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Contact: Chris Guerre
Director, Public Relations
(703) 255-4096; chrisg@wolftrap.org

Vienna, VA

Twenty-six early childhood educators have been honored by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts for developing outstanding activities using performing arts techniques and strategies to help young children acquire emergent literacy and problem-solving skills. The teachers designed the arts-based experiences while participating in seven-week residency programs with Wolf Trap Institute Teaching Artists, using music, movement, drama, and puppetry to teach language development, verbalization, memory, and gross and fine motor skills, all of which are critical to long-term success in school.

The awards were recently presented at the 12th Annual Teacher Awards Dinner Honoring at the Center for Education at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

Estela Hillman, an honoree from the Community Academy Public Charter School in Washington, DC remarked, “The children were thoroughly engaged and excited by the techniques and strategies I learned from the residency. My students, and the entire school, looked forward to Kofi’s (Wolf Trap Teaching Artist) visits each day.”

Virginia honorees are Loretta Baskett from Higher Horizons Day Care Center in Falls Church; Cherie Crook and Susana Manca from London Town Elementary School in Centreville; Sara Echevarria from Main Street Child Development Center in Fairfax; Nikki Harris from Greater Mt. Vernon Gum Springs Children’s Center in Alexandria; and Eleni Valasiadou from Hybla Valley Elementary School in Alexandria.

Sharon Glynn from the Fairfax County Office for Children was honored with a Partner Award. During her tenure, Sharon partnered with Wolf Trap to develop multicultural workshops that promoted understanding of other cultures as well as their own for administrators, teachers, and providers through performing arts experiences.

Maryland honorees are Kathy Allen from Brown Station Elementary School in Gaithersburg; Monica Crowley from Watkins Mill Elementary School in Gaithersburg; Helen Dean and Theresa Shelton from Perkins Day Care Center in Baltimore; Stacey Gordon from Dayspring Head Start in Baltimore; Geraldine Hinton from Herring Run Head Start in Baltimore; James Mosher Elementary School in Baltimore; Belinda Johnson from Lloyd Keaser Head Start in Brooklyn Park; Carol Moretz from Summit Hall Elementary School in Gaithersburg; Brigida Portillo from South Lake Elementary School in Gaithersburg; Lucrecia Simms from O’Bery Court Head Start in Annapolis; Alberta Stokes from Morgan Head Start in Baltimore; Angela Williams from Mary Harris “Mother” Jones Elementary School in Adelphi; and Jacqueline Williams from St. Veronica Head Start in Baltimore.

District of Columbia honorees are Deena Black from Harriet Tubman Elementary School; Melissa DaCosta and Estela Hillman from the Community Academy Public Charter School; Dianne Dean and Rie Matsuda from Georgetown University Law School Child Care Center; and Kelli Spriggs from Sunshine Early Learning Center.

For more information about Wolf Trap’s Education Programs, or to receive an application for participation or sponsorship, please contact Miriam C. Flaherty Willis at (703) 255-1933.