Sharing Web Resources-Harlems Kid Zone

I am a subscriber to the Harlem Kid’s Zone. The newsletter coved a variety of topics from: New HCZ Biennial Report Geoffrey Canada on CNN's State of the Union, National Town Hall on Ed Reform, Geoffrey Canada named to TIME 100 ,New school building and community center.

I found that the video on a Special edition of Meet The Press with Geoffery Canada founder and CEO of the Harlem’s Kid’s Zone spoke on Meet the Press to inform the viewers on his program and the benefits of what his organization does for the community and the children who attend and the challenges the children face in their neighborhood. Mr. Canada spoke on the reform for education and what we can do as volunteers and donors .He continued to speak of how they are going to prepare all of the children in a 90 block area for college whether they are already in a public school or not. He believes that if children fail the adult must step up their game and help .Accountability of Teachers and using data as a source to keep track of their progress. You owe it to yourself as an educator to visit http://www.hcz.org/media/news/626-special-edition-of-meet-the-press and view the video. I am sure you will get a better view of what the trend in Harlem is now and what it has been within the African American community, and the struggles that we as a people and the great individuals who understand that we must do what is needed to gear our future leaders in the right direction, and make an investment in their future as well as our own.

Establishing Professional Contacts & Expanding Resources

This week I have registered for two organizations that Advocate on the behalf of children .One is Harlem’s Children Zone. I have seen stories and television interest stories about this program and I think the program does a lot of wonderful things to enhance the lives of children .I also signed the email list to get information on the National Black Child Development institute. I am excited in learning about these two programs and hope to share valuable information in the upcoming weeks with everyone who sign’s in on my blog. Additionally I have sent an email requesting to communicate with someone from UNICEF that is in another country. I have not gotten a reply yet, but I am hopeful. I am interested in how the other parts of the world advocate for children and their rights as well as educationally what their system looks like. I am really excited about the possibility of getting to communicate with someone from another country! Wish me luck!

History of National Black Child Development Institite

Celebrating 40 years of Service to Children & Families
In recent historical memory, the 1960’s stand as a seminal time when social change was high on the political and social agendas of this country. It stands as an era when everyday citizens believed not only that it was time for change, but also that change was really possible. People everywhere rallied, believing that through their actions it would be possible to achieve a transformed society where fairness and equal treatment would produce widespread improvement in the quality of life for everyone.
Into this climate the National Black Child Development Institute was born. Conceived by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation whose concerns were that of the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families wanting to rear healthy children, they decided to organize a national advocacy group. In 1970, the Institute was incorporated and the work began to organize groups within communities as a basis for creating a unified national voice to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the developing Black child through policy change. Since 1970, the National the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained steadfast in its mission –“To improve and advance the lives of black children and their families through education and advocacy.” With a focus on early childhood education, child welfare, elementary and secondary education, and health, the Institute accomplishes this mission by:
1) Serving as a vital information resource to all individuals who work directly with children, in particular child care professionals, educators, parents, social workers and academicians; and
2) Providing direct services at the local level through its nationwide affiliate network composed of volunteers, who work in concert with the Institute to improve child welfare services, provide access to universal early care and education, build family support services, and provide vital information on children’s health.



Harlems Children ZOne

THeir moto is "Changing the Odds"
Through a coordinated effort by hundreds of devoted men and women, The Harlem Children's Zone has established a new method to end of generational cycle of generational poverty. By addressing the needs of the entire community, HCZ isn't HCZ isn't simply helping children beat the odds, it's helping to change the odds.

"My Supports"

My family and colleagues offer support to me on a daily basis. My Granddaughter  Javon  is an encouraging factor in my life. I depend on her to make me feel better when I am stressed ,sad ,or sick. My scheduler and cell phone is used daily to guide me through the day, because if I don’t write things down , I am lost!

The benefits of these supports is that it keeps me on track, and organized in order to have a productive day. It would be very difficult  to exist without these supports ,as I have come to rely on them all. My Granddaughter , date book and cell. When she goes to college in August of 2012, I will miss her terribly!

When I left my datebook at work on day and was unable to get it until the next day, I was stressed and got very little sleep that night. On time when  my cell was not working and I could not get it to the shop, it was terrible because I did  not have not one person’s phone number written down anywhere , and in the age of the cell phone, I don’t have any memorized either. That was a trying time for me until I was able to get the repair done. I now have a back- up, and old fashion address book!

This week as we were learning about children with disabilities I thought I would imagine being a disabled person and how difficult to be disabled at my age from birth. It was hard to imagine as I have the ability to be able to walk without assistance or any type of assistance.I can drive a car, able to speak clearly and hear. I do believe my family would be helpful and especially my granddaughter. The benefit of this support is that I would be uplifted and encouraged to improve if there was a chance of it. If I did not have these supports I would be a very lonely person. If I were a disabled person, I would have to be placed in a home and depend on strangers to care for me, which would be hard.

 

                       "My Connections to Play."

Children seldom misquote.  In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.  ~Author Unknown 

A little girl is sugar and spice and everything nice - especially when she's taking a nap.  ~Author Unknown

                            

People who supported play in my childhood were my Grandfather, Dave and my two Uncles, Dave Jr. and Austin. My Grandfather was an outdoorsman and took me fishing  and boating in Galveston Texas.My Grandpa took me to San Diego California to the Zoo where I saw penguins for the first time in person too.He was retired when I was born so he had a lot of time to spend with me. He and I would go outside and play ball every afternoon after my nap, and once I started school, it was after homework most days.  My Uncles would keep me outside all day on a Saturday, and in the evenings after doing home work we were allowed to go outside to play. My Uncles Dave and Austin had me climbing in trees to get the ball when it got caught, and crawling under the house when anything went there! I was the only girl and they made tomboy out of me when I was younger but I grew out of that stage by the age of 8or 9 years old. Looking back those were wonderful times!

Play is much different today from when I was a child. We did not have computers, and hand held games. We went outside and ran around, played in the street until the lights came on, played board games with the neighborhood children. Parents sat on the porch watching the children play making conversation with other neighbors. Children were healthier then not so much now as they don’t get much outside play at home or school. Children these days don’t go outside much they watch television up to 4-6 hours daily even on school days. Hand held games seemed to be glued to their hands.

 My hope for young children in regard to play is that they get more physically active to prevent the spread of childhood obesity. Spend more time outdoors running around and just being kids. The role of play in my childhood was that I was more sociable when I started school for the first time and I knew more about catching a fish than the boy

Stressors

I had a friend in the 9^th grade who lived in low income apartments and would come to school hungry all the time and was too embarrassed to eat the free lunch  that she was eligible for so I would bring extra food a few times a week to share with her . Since I received an allowance I would buy candy ,sodas for her. Her mom stayed in the clubs and my friend was responsible for her two younger brothers. She  grew up fast with all of the responsibilities that she had along with going to school. Christine coped with this situation by having an abusive boyfriend who gave her money, but at a cost.

Children and young teens in Africa have poverty ,hunger ,disease. There is a shortage of food and a great percentage of the children live on their own having the responsibility of caring for their siblings with AIDS throughout the country .Between 12 and 16 million African children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (source: World Vision

Faces of poverty in Africa - children

Although people of all ages suffer from extreme poverty and hunger, children suffer the most in Africa especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In other words, poverty carries the faces of innocent little children in these parts of the world. The problem gets even worse as you move from the big cities and towns to the poor villages where teenage pregnancy is on the rise

LACK OF GOOD DRINKING WATER A MAJOR PROBLEM IN AFRICA TODAY

Lack of good drinking water is a major problem in almost all African villages especially in desert countries like Niger, Sudan and Mali. Water is very scarce

and lack of good drinking water is a major problem in Ethiopia and surrounding countries where most people and farm animals share same water sources. Children walk miles upon miles everyday to nearby streams to fetch water.

Although there are many rivers and streams in the Western, Central, and Southern parts of Africa, good drinking water is a major problem in these areas. Most of the water sources in these areas are infested with water related diseases such as bilharzia, sleeping sickness, river blindness, guinea worm disease

As long as Africa’s government remain the same and not care about the constant and ongoing problems, and the United States don’t step in , Africa will remain the same.

Reference:

friends@cozay.com

Nutrition/Malnutrition

Blog Week 2-Nutrition/Malnutrition

I choose nutrition/malnutrition for this assignment because it is important to the development of everyone especially children. If children do not get the proper nutrients it leads to underweight, overweight, anemia and a long list of illnesses and diseases. Although in the United States there are areas in low economic locations that people are still suffering. This especially true in other countries specifically Africa where in some areas there is no running water and enough food to eat. It is important to me because here in the United States there are so many people who are obese and many bulimic  who have access to nutritious foods and don’t take advantage of it or take too much for granted 

Certain people are more susceptible to malnutrition than others. For example, individuals in rapid periods of growth, such as infants, adolescent.
In developing nations, more than half of all deaths among children under five years old are due to malnutrition. Malnourished children who survive may experience stunted growth, illness, and lifelong malnourishment.

Pregnant women, have higher nutritional needs than others, and are therefore more susceptible to the effects of poor nutrition. Those living in deprived socioeconomic circumstances or that lack adequate sanitation, education, or the means to procure food are also at risk. Most importantly, individuals at risk for systemic infections (particularly gastrointestinal ) and those who suffer with a chronic disease are at greatly increased risk because they require additional energy to support their immune system and often have decreased absorption of nutrients .

Some research has identified malnourished children as being more likely to suffer episodes of infectious disease, as well as episodes of longer duration and greater severity, than other children. In particular, hookworm , malaria , and chronic diarrhea have been linked with malnutrition. These conditions are more prevalent in the developing world than in the industrialized world, though malnutrition exists worldwide, particularly in areas of poverty and among patients with chronic disease or who are hospitalized and on enteric feeding.

Necessary Nutrients

The WHO's Department of Nutrition for Health and Development is responsible for formulating dietary and nutritional guidelines for international use. Adequate total nutrition includes the following nutrients: protein , energy ( calories ), vitamin A and carotene, vitamin D , vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin , vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, biotin , folate , vitamin C, antioxidants , calcium , iron , zinc , selenium, magnesium, and iodine. Most important are protein and the caloric/energy requirement needed to utilize protein. If these elements are inadequate, the result is a protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), or protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), which affects one in every four children worldwide, with the highest concentration in Asia. Chronic deficiencies of protein and calories result in a condition called marasmus , while a diet high in carbohydrates but low in protein causes a condition called kwashiorkor .

I had not thought too much of the need in Africa only when I see it on television when there is a talk show or internet article on the news but I think since having to do this for an assignment and after reading and researching this topic, I am more socially conscious of the needs of people in Africa. I plan find an organization that is reputable and start sending a donation monthly to help those less fortunate in the hope that I will make a difference if only for one family.

Reference :

Schroeder, Dirk G. (2001). "Malnutrition." In Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries, ed. Richard Semba and Martin Bloem. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.

Read more: Malnutrition - calcium, effects, food, nutrition, needs, body, diet, absorption, health, protein, nutrients, carbohydrates, vitamin, weight, People at Risk, Necessary Nutrients http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Kwa-Men/Malnutrition.html#ixzz1MOO2IUiC

Code of Ethics

DEC Code of Ethics -Professional and Personal behavior

We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for the

Professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that

enhance the quality of their lives.

We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children’s development and learning.

NAEYC-Ethical Responsibility to Children

To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions

These ethics are close to me because of my deep appreciation for individuals who spend their life being advocates for children and their families especially those that cannot speak for themselves and that are in a higher need of assistance. Ensuring that a child’s overall development is what we as educators should strive for daily