UNESCO

I have become a stronger advocate of early childhood education.  I always knew that this was an empowering force in the lives of children, and I must admit that I sometimes only looked at this country, and thought about the lives of children here.  While this is important, I know that it is of equal importance to look at the children of the world.

In visiting the UNESCO website, I was interested in the section that dealt with poverty reduction (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/poverty-reduction/).  By 2015, there are goals that hope to be met that are targeted at reducing poverty and reducing death rates for mothers and children.  In reading information about this, I followed a link to the United Nations, and one of the links led to me the status of this.  If projected trends continue, many of the countries that need assistance will not meet these goals by 2015 (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/2012_Progress_E.pdf).  There is much work to do.  I think that advocating for those in poverty gives a voice to the voiceless.  I was surprised to discover that there is a plan in place for helping worldwide poverty.

Further, UNESCO offers Technical and Vocation Education Training (TVET) for groups of people by teaching job skills and learning skills.  A database that gives information about countries and the work of TVET is available.  Out of curiosity, I looked at this, which can be found at http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase.php .  I looked at some of the information about the countries and found it refreshing that there are things being done to grow the workforce and abolish poverty.

Last, I was moved by the push for “Education for All,” as I view education as a tool of empowerment.  At the World Education Forum, 164 countries decided to make advances toward reaching this goal.  Six goals are to be met by 2015.  Education is so important that everyone deserves this, I feel!

For the podcast, I listened to Barbara Jones.  She is the founder of Pine Grove School in Falmouth, Maine.  As a student in college, she felt that alternative education means were for her.  She traveled to California, first, and began learning the Montessori approach.    She was there for two years and decided to complete the Montessori training.  In Falmouth, she decided that she would begin a program in an old building, a former schoolhouse, and began the wait for the building to be sold.  She opened the program in 1984, and has been working for 25 years in her program.  I was inspired by her apparent passion.  You could hear her beaming as she discussed her work!  I think also that I was inspired by her tenacity-to try to reach your dreams wherever they may lead you!