Nominations Being Accepted for Early Childhood Teacher of the Year

NAPLES, Fla. - Dec. 5, 2016 - PRLog -- Nominations are now being accepted from early childhood staff, directors and parents forThe Apple Blossom Awards.  The distinguished awards honor Collier County early childhood education teachers who are recognized for their excellence in teaching and make a unique contribution to the lives of young children and their families. All nominations are due by Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.  The date of the awards luncheon is set for Sat., April 1, 2017 from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at The Vineyards Country Club.

Award categories include an Infant/toddler and a Preschool "Teacher of the Year."  Nominees must have a State of Florida Staff Credential verification (CDA) and a minimum of two years teaching experience in an early childhood program. The limit is two nominees per center, each from different classrooms.  Those nominated will be sent a formal letter and form to complete and will be observed in the classroom by members of the awards committee.

The Apple Blossom Awards started in 1997 and was managed by The Naples Alliance for Children (NAFC), which was dissolved on August 1 of this year.  Incorporated in 1987, NAFC advocated for the needs, care, safety and education of infants, children, youth, teens and families. NAFC's mission had been to plug gaps in services for children and to provide networking opportunities and educational programs to improve the well-being of local children.  NAFC appointed Collier Child Care Resources (CCCR) to continue the well-known Apple Blossom Awards.  Collier Child Care Resources is a Collier County based nonprofit organization which operates four early childhood education centers and provides training for early learning professionals.

Niccole Howard, Executive Director of Collier Child Care Resources said, "The Naples Alliance for Children advocated for quality child care in our community. They were the first to recognize the need and did what it took to make it happen. We will continue to recognize the importance of providing high quality, professional development for the greater early education community to ultimately increase the quality of care and education for the children of Collier County.  It is a privilege to continue NAFC's annual Apple Blossom Awards which recognizes early childhood education teachers whose skills are an integral part of instilling in each child a life-long love of learning."

Please call Collier Child Care Resources at 239-643-3908 for more information.

About CCCR:

Collier Child Care Resources (CCCR) is a private, non-profit child care agency.  Serving Collier County exclusively, it is devoted to providing exceptional child care services to the children and families who need them most.  At CCCR, the mission is to provide high quality early childhood care, education and resources to children, families and early learning professionals in Collier County. While CCCR serves over 275 children in several programs annually, many are at-risk and come from lower-income working families. The programs' educational approach, the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, recognizes the uniqueness of each child. With local area offices since 1991, CCCR is known for the centers it operates and the professional development services and training it offers to early learning professionals.