2006 Award Winners

Martina Carter
Carole Robertson Center -
Early Head Start - Birth-3 program

Martina Carter is a living example of what can occur when you provide infants with a quality education. She was raised in a family of teachers, and as a result is a lifelong learner. While teaching full-time at the Carole Robertson Center , she is also working toward her bachelor's degree at National Louis University , with plans to pursue her master's at the Erikson Institute. "I never wanted to be a doctor, lawyer or firefighter," she says. "I always wanted to be a teacher." As a child, Carter would play "school" every day with her teddy bears. In the same way that Carter prepared for adulthood by playing "school" with her bears, she prepares her students by facilitating developmental play. "Their brains develop so fast," she says. "They're little sponges, soaking up everything!"