues you need to be passionate about the issue. If you have a personal investment you will be committed to working on seeing the issue through.
To be a state leader on childhood issues, you need to be informed. Your resource should include research, money, and supporters of your cause/issue.
The tactics/strategies you need to use to mobilize others are to be able to inform. You need to be able to let others know the information. Get the information out to the target audience of your issue. The more they know then the better help I could recruit to help me advance my issue. Also, empowering people to advocate for themselves. If you can share enough information and encourage a person to advocate for themselves you can do a powerful thing.
The advice I would give to someone who is interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families is to immerse themselves in information on the issue. Ask themselves if they believe in the issues/causes themselves? Do you care about young children and families? I would also tell them to make sure they can work with others. Make sure they are able to organize a group and being able to facilitate the group. Are they willing to listen to others and the information they bring to the group. It is important to be able to accept help, even if it isn't the way you planned to proceed.
Susann,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your response to the question of advice to being an advocate leader in early childhood, what it spoke to me was make sure that you are passionate about what you want to lead. Passion is so important and understanding the issues that go with your passion is important as well.
I really like your last sentence about accepting change even if it isn't the way you planned. Great point, Leaders have to be flexible some time!
Susann,
ReplyDeleteYou are not the first person I have come across in this program who said that working in Head Start is what got them into child advocacy. Perhaps it is because you get to see first hand where your efforts are needed and how they make a difference in the lives of these children and their families. Your advice is truly helpful and I agree that prospective advocates should first and foremost immerse themselves in information on topics within the field. Keep up the good work, Susann!