Bringing STEM to Preschool
Grant will fuel STEM program for preschoolers
by Craig Layne
Dickinson College Children’s Center Teacher Mandy Gutshall has been named a 2016 recipient of the Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s TYLENOL® National Child Care Teacher Award by the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF). The award acknowledges the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality care and education while providing grants to dozens of award-winning teachers annually.
“I was beyond excited when I learned about the award,” Gutshall said. As part of the application process, Gutshall designed a classroom-enhancement project involving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities for a preschool setting. Using ramps, tubes, tracks, balls and gears, Gutshall developed activities for the three-year-olds in her preschool classroom to experiment through play. “You’re looking at concepts that explore the very foundations of math and engineering, like weight and distance and speed,” Gutshall explained.
A committee of early childhood educators and specialists selected this year’s 49 award winners, who each receive a $1,000 grant—$500 for the teacher’s personal use and $500 to implement his or her classroom-enhancement project. Gutshall was able to use the grant to purchase educational materials for all three of the Dickinson College Children’s Center’s preschool classrooms.
Gutshall said she is encouraging other children’s center teachers to apply for the award in the coming years. “Every day we are looking for ways to enhance the learning of the children in our care,” Gutshall said. “The Lokoff Foundation has expanded that effort with this grant.” TLLCCF has presented the award since 1994.
The Dickinson College Children’s Center is a Keystone Star 4 Child Care Center providing services for the Dickinson College and Cumberland County communities. From caring for six-week-old infants to offering full-day kindergarten, the center gives families a safe and nurturing environment to encourage the child's individual growth, development of social skills and self-esteem while encouraging collaboration with others on projects of benefit to all. The Center also offers summer camps for children ages 5 through 12.
Learn More
Published August 9, 2016