PAT Parent Educator Aminah Williams (left) and Constance Gully, president and CEO of Parents as Teachers, pose with a $5,000 ceremonial check given to Williams for placing second in the 2020 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year Award contest. The award was presented to Williams to implement a program that supports families in her hometown.
St. Charles, Missouri resident Aminah Williams, a parent educator with Parents as Teachers (PAT), the nation’s leading early childhood home visitation program whose professional home visitors work with parents directly during the most important stages of their child’s early development, has been named the national runner-up in the 2020 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year Award contest.
In its 24th year, the Toyota award recognizes the positive impact of teachers who have dedicated their lives to engaging families in school- and community-based educational programming. The award contest is administered through the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), a nonprofit that works to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families.
Williams is a certified adult educator and doula, licensed clinical social worker, and public policy advocate. She was presented with a $5,000 check to implement a doula program for Black mothers in and around the St. Louis metropolitan area. Cincinnati, Ohio Teacher Leila Kubesch placed first and received a $20,000 grant. Each winner will be recognized at the 2021 Families Learning Conference in Dallas, TX.
“I want to thank Toyota and my PAT family for their support,” said Williams, who has been in the field of home visiting and working with pregnant women for more than 10 years, and working for PAT for almost four years. “I believe that by impacting others, you impact the world. Even if it’s a small gesture of kindness or bringing food or diapers when a family is dealing with so much hardship. A word of encouragement, a smile, or offering a listening ear can brighten someone’s day.”
Sharon Darling, NCFL’s President and Founder, said: “NCFL and Toyota congratulate this year’s deserving winners for modeling exemplary family engagement practices in their communities, working alongside families to achieve better futures for generations to come.”
PAT President and CEO Constance Gully said: “Aminah embodies the foundation of Parents as Teachers, which is partnering with families from a strength-based perspective to gain their trust and mutual respect. She is constantly looking for ways to bring more value to their lives.”