The Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards
The 2023 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards
In 1994, Kay and Fred Lokoff launched the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Teacher Awards to honor their daughter Terri who was a devoted childcare teacher. The Awards are designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of outstanding early care and education teachers and bring attention to the critical role these teachers play in the lives of young children.
Up to 50 awards are presented each year, and each award recipient receives a cash prize, a paid trip to the historic city of Philadelphia to participate in the Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards weekend-long celebration, ongoing opportunities to connect with peers, exchange ideas, as well as ongoing professional learning and program enrichment opportunities.
Applications for the 2023 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teachers Awards are now closed. For additional questions, reach out to teacheraward@firstup.org for more help!
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Application Information Sessions
First Up will be hosting monthly Information Sessions leading up to the Teacher Awards application deadline. If you are struggling with the application or just have questions on how to start, please join our Info Sessions where we will do our best to answer all of your questions. Below are the dates and links to the upcoming sessions. For further questions please email us at teacheraward@firstup.org.
How to Apply
The Teacher Awards acknowledge the critical role of childcare teachers in providing quality early care and education. Childcare teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on U.S. Military bases and installations around the world are invited to apply.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week and a minimum of 10 consecutive months per year) teacher of children between the ages of birth through pre-kindergarten.
- Be assigned to the same group of children for 10 consecutive months.
- Be currently employed in a family, group, or center-based program that is fully compliant with local and state operating regulations.
- Have been employed full-time in the field of early education for a minimum of 36 consecutive months.
The following conditions will render an applicant ineligible:
- Teacher Award recipients who’ve won the award twice.
- Floaters, substitutes, temporary and part-time teachers.
- Teachers of kindergarten children in early childhood education programs or other settings.
- Teachers of school-age children in early childhood education programs. (i.e., before/after school programs).
- Administrative Teachers (staff who have administrative responsibilities that prevent them from being a full-time teacher.)
- Co-teachers or teaching teams are not eligible to share this award (Only one recipient per award).
- TLLCCF Child Care Teacher Award winners from 2020 to present.
- Applications completed or modified by anyone other than the applicant (including but not limited to a grant writer, director, or any administrative staff) are not eligible.
Additional information:
- Only one teacher may be named per application.
- Multi-site agencies may submit applications for each site.
- TLLCCF Child Care Teacher Award winners from 1994 to 2019 may reapply.
Our Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards 2022 Winners!
The Top Ten
Marci Hawkins - Alaska
Mariah Lange - Colorado
Elizabeth Tucker - Illinois
Julie Rech - Minnesota
Ashley Palumbo - Nebraska
Virginia Butler - Pennsylvania
Melinda Greer - Pennsylvania
Monica Canavacholo-Garza - Texas
Brianna Heller - Vermont
Alea Lacoste - Virginia
The 2022 Terri Lynne Lokoff Award Winners
Stacie Hole - Indiana
Samantha El-Ammori Musleh - Indiana
Myra McClure - Maine
Katie Wright - Maine
Jessica Keppley - Maryland
Jennifer Woessner - Maryland
Kimberly Corrente - Massachusettes
Tia Hinz - Minnesota
Janell Burden - Montana
Brie Friis-Hansen - Nebraska
Carol Tunney - New Jersey
Diane Burnett - Pennsylvania
Melissa Bussell - Pennsylvania
Terica Greene - Pennsylvania
Madison Henderson - Pennsylvania
Rebecca Hoak - Pennsylvania
Christina Holland - Pennsylvania
Lyssa Horvath - Pennsylvania
Catherine Matos - Pennsylvania
Lacey Pinto - Pennsylvania
Ariel Presley - Pennsylvania
Amanda Rosa - Pennsylvania
Angela Shaw-Halperin - Pennsylvania
Victoria Stough - Pennsylvania
Kaneez Fatima- Pennsylvania
Mandy Gutshall - Pennsylvania
Jennifer Ott - Pennsylvania
Jacquelyn Prime - Vermont
Alexandra Cromwell - Virginia
Rachel Helgerson - Virginia
Brooke Stickle - Virginia
Karla Robles - Washington DC
Jill Stalker - Wisconsin
