It’s a Celebration at the QLD Educator Awards Night

On Saturday 15 September, educators from our QLD early learning centres celebrated their achievements, daily commitment to creative early learning programs and positive impact on the lives of children and their families with an Educator Awards Night.

This evening was a chance to celebrate our educators and their dedication to each child’s learning journey and the Early Childhood profession.

Here are the winners on the night. A big congratulations to all our nominees and winners!

Sustainability Award
Hopscotch House

Hopscotch House has deeply embedded sustainable practices, including composting, worm farming and caring for chickens.

Community Connections Award
Guardian Early Learning Centre – Springfield

Children at the centre take regular excursions to the local library, University of Queensland, book shop and the local domain, as well as making connections with other local schools and businesses.

Guardian Curriculum Champion
Shayne Iida, Guardian Early Learning Centre – Queen Street

Shayne Iida is a Guardian Star. She works alongside children on complex projects and explores their big questions truly igniting their curiosity.

Rising Star Award
Arielle Waples, Guardian Early Learning Centre – Augustine Heights

Arielle has been with Augustine Heights since they opened in 2014. Since then, she has grown from a Lead Educator to Assistant Centre Manager and consistently works to embed strong educational practices at the centre.

Advocate of the Year
Pip Ivers, Guardian Early Learning Centre – Charlotte Street

Pip is a great advocate for children, families, educators and the early learning profession. Pip’s leadership, her articulate contributions to discussions and her insightful documentation add a depth and richness to the Guardian community as a whole.

Indigenous Award of Excellence
Togana Elu, Guardian Early Learning Centre – Newstead

For NAIDOC Week, Togana championed a dedicated Indigenous learning program in each room, incorporating Dreamtime stories and Indigenous art. She is currently creating yarning circles in each room so that children have a meeting space to discuss their ideas.

Cook of the Year
Renata Egan, Guardian Early Learning Group – Queen Street

In consultation with families, Renata designed a nutritious menu for children at the centre and made 100 jars of homemade strawberry and chia jam as a gift for families for the centre’s second birthday.

Educator of the Year
Rebecca Jenkins, Jacaranda Early Learning Centre – Sunnybank

Rebecca is endlessly passionate about recognising and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in both her and the centre’s daily practices. All educators at the centre truly believe that Rebecca is passionate, approachable, supportive and is a true role model of the Guardian values.

Guardian Early Learning proudly supports every educator in their Early Years Education journey. To find out more about working at Guardian, head here.