LAUP has announced the selection of six outstanding educators as recipients of the prestigious “Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Awards,” for going above and beyond the call of duty to better prepare students for school and life.

The winners were Belen Lara, who teaches at Azusa Discovery Center; Grace Castro, a teacher at Castro Family Child Care in Whittier; Gwendolyn Crews, who teaches at Juniorversity Preschool in Compton; Claudia Araujo, who teaches at Vanalden Early Education Center in Reseda; Mona Asad, a teacher at YMCA of Greater Long Beach; and Shawn James, a teacher at Mount View Elementary Preschool in Claremont.

“What all these teachers have in common is an unquestioned commitment and dedication to the children in their classrooms, where they go beyond the call of duty to provide their students with a quality early childhood education that will last a lifetime,” said Celia C. Ayala, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer of LAUP.

LAUP created the “Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Awards” in 2008 to recognize the contributions of preschool teachers, and to highlight the importance of a high quality preschool experience. “Preschool teachers play a critical role in young children’s social, educational and emotional development by nurturing their confidence, inspiring their imagination and creativity, and advocating for the well-being of the children and their families,” said Dr. Ayala.

The “Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Awards” were open to all preschool teachers in Los Angeles County, including those who work in non LAUP-funded preschools. LAUP is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase accessibility to quality preschools among all children in Los Angeles County.

Candidates could be nominated by anyone associated with the nominee’s preschool, such as parents, administrators or co-workers. Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges. “With this award, we want to not only encourage, but also celebrate exceptional teachers for their hard work and belief that all children deserve a good start in life,” Dr. Ayala said.  “We want to recognize model preschool teachers who are molding the next generation of productive citizens.”

The winners of this award will be officially honored on July 13 at a reception to be held at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Los Angeles. On that day, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will also recognize the six awardees with a proclamation at the Board of Supervisors meeting.