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RICHARDS WINS NATIONAL
CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL AWARD
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Erica Richards has been selected as one of the five recipients of the 9th Annual Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Awards. She has been employed by the Masonic Village Child Care Center, operated by Hildebrandt Learning Centers, Inc., for nine years.
The national award is given to five outstanding professionals who demonstrate excellence as early childhood educators, have proven leadership skills and maintain a commitment to continued education and enhancement of their skills. Candidates must also be advocates for children's health and safety, education and well-being. Richards has advocated the importance of quality child care before state representatives at the Capitol in Harrisburg.
She will be honored at the 2006 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Atlanta, Ga. Her picture and profile will be featured in Scholastic Early Childhood Today™ magazine. She will receive a $1,500 scholarship toward any undergraduate degree or $3,000 scholarship toward any graduate degree at Nova Southeastern University's Fischler School of Education and Human Services and Scholastic products valued at over $4,000.
Richards earned her Assistant Group Supervisor Certificate in Child Care from the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center. She received her associate's degree in early childhood education from Harrisburg Area Community College.
She has participated with the T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Scholarship and events sponsored through Keystone STARS, a standards-driven and researched-based, early education quality improvement program. She has been published in the Who's Who Among American Teachers® and is a member of NAEYC and the Lancaster Area Association for the Education of Young Children (LAAEYC).
"I enjoy working with toddlers because they keep each day new and exciting," Richards said. "They challenge me to think outside the box and approach life with curiosity and wonder."
She resides in Marietta with her husband and daughter.
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