Nikkie Bowe got a phone call two weeks ago that made her scream for joy throughout the Cornerstone Early Education and Youth Center.
    It’s probably how any director of a childcare center would react when told their center won first place in the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Early Care and Education.
    “I was so excited. It’s definitely a prestigious recognition because the teachers do work hard every day,” Bowe said. “It says we are recognized for the work we do, and for the excellence we provide to the families and the community.”
    She said the Cornerstone center, located at the Cornerstone Church in Bear, has been open for 11 years. There are about 180 children, ages 2 to 12, who participate in the daytime, and before and after school care.
    Bowe said about 70 percent of their students are from the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area, as are several of the 13 teachers at the center.
    She said the Cornerstone congregation is Methodist and children at the center are taught based on the Holy Bible, but they do not discriminate based on religious backgrounds. They use the A Beka Book curriculum, which is a Christian-based reading, phonics, math and Bible program. Children at the Cornerstone center are also exposed to art, computers and gym time.
    “We provide an environment that is safe, comfortable and very enriching socially, emotionally, academically and also spiritually,” she said. “This is not just a job for our teachers, it really is a passion for them.”
    Bowe said they provide an educational experience with the convenience of childcare hours for the families. They incorporate activities like weekly cooking where students can learn to measure, pour and stir as a group.
    “We have intimate classrooms and we try to provide a homelike environment versus coming into an intuition setting,” she said. “We try to make the rooms cozy and keep [the children] down to earth.”
    Childcare centers and teachers must be nominated to be considered for the Governor’s Award. Sixty-eight early care and education professionals were nominated.
    “It’s actually the first time we’ve ever been nominated,” Bowe said. “Parents always rave and talk about everything their children learn and how wonderful their teachers are, but we were never recognized.”
    Melissa Connor of Middletown has a daughter who attends the Cornerstone center and was one of several parents to make a nomination.
    “I know when I drop her off each day, I don’t have to worry,” Connor wrote in her nomination. “She will be challenged to learn new things, have fun and taken care of by people who truly love her.”
    Representatives from Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s office then visited and evaluated each nominee. The criteria for winners are excellence in applying knowledge of how children develop and learn, excellence in developing and implementing curriculum, excellence in assessing children’s development and learning and using this information to improve curriculum and programs, excellence in building relationships with families and excellence in professional development and professional behavior.
    Bowe said the representatives observed each teacher in their classroom at the center.
    “You don’t know what criteria they’re looking at,” she said. “They asked questions about our curriculum, how we integrated, diversity, how long the staff has been here.”
    The winners were then chosen by an independent selection committee, which also obtains information about finalists from the Office of Child Care Licensing.
    Cornerstone teachers Katie Davis of Odessa and Melanie Thompson of Middletown were nominated individually for their excellence in childcare.
    “It felt very nice to be validated and having that physical proof of being a good teacher,” Davis said.
    She said the Cornerstone center supports her and she is allowed to choose how she teaches within the classroom.
    “I like the flexibility I can have. I love how creative I can be with my kids,” Davis said. “Nikkie and the other staff are very personable with all of us. They’re always there for us in any situation. It is a very warm and caring environment at the center.”
    Bowe said Davis has been at the center for 10 years. She started as an after care counselor and now teaches 5-year-olds.
    “Katie is just a joy to watch,” she said. “She creates an environment that is enriching academically and reinforces that with every day experiences. Her parents always comment on the scale of learning that goes on in her classroom.”
    Bowe said Thompson started at the center last year after leaving the banking industry and now teaches 4-year-olds. She also started a recycling program within the school.
    “Melanie really engages children in respect for our Earth. She is an exuberant person,” she said. “She comes in with so much energy every day. The parent who nominated her said, ‘She is a wonderful role model and teacher. Everyone in the class is Ms. Melanie’s favorite.’ ”
    Bowe said the recognition from the state will let parents know the Cornerstone Early Education and Youth Center is a superior place to send their children.
    “The Governor’s Award says we’ve accomplished something,” she said. “Not only do the families of our center know it, but our governor recognizes it and so does the rest of the state.”
    For more information about Cornerstone Church, go to cornerstonedelaware.com. For more information about the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, go to www.familyandworkplace.org/providers/governors.award.asp.