Helping children succeed through education

  • Published
  • By Airman Collin Schmidt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  For Tamara Carlyon, 341st Force Support Squadron education technician, teaching children is her passion. Since starting her career at the Malmstrom Air Force Base Child Development Center in July of 2011, she has worked to ensure every one of the children she teaches gets the best education possible.

Recently, Carlyon was named one of five winners of the Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children's TYLENOL National Child Care Teacher Award. The award acknowledges the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality early care and education.

With this award Carlyon will receive $500 for personal use, $500 to implement her ideas within her classroom and a submission to possibly win the Helene Marks Award, which if she wins, will provide additional funds to support the children she teaches.

"I'm just so excited because I worked really hard on my submission," said Carlyon. "I just love the kids that I work with and think about them day and night. We want to do what's important for them."

Child care teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and on U.S. military bases from all around the world were invited to apply.

As part of their submissions, each applicant was asked to design a classroom enhancement project for the children they teach illustrating the educational, social and emotional benefits of the project.

A committee of early childhood educators and specialists reviewed each applicant's submission, picking the best ideas and providing them with an opportunity to financially support their projects.

"Living in Montana, it can be very hard to get out to the playgrounds," said Carlyon. "Sometimes it can be 30 or 20 degrees out, so my idea was to come up with a plan to work around this. The name of my plan is 'Muscles and Music Matter in Montana.'

"The reason I came up with this is because our kids love to dance and they love to do anything that has to do with music and moving," she continued. "So, we incorporated music and dance into our learning. I just tried to figure out a project that would be fun for the kids and would also be something that we could expand on within the classroom."

Carlyon also wrote a thesis paper outlining her ideas more in depth for the committee and co-workers to review.

This year, Carlyon will attend an awards ceremony held in Pennsylvania to find out who will be named winner of the Helene Marks Award. If she wins, Carlyon will be named the National Child Care Teacher of the Year.

"I do this for the kids," said Carlyon. "They deserve the best education possible and I want to do whatever I can to ensure they get it."