News Archives: GPRC Thanks ELCC Educators for their Commitment and Dedication
Friday, June 16th, 2017
GRANDE PRAIRIE – Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) celebrated and recognized the outstanding contributions, positive impacts, commitment and dedication that educators working in childcare programs and facilities have on our community during the second annual Early Childhood Education Awards at GPRC held last night.
“This evening we are recognizing the dedicated work of early childhood educators and programs and raising awareness for the remarkable work being done in child care every day. These awards publicly recognize those who have made the most outstanding contributions to children, the community and to individual families,” said Theresa Suderman, GPRC Chair, Early Learning and Child Care.
“I’m thrilled at the overwhelming response we have had from the northwest region. Many see the work our educators do as just ‘babysitting’ but those who work in this field are trained professionals who care for our most valuable resource at their most vulnerable stage, our children. They definitely deserve this recognition,” added Suderman.
Early childhood educators were nominated by members of the community for the five awards presented with the top three for each category announced at the ceremony.
Of the three nominees for the Family Day Home Provider of the Year, the winner was Imelda Gonzalo of Watch Me Grow Family Child Care in Grande Prairie.
According to the nomination, Imelda’s “greatest strength is in her ability to build close relationships with the families she provides care. Imelda shows great compassion and often goes above and beyond when her families are in need.”
Of the three nominees for the Preschool Educator of the Year, the winner was Meagan Olson of Lil’ Sprouts Preschool in Grande Prairie.
Meagan’s nomination stated, “She is amazing with children. Children and parents are naturally drawn to her, making it easy to leave first time preschoolers at the school without a worry.”
Of the three nominees for the Early Childhood Director of the Year, the winner was Lindsay Campbell of Building Blocks Daycare in Grande Prairie.
The nomination for Lindsay communicated that “she is a true leader; well respected by the staff, parents and children at the daycare. Lindsay is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe learning environment for the children at Building Blocks Daycare.”
Of the three nominees for the Early Childhood Educator of the Year, the winner was Jessica Lipson from Building Blocks Daycare.
Jessica was portrayed by the nomination as “someone who genuinely cares and has the best interest of the little ones at heart.”
Of the nominees for the Early Childhood Service of the Year, the winner was Grande Prairie Aboriginal Head Start.
As stated in the nomination, “the Grande Prairie Aboriginal Head Start program is more than just a preschool for 3-5 year olds – it is a family. They really do offer children a head start in life, setting them on the right path for Kindergarten.”
Winners received a plaque and rose as a token of appreciation for their excellence.
Thank you to all our nominees for their commitment and dedication to the early childhood education profession.
More information about GPRC Early Learning and Child Care programs can be found here.
About GPRC
GPRC is a comprehensive community institution, publicly supported to provide opportunities in postsecondary education in northwestern Alberta. Established in 1966 in Grande Prairie, GPRC now includes campuses in Fairview and Grande Prairie, and learning centres in Edson, Grande Cache, Hinton and Jasper. GPRC offers a wide variety of career certificates and diplomas, pre-employment and apprenticeship trades, university transfer studies, and several opportunities for on-campus degree completion at baccalaureate and master levels through collaborations with four-year universities. For more information, visit gprc.ab.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Mark Evans GPRC Corporate Communications Phone: 780-539-2951 |