Announcing the 2025 Tennessee Early Educator Awards!
Now accepting nominations!
These annual awards aim to honor exceptional early childhood educators, elevate the early childhood education profession, and highlight the critical role high-quality early education plays for Tennessee’s children, families, and communities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the award, an early educator must:
- Be currently employed full-time in Tennessee, caring for and teaching children:
- Within the birth through preschool age range in a regulated center, family child care home, or school-based program
- OR within grades K-3 at a state-accredited public or charter school
- Have been an early childhood educator for three or more years
- Demonstrate a passion for teaching, love of children, and respectful engagement with parents and families.
Awards and Prizes!
The awards will recognize 10 outstanding early educators across the state, with 5 awards in Birth through Preschool; and 5 awards in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade.
All 10 awardees will receive a $1,000 cash prize, a shopping spree at Lakeshore Learning, and an all expenses paid trip to Nashville.
Award announcements will be made in early fall.
Nominations
Nominations will be accepted May 9-June 6, 2025 and may be made by anyone! Self-nominations are encouraged!
All nominees will be invited to complete an application. An email with a link to the application will be sent to all qualified nominees on or about June 9. Winners will be selected based on scoring from our panel of early childhood education experts, interviews, and references.
Awards Sponsors
We are grateful for our sponsors for making these awards possible.
2024 Winners!
Class of 2024
We are so proud of our Tennessee Early Educator Awards class of 2024!
Our 20 awardees stood out among 1700+ nomininations and 300+ applications from across the Volunteer State.
We salute their passion and dedication to the field and were delighted to recognize and honor them.
