Six early childhood educators were honored April 12 as Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Award recipients for going above and beyond the call of duty to prepare their students for kindergarten and life.

Also, Elizabeth Hamilton Lowe was honored as the first recipient of the LAUP Elizabeth Hamilton Lowe Child Advocate Award. Lowe, a member of the governing board of Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), which organized this event, was honored for her passion and steadfast commitment to children's well-being. Her efforts have touched the lives of tens-of-thousands of families.

Lowe and the Preschool Teacher of the Year Award recipients were recognized during a formal evening celebration held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.

The Preschool Teacher of the Year awardees are Denisse Alonzo, a teacher at Alma Preschool Center in Los Angeles; Priscilla Avila, who teaches at Felton State Preschool in Lennox; Ginny Zywot, who teaches at Smart Start Preschool Child Care in Redondo Beach; Donna Kay Moore, who teaches at Covina Development Center in Covina; Michelle Renee Krehl, who teaches at The Nurtury Preschool in Sherman Oaks; and Astrid X. Feist, who teaches at Cerritos College Child Development Center in Norwalk.

About 300 people attended the evening event, and heard from speakers that included Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, LAUP Board Chairman Victor Palmieri; and LAUP CEO Celia C. Ayala, Ph.D. Mary Mazur, Office of the President and Chief Operating Officer at KCET-TV, served as Mistress of Ceremonies.

During the ceremony, Actor, Producer, Director and children's advocate Rob Reiner delivered a video tribute to Board Member Lowe, praising her for her love and caring for children across Los Angeles County. Supervisor Knabe also spoke highly of Lowe, calling her a "champion" for children.

Audience members also heard moving testimonials from the Teacher of the Year Award recipients, who relayed their love for the children they teach, and for the teaching profession in general.

The six teachers were chosen from nearly 100 nominations that were screened  based upon a balanced, thoughtful and impartial evaluation by an independent panel of judges taking into account each candidate's record.

"Ms. Lowe, along with the Preschool Teacher of the Year award recipients, demonstrate a strong commitment to early education and a dedication to making a positive contribution to the children of Los Angeles County," Dr. Ayala said.

LAUP's sponsors of this event were BP America, Manatt, Beth and Bob Lowe, Phelps, Phillips, LLP, Mattel, Lakeshore Learning Materials, Sony Pictures Entertainment, PricewaterhouseCoopers and California Credit Union. Univision was the media partner.