CORE Network Nashville, a collaborative that connects resources for early childhood educators, is excited to announce the inaugural Davidson County Early Childhood Champion of the Year Awards. The awards consist of several tiers of recognition, including the Davidson County Early Childhood Educator of the Year.
The awards will be announced at a special event held in downtown Nashville on the evening of Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Programs and schools were invited to nominate an Early Childhood Educator of the Year for this event. Each nominee will be invited to apply at the regional based on their location within the county. Category recipients will be evaluated to be named the Davidson County Early Childhood Educator of the Year.
| Name | School |
| Bre Adcock | Little Wonders Early Learning Center (East) |
| Jennie Van Ochten | Stanford Montessori |
| Jennifer Hearn | Fannie Battle Day Home for Children |
| Jennifer Smoot | Dodson Elementary |
| Melissa Hughes | HUM School for Little People |
| Teresa Emebunor | Hart to Heart Daycare Learning Center |
| Sherrell Farmer | Pennington Elementary |
| Theresa Reasonover | Hickman Elementary |
| Vivian Dillard | Ross Early Learning Center |
| Crystal Bryant | McNeilly Center For Children |
| Darren Fuellen | King’s Daughters Child Development Center |
| Karen Coure | 15th Ave N. Learning Academy |
| Kim Whitaker | A New Leaf School |
| Lauren Hanner | Susan Gray School |
| Marlisa Rhodes | Carter-Lawrence Engineering Magnet School |
| Narquenta Garrett | Premier Learning Academy |
| Shelia Hubbard | Ida B. Wells Elementary |
| William Robinson | TSU EHS-CCP (Mini Rockstars) |
| Amber Woodruff | Micah Children’s Academy |
| Halee Etter | Equally Created |
| Nannette Johnson | Crievewood Baptist Weekday Preschool |
| Robin Dyer | Glen Leven Presbyterian Church Day School |
| Sandra Akers | Our Savior Lutheran Academy |
| Shameka Fentress | Cambridge Early Learning Center |
| Taylor Kellogg | Glengarry Elementary School |
| Teresa Arteberry | Cane Ridge Elementary |
| Tyler Perry | Henry Maxwell Elementary |
| Andrea Williams | St. Luke’s Community House |
| Bailey Clement | First Steps Inc |
| Barbara Dea | Blakemore Children’s Center |
| Cynthia Washington | Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center |
| Jeanie Crouch | Harpeth Valley Elementary |
| KatySue Pillsbury | Little Wonders Early Learning Center (West) |
| Melissa LaRosa | Park Avenue Elementary |
| Jacqueline Polidore | Schrader Lane Childcare Academy |
| Shannon Skivers |
The Acorn School |
CORE Network Nashville is associated with Raising Readers Nashville, a community group of over 65 organizations working together to improve the systems and structures that support Nashville’s families and young children, cultivating an environment where all children can grow the reading skills they need to thrive.
Raising Readers Nashville Director Megan Godbey shares, “When we think about literacy, we often focus on a child’s formal reading skills developed at the elementary school level. But the reality is a child’s brain grows more during the first 5 years of their life than any time after that. Early childhood educators are some of the most influential people in a child’s education. I’m excited for Core Network Nashville to be giving these educators this important recognition.”
For more information about CORE Network Nashville, visit https://www.raisingreadersnashville.org/corenetworknashville.