Lisa Thomas, from the Kinder Care Learning Center in Exton and a Morgantown resident, has received the 2018 Terri Lynne Lokoff Children’s TYLENOL(R) Children’s ZYRTEC(R) National Child Care Teacher Award. This exemplary early care and education teacher was selected from a pool of applicants nationwide. Thomas received an award of $1,000 on April 14 at a special ceremony at the Courtyard Marriot Downtown, Philadelphia.
There are a total of 50 National Child Care Teacher Award recipients for 2018. Each recipient of the award designed an enhancement project that illustrates the educational, social and emotional benefits for the children in their care. With a grant from the awards program, Lisa will implement her project, “Busy Hands Create Happy Minds.” Thomas stated that “I have decided to create a new science and sensory center in my classroom. Teaching toddlers, one knows they are very hands on and curious. A busy child is a happy child. My vision is to have a wall of texture for them to explore, consisting of various textured wall paper, fuzzy rug squares and gelled shapes to trace with their fingers. I cannot wait to get to work and see the look on my little ones faces as they explore for the first time!”
A committee of national early childhood educators and experts reviewed and scored the applications. Each recipient receives a $1,000 award: $500 to implement their proposed project and $500 to acknowledge their dedication.
Dating back to the inception of the Teacher Awards program in 1994, The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation, with the inclusion of the 2018 recipients, will have presented 994 awards totaling more than $955,000 to early care and education teachers and providers for their dedication and excellence. Child care teachers are being recognized for the important role they play in providing the first learning opportunities for young children.
