(Berkeley, CA) April - Juner, 2010 –
Parents, preschool directors and colleagues are invited to nominate an exemplary preschool teacher in the 2nd Annual "Preschool Teachers Make a Difference" Awards sponsored by Habitot Children’s Museum in Berkeley, now through May 29.

Ten preschool teachers will be selected from the 2010 nominees by a distinguished panel of judges including Stacey Boyd, Bay Area founder of the Savvy Source, an online resource for preschools nationwide; Rona Renner, RN, parent educator, temperament specialist and host of Childhood Matters Radio Show on 98.1 KISS-FM; and Ramee Serwanga, highest ranked winner in last year’s awards program.

"Preschool teachers are rarely, if ever, recognized outside of our programs in this field,” says Ramee Serwanga. “It means so much that Habitot not only created an award, but also had a wonderful ceremony with fabulous goodies for us.”

The 2010 Winners will be announced June 18 and celebrated at a “Back-to-School” ceremony at Habitot on September 20 when prizes will be awarded. Prizes are being donated by merchants and businesses and include school supply gift certificates, puppets, art supplies and more. Habitot will donate a free Family Membership and a free Field Trip to each winning teacher.

Gina Moreland, Habitot’s Founder & Executive Director, created the contest to recognize the enormous contributions of preschool teachers in nurturing young children’s social and emotional skills and laying the foundation for lifelong learning. Gina observes, “After parents, there’s no one more important to a child’s academic and social success than his or her preschool teacher. These professionals work incredibly hard to care for our youngest children so that they get the best possible start in life.”

IMPORTANT DATES

• March 29, 2010 - Contest opens for nominations
• May 29, 2010 - Applications due; must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed by 5:00 pm
• June 18, 2010 - Award winners notified
• September 20, 2010 – ‘Back to School’ Celebration event to recognize award winners
  

About Habitot:

Habitot Children's Museum is the East Bay's award-winning hands-on discovery museum for young children, recently nominated “Best Museum” in the Bay Area in Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect.com’s 2009 Parents’ Pick Awards. In 2008, Habitot won “Best Museum for Little Kids” in the San Francisco Bay Area in the same contest.

Through early childhood learning, parenting education, and community outreach, Habitot helps parents and caregivers raise curious, creative, and confident children. More than 850,000 people have enjoyed Habitot’s interactive exhibits, art programs and classes since the museum’s opening in 1998. Habitot ensures its accessibility for all Bay Area families with its Family and Community Partnerships Program, which brings more than 10,000 low-income and at-risk children into the museum every year through scholarships, subsidized memberships and free admissions days. For more information please visit http://www.habitot.org