Opening a Goddard School is more than an education-related business—it’s an opportunity to benefit the well-being of hundreds of families through early childhood development. When you commit your talent, effort and passion to early child development, you become part of a system that makes a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of children.
Caring for and educating our youngest children is one of the most pressing issues our country faces today. The value of early childhood development is supported by research from pediatricians, neuroscientists, and economists alike. The quality of a children’s early learning experience can be a key predictor of their success in school and life. You can be assured that The Goddard School provides high-quality programs, and is recognized by both accreditation organizations and state quality ratings systems for positively impacting child development.
Since 2008, Goddard Franchisor, LLC. (GSL) has annually awarded the $10,000 Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship to a senior in high school who graduated from either a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten program at a Goddard School. Winners demonstrate the work ethic and perseverance that exemplifies Martino’s commitment to his career, family and community.
We received many amazing Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship submissions making it hard to choose just one recipient. After narrowing down our finalists, we’re excited to announce our winner, Kira Young! Congratulations, Kira!
Kira graduated from South Forsyth High School, and back in 2010, she graduated from The Goddard School® of Suwanee (Old Atlanta), GA. Kira will attend Emory University and plans to study psychology.
Kira is a mental health advocate who launched several initiatives aimed at promoting mental health awareness and offering resources on the topic. She founded The Power of Okay, a website filled with mental health topics including interviews with mental health professionals and wellness advice. Kira also partnered with her high school to start Operation Positivity, a program that enables students to promote mental health awareness and spread positivity throughout the school.
Kira remembers her time at The Goddard School fondly. “In addition to providing me with a lifelong love of learning, The Goddard School taught me how to show compassion and advocate for the people and things I believe in,” she says. “Reflecting on my school experience, it was The Goddard School that ignited my drive to explore new things and allow my passions to develop into various projects.”
Kira will attend Emory University in Atlanta majoring in psychology. She plans on attending graduate school for a doctorate in psychology to empower others to make a positive impact on the world — something she credits Goddard for teaching her.
We wish Kira so much luck as she follows her dreams!
Each year, we receive nominations from parents, teachers, owners and directors within The Goddard School system for our coveted Teacher of the Year Awards. While we love to celebrate each and every one of our teachers, our Teacher of the Year Awards is our way of showcasing extraordinary educators that make The Goddard School a special place to work and learn. We received hundreds of nominations this year, each one just as heartwarming as the last—and it humbles us to know how much our community lifts up our teachers.
Congratulations to all of our Teacher of the Year nominees and winners! We appreciate everything you do for the children in your care and are so grateful that you are a part of the Goddard family!
Gaithersburg, MD | Kindergarten
Ms. Bassett has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of students and families throughout her tenure at our School. If you stop by her classroom, you'll see active, on-level engagement; hugs; enthusiastic read alouds; passionate instruction; and a beautifully crafted learning environment. She is shaping her students to be lifelong learners, problem solvers and compassionate citizens. Ms. Bassett became the School-wide American Sign Language (ASL) instructor and eventually worked with a co-teacher to align ASL with the Spanish language enrichment program.
During the pandemic, Ms. Bassett was instrumental in developing an effective distance learning program for hundreds of students who remained at home. Her bravery and leadership helped her colleagues feel inspired to serve on the frontlines and break out of their comfort zone by getting in front of the camera. Ms. Bassett worked around the clock creating hundreds of video lessons and corresponding take-home bags and supplies. She also held daily group and individual virtual lessons, assessments and parent-teacher conferences.
Click here to read more about Ms. Bassett and our regional award winners.
