LAUP on July 13 honored 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 of this award were officially honored at a reception held at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also recognized the awardees with proclamations.

The winners are Belen Lara, who teaches at Azusa Discovery Center; 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 Mayne Street Preschool in Bellflower; Shawn James, a teacher at Mount View Elementary Preschool in Claremont; and Grace Castro, a teacher at Castro Family Child Care in Whittier.

"I want to thank LAUP," Castro said. "I love this program because it's doing so much for children of all ethnicities and all incomes. We're giving these children the tools to function in society. I'm so proud to be part of LAUP."

Supervisors Don Knabe and Mark Ridley-Thomas paid special tributes to the awardees during the ceremony.

"I applaud what you do on behalf of the kids," Knabe said.

"Thank you for what you do," Ridley-Thomas said. "I'm just honored to lend my voice to congratulate you for what you do."

"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, Chief Executive Officer of LAUP.

 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.