EarlyJ Impact Award
ABOUT
The Award
This award recognizes the critical role Jewish early childhood educators play within our community and celebrates a leading educator’s dedication and contributions to the field (the awardee). The award aims to empower the awardee with the resources to continue innovating and inspiring growth in their preschool, shaping lifelong Jewish journeys. EarlyJ remains committed to honoring and uplifting Jewish early childhood educators, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and professional growth that ultimately strengthens and elevates the Jewish community.
Award Components
The award consists of two components totaling $15,000:
- Personal Prize ($10,000)
This portion of the award recognizes the awardee’s dedication, creativity, passion, and significant contributions to Jewish early childhood education. It is intended to support the awardee’s personal and professional growth. - Preschool Initiative Prize ($5,000)
This portion is allocated to the awardee’s preschool to support an initiative that the awardee will lead, designed to advance the preschool’s programs and contribute to increasing enrollment.
In addition to the monetary prize, the awardee will be invited to attend an award ceremony hosted at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
Both award components will be issued to the awardee’s preschool within 60 days of the award ceremony. The preschool will be responsible for disbursing the personal prize to the awardee and allocating the preschool initiative prize as agreed.
Eligibility
The award is open to early childhood educators currently teaching in a Jewish preschool in the Bay Area with at least three years of experience in Jewish early childhood education (the nominee). A preschool may nominate up to two candidates. Eligible nominees must demonstrate exceptional impact in one or more of the following areas:
- Strengthening Jewish Identity: The nominee has advanced transformative educational initiatives in their preschool that foster Jewish identity, heritage, or connection to Israel.
- Cultivating Vibrant Community: The nominee has developed innovative programs or initiatives that strengthen connections within the preschool community.
- Raising Education Quality: The nominee has implemented novel pedagogic approaches in the preschool that improve the quality of early childhood education.
Nomination Process
Educators may be nominated by directors, supervisors, religious leaders from the preschool’s host organization, or parents (the nominator).
The nomination application must include the following:
- Completed Application Form: Filled out by the nominator, outlining the nominee’s contributions, impact, and alignment with the award’s mission and eligibility criteria. The application deadline is March 10, 2025.
- Letter of Recommendation: Provided by the preschool director, the nominee’s supervisor, or a community member, highlighting the nominee’s influence, impact, and excellence in Jewish early childhood education.
Selection Criteria
A committee of leaders in Jewish education and the Jewish community will review the nominations based on the following criteria:
- Eligibility Alignment: The nominee’s achievements align with the award’s eligibility requirements.
- Jewish Community Impact: The nominee has demonstrated a meaningful and positive influence on children, families, fellow educators, and the Jewish preschool community.
- Educational Excellence: The nominee has successfully developed innovative curricula, programs, or teaching methods that enhance the quality of Jewish early childhood education.
- Leadership Capacity: The nominee has exemplified dedication, commitment, and leadership in advancing the future of Jewish early childhood education.
- Adaptability and Scaling: The nominee’s work and initiatives should demonstrate relevance and potential to inspire other Jewish early childhood educators.
Important Dates
Nomination Submission Deadline: March 10, 2025
Award Winner Announcement: May 21, 2025
Award Ceremony: May 28, 2025, 5:30 PM
The ceremony will be held at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
The awardee and their preschool leadership representative must attend the ceremony to accept the award.
