Why Join a Professional Membership Organization?

Courtesy of Arizona AEYC

As a professional working in your career field, it is important to keep up with current trends.  One of the ways to do so is to become a member of your field's professional organization.  Membership dues allow the organization to continue research, policymaking, and professional development opportunities to help you stay abreast of current issues and trends.  The field of early childhood is ever changing; with new research on brain development, the pros and cons of standardized testing, wage and benefit concerns, professionalism for the field, and other related topics, your membership in NAEYC brings you up-to-date information on these and other issues within the early childhood field.  One of the major benefits of joining is a subscription to Young Children, the trade journal of NAEYC.  Packed with current information related to your work with young children, early childhood experts share research, tips and ideas, and stories from the early childhood field.  Each issue focuses on several different themes such as the importance of play in ECE, building relationships with families, the importance of outdoor environments to name a few. 

NAEYC currently boasts a membership of over 100,000 world-wide.  As a collective voice, changes can be recommended to those making policy and budget decisions on behalf of children and families.  Advocacy is an important piece of belonging to your professional organization.

As a member of NAEYC, you also have an opportunity to become a leader within your community by serving on your local and/or state AEYC board.  New leaders are continually being sought; contact your local affiliate for more information.