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The awards recognise the exemplary contributions and achievements of educarers, teachers, leaders and centres that have excelled in their teaching and learning, and innovative practices in the early childhood sector.

Thank you for your contributions towards inspiring young lives!

ECDA Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Development winners from left to right:

• Early Childhood Leader Award (Outstanding Award) – Ms Poh Jia Yi, My First Skool at Kampung Admiralty
• Early Childhood Innovation Award (Merit) – The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Project: Making Children’s Voices Visible: Empowering Children as Active Agents of Pedagogical Documentation) Pictured: Ms Elizabeth Chua, Acting Vice-Principal, The Caterpillar’s Cove Ngee Ann Polytechnic
• Early Childhood Educarer Award (Promising Award) – Ms Heng Hui Noi, Jenny, My First Skool at Waterway Point
• Early Childhood Teacher Award (Outstanding Award) – Ms Amanda Yap, The Little Skool-House at-Tampines-Junction

As a leader, Jia Yi sees potential in every teacher. She guides them to have self-awareness and work on opportunities for growth to build upon their confidence. When they achieve success, she encourages them to elicit the positive intent of situations and value how each experience pushes the boundaries of their professional capacity.

By building the capacity and capability of people, Jia Yi sees her teachers transforming to become thought and practice leaders who are both intentional and reflective in their care and development for children.

Outstanding Early Childhood Leader Award winner, Ms Poh Jia Yi shares with us her guiding principles as a centre leader in this video.

Life as an Early Childhood Educator in Amanda’s own words:

In a daily life of a pre-school teacher, one must take on many roles. These are some of the few roles we take on: a listener, a mediator, a safety warden, a play partner, a pen pal, an art director, a welfare officer, a public relations officer, a judge, a motivator and the list goes on. We are swamped with work daily, I go back home exhausted from all the hustle and bustle in the day and find myself in need of a recharge for the next day.

But why do I continue to do all that I do? It’s because I get to witness and be part of something amazing – a growth of a child. I remember there was a child in my class who refused to eat anything in school and at home apart from drinking milk. After much encouragement and exposure to different foods and making food appealing and interesting, there came a moment she decided to try a spoonful of rice. And she did! When she did, we celebrated like we had just won the World Cup! Although it was only a spoonful of rice, it was such an achievement!

Hear from Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Award winner, Amanda Yap about what motivates her in her teaching journey.