This Friday, August 2, is the last day to submit a nomination for Tennessee Early Educator Award nominations.
Nominations have been open for just three weeks starting, July 15, and going through Friday, with winners to be announced in October.
The program aims to honor exceptional early childhood educators, to elevate the early childhood education profession and to highlight the critical role high-quality early education plays for Tennessee’s children, families and communities. The awards are sponsored by Tennesseans for Quality Early Education. Blair Taylor is chief executive officer of TQEE.
The awards will recognize 20 outstanding educators across the state, with 10 awards in the birth through preschool category and 10 for kindergarten through third grade. Each awardee will receive a $1,000 cash prize, a shopping spree at Lakeshore Learning, an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville and a variety of other surprise gifts.
To be eligible for the award, an early educator must:
- Be currently employed full-time in Tennessee, caring for and teaching children
- Within the birth through preschool age range in a regulated center, family childcare home or school-based program; OR within grades K-3 at a state-accredited public or charter school
- Have been an early childhood educator for three or more years
Anyone may submit a nomination, and self-nominations are also welcome. Nominations can be submitted through the TQEE website at TQEE Early Educator Awards.
Sponsors: The presenting sponsor for the award is Lakeshore Learning. Supporting sponsors include Truist Bank, Ballad Health, Hyde Family Foundation, Niswonger Foundation, the Boyd Foundation and Crisp Communications.
