2007 Award Winners

Five of metropolitan Chicago's finest educators who work with children between birth and age eight have been selected as recipients of the 2007 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards. These educators exemplify the best practices of quality early childhood teaching: dedication, innovation, leadership, respect for children and their families, and commitment to professional growth.

The selection process began last fall when an esteemed committee of leaders in the field of early childhood education reviewed more than 200 nominees. Committee members conducted site visits on 78 of the candidates, and from these observations they selected 23 outstanding teachers as finalists for this award. They work in preschools, home day care centers, childcare centers, Head Start programs, State Prekindergartens, and kindergarten through third-grade classrooms in public, private, and parochial schools in Cook County.

Five of those outstanding educators have now been chosen to represent the best of the field, following a final application process that included additional site visits and interviews by fellows from the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators. These five representatives will be honored at the 2007 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards luncheon ceremony on Tuesday, June 5, at the Westin River North in Chicago.

Each of the five representatives will receive:

  • A $5,000 cash award
  • A $1,000 cash award for the winner's school or center
  • A classroom visit from the Kohl McCormick StoryBus, providing hands-on learning for early literacy
  • A classroom field trip to and day of professional development from the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago
  • A graduate-level course at Chicago’s renowned Erikson Institute

Each is also inducted into the Kohl McCormick Academy of Outstanding Educators.

While there are numerous teaching awards in the United States, the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards is the first awards program to formally recognize the contributions of teachers working with children from infancy through third grade. In its twelfth year, the Kohl McCormick Awards program has become a model for recognition of outstanding early childhood educators.

"The Kohl McCormick winners create optimal learning environments that set the stage for all children to become life-long learners and active members of society," observes David L. Grange, president and CEO of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. "We commend these quality educators for their positive role in developing Chicagoland’s youngest children."

"With the creativity to inspire children each day and the power to change their tomorrows, these extraordinary teachers are our country's true heroes. We are proud to honor them today," adds Dolores Kohl, president and CEO of the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation.

The Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards program is sponsored by the McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation.

The McCormick Tribune Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to making life better for our children, communities and country. Through its charitable grantmaking programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, Cantigny First Division Foundation and the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, the Foundation positively impacts people's lives and promotes the ideals of a free, democratic society.

Since 1993, early childhood education has been a cornerstone of the McCormick Tribune Foundation’s commitment to children. The Foundation has distributed $78.5 million in grants to build public awareness, change public policy and improve the quality of programs, curriculum and teacher training. Together, these priorities have advanced the goal of building a system of quality early care and education for children birth to age five in Illinois.

For more information about the Foundation and its efforts, please visit our Web site www.McCormickTribune.org.

With the goal of enhancing children's learning through the support of exemplary teaching, the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation was launched in 1972 as a private, not-for-profit international operating foundation. Having pioneered Teacher Centers in Illinois and Israel--which sparked a host of similar programs worldwide--the Foundation later launched and directed the Kohl Children's Museum, a model for early learning through experiential environments. For a decade, the Kohl International Teaching Awards honored local and national elementary and high school teachers. International Peace Prizes, media awards and lifetime achievement awards were presented for exceptional contributions to the field of education. As a catalyst for excellence in education from preschool to adult learners, the Foundation continues to operate innovative education and arts programs in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.dkef.org.

Visit www.kohlmccormickawards.org to learn more about the awards program.

Meet each of the Kohl McCormick Teaching Award winners for 2007...