The Spring 2025 B. H. Rowland Foundation
Award Recipient
Dani Ellis
Dani Ellis is a North Carolina PreK Mentor Educator of the Balsam Community at the
Verner Center for Early Learning in Buncombe County. Dani was nominated for the Award for
Excellence because of her exceptional dedication to her students and their families in the aftermath
of Hurricane Helene.
During a conversation with members of the Awards, Grants, and Scholarships Committee, Dani
shared her personal tragedy and her immediate outreach to the children and families in her care.
Dani shared examples of her actions that exemplify trauma-informed care such as creating safe and
nurturing environments where children could process their experiences in developmentally
appropriate ways. She supported children in expressing their thoughts, needs, and emotions while
fostering resilience and strengthening their learning.
Her compassionate, relationship-based approach has ensured that her students and their families feel
heard, supported, and empowered despite adversity. Dani’s creative approaches will have a lasting
impact on children and families as well as on her colleagues.
Verner Center for Early Learning in Buncombe County. Dani was nominated for the Award for
Excellence because of her exceptional dedication to her students and their families in the aftermath
of Hurricane Helene.
During a conversation with members of the Awards, Grants, and Scholarships Committee, Dani
shared her personal tragedy and her immediate outreach to the children and families in her care.
Dani shared examples of her actions that exemplify trauma-informed care such as creating safe and
nurturing environments where children could process their experiences in developmentally
appropriate ways. She supported children in expressing their thoughts, needs, and emotions while
fostering resilience and strengthening their learning.
Her compassionate, relationship-based approach has ensured that her students and their families feel
heard, supported, and empowered despite adversity. Dani’s creative approaches will have a lasting
impact on children and families as well as on her colleagues.
A few examples of the safe and nurturing environment Dani created:
Dani with “Bear Boxes” she made
with the children to
project their experiences onto bear families
with the children to
project their experiences onto bear families
|
A loft with low light:
a calming place for children |
Debris removal equipment
in the block center |
Sand table for children to
process their experiences |
The Spring 2024 B. H. Rowland Foundation
Award Recipient
Vickie Deal
Vickie Deal is an Early Head Start teacher in Alexander County. Vickie has been an early childhood
professional for over 12 years, working with children from birth to 3 years of age. She received the
Bobbie Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence for creating outdoor learning opportunities for
children of all abilities and encouraging their exploration by incorporating the outdoor environment into
their everyday experiences. For example, there are trees for shade, different kinds of terrain and
surfacing, and a separate infant area. An extra sidewalk was added for children who use walkers and
wheelchairs. Children can explore all kinds of riding toys, push and pull toys, different sets of blocks,
balls and dolls, play in a sand box with different materials to use, or in a large playhouse set up for
pretend play. Depending on the season, they grow different fruits and vegetables and the children can
taste them. All kinds of animals make the playground their home; teachers and children monitor the
eggs in bird nests, talk about and watch them hatch, and the children eventually watch them take flight.
Baby rabbits are born every year, and the children get to watch them grow up and play on the
playground. Children who want to can dig for worms and bugs, catch frogs and lizards. “Sometimes we
just throw out towels and lay and watch the clouds in the sky and talk about what we see and hear. We,
the teachers, interact with the children and follow their interests and goals. Open ended questions lead
to great conversations”. Vickie enjoys watching the children explore and learn things that they will carry
with them through their lives!
professional for over 12 years, working with children from birth to 3 years of age. She received the
Bobbie Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence for creating outdoor learning opportunities for
children of all abilities and encouraging their exploration by incorporating the outdoor environment into
their everyday experiences. For example, there are trees for shade, different kinds of terrain and
surfacing, and a separate infant area. An extra sidewalk was added for children who use walkers and
wheelchairs. Children can explore all kinds of riding toys, push and pull toys, different sets of blocks,
balls and dolls, play in a sand box with different materials to use, or in a large playhouse set up for
pretend play. Depending on the season, they grow different fruits and vegetables and the children can
taste them. All kinds of animals make the playground their home; teachers and children monitor the
eggs in bird nests, talk about and watch them hatch, and the children eventually watch them take flight.
Baby rabbits are born every year, and the children get to watch them grow up and play on the
playground. Children who want to can dig for worms and bugs, catch frogs and lizards. “Sometimes we
just throw out towels and lay and watch the clouds in the sky and talk about what we see and hear. We,
the teachers, interact with the children and follow their interests and goals. Open ended questions lead
to great conversations”. Vickie enjoys watching the children explore and learn things that they will carry
with them through their lives!
A few examples of outdoor experiences:
|
I found a toad!
|
Picking our strawberries
|
Watching a bird
|
What's inside a pumpkin?
|
The Spring 2023 B. H. Rowland Foundation
Award Recipients
Waynett Taylor
Waynett Taylor is an Inclusive Child Care Coach in Cabarrus County. She received the Bobbie Rowland
Foundation Award for Excellence because of the broad impact of her work with child care providers
during the COVID pandemic. She led efforts to adjust coursework at the community college so as to
better address the emotional needs of both caregivers and the children they care for. She collaborated
with community agencies and organizations to create a certification program for child care owners and
directors, provide financial support for individuals pursuing certification or a degree in early childhood,
and pilot the Infant-Toddler Trauma Informed program to address the social and emotional needs of
child care providers and help them make changes to the classroom environment to better meet the
needs of children.
Foundation Award for Excellence because of the broad impact of her work with child care providers
during the COVID pandemic. She led efforts to adjust coursework at the community college so as to
better address the emotional needs of both caregivers and the children they care for. She collaborated
with community agencies and organizations to create a certification program for child care owners and
directors, provide financial support for individuals pursuing certification or a degree in early childhood,
and pilot the Infant-Toddler Trauma Informed program to address the social and emotional needs of
child care providers and help them make changes to the classroom environment to better meet the
needs of children.
Wendy Mabry
Wendy Mabry is a Lead NC PreK Teacher for 4 & 5 year olds in Stanly County. She received the Bobbie
Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence due to the significant changes she made in her practices to
support children during COVID. She increased her use of technology to ensure children felt part of a
classroom community. She also prioritized efforts to build stronger relationships with the families of the
children in her classroom through the use of newsletters, classroom dojo, positive phone calls, and
monthly family involvement projects. The parent-teacher partnerships created through these efforts led
to increased parental involvement and closer relationships with both children and their families. They’ve
changed the way she teaches in these post-COVD times and will impact children for years to come.
Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence due to the significant changes she made in her practices to
support children during COVID. She increased her use of technology to ensure children felt part of a
classroom community. She also prioritized efforts to build stronger relationships with the families of the
children in her classroom through the use of newsletters, classroom dojo, positive phone calls, and
monthly family involvement projects. The parent-teacher partnerships created through these efforts led
to increased parental involvement and closer relationships with both children and their families. They’ve
changed the way she teaches in these post-COVD times and will impact children for years to come.
Allison Gibson
Allison Gibson is a NC PreK Teacher for four- and five-year-olds in Gaston County. She received the
Bobbie Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence due to the ways in which she modified her classroom
practices to meet the needs of her children and families during COVID. She utilized technology to help
her students develop essential skills, and to build relationships with her children and their families. For
example, she coordinated “drive-by” events so that families could pick up materials that would be used
in upcoming Zoom lessons and provided opportunities for children to lead Zoom activities as well. She
mailed letters to her children and included self-addressed, stamped envelopes so her children could
send notes back. She even “sent herself” to the children in the form of a small, look-alike cut out (like a
paper doll) so she could be “with the children” as they completed lessons and went about their daily
routines. Although she has been teaching for some time, these changes have permanently altered the
way she teaches.
Bobbie Rowland Foundation Award for Excellence due to the ways in which she modified her classroom
practices to meet the needs of her children and families during COVID. She utilized technology to help
her students develop essential skills, and to build relationships with her children and their families. For
example, she coordinated “drive-by” events so that families could pick up materials that would be used
in upcoming Zoom lessons and provided opportunities for children to lead Zoom activities as well. She
mailed letters to her children and included self-addressed, stamped envelopes so her children could
send notes back. She even “sent herself” to the children in the form of a small, look-alike cut out (like a
paper doll) so she could be “with the children” as they completed lessons and went about their daily
routines. Although she has been teaching for some time, these changes have permanently altered the
way she teaches.