To say Lisa Andersen was shocked when she was surprised with a $10,000 prize and KinderCare’s Early Childhood Educator Award would not be an understatement.

She thought all the people from KinderCare’s corporate offices where in her class as part of a company vice-president celebrity reading event for her children.

But she was the celebrity of the day.

Anderson was one of five KinderCare teachers nationwide to win the Early Childhood Educator Award though KinderCare’s parent company, Knowledge Universe. She was presented with the award on Oct. 15 during her class.

She has been a teacher at the Westmont facility, 251 W. 63rd St., for 20 years. Andersen currently teaches pre-kindergarten students five days a week.

“Lisa was chosen for her great passion for education, and the way she individually works with each child,” said David Roy, Director of Community Partnership for Knowledge Universe. “She has a very ethnically diverse group of students, and she caters to the needs of each child.”

While Andersen teaching was always in her blood, the idea of early childhood education came later.

“My path to teaching started out wanting to be a high school teacher,” Andersen said. “That path went a different way and I ended up in early childhood education. Now that I look back, teaching younger children has become a lot more rewarding.”

As for the $10,000 prize, Andersen joked that she would have to keep the money away from her husband, who would want to spend it.

“I’m a saver, so I probably won’t spend the money right away,” she said.

Notable
Each winner receives $10,000 and a trip for two to the National Association for the Education of Young Children international conference in Washington, D.C., next month.


& quotable
“Preschool children are much different now then they were 15 or 20 years ago. Much more is expected of them now when it comes to learning at this age,” Andersen said.

Philosophy
“Children learn best through positive experiences, and we try to provide as many different types as possible so they can get the most our of learning.”

Favorites
BOOK “No Country For Old Men”
MOVIE “Cold Mountain”
FOOD  Anything and everything chocolate
INTERESTS Reading, spending time with family, art and drawing