Laura Acker’s radiant smile lit up the stage as she accepted the prestigious Parent Educator of the Year Award at the 2024 Parents as Teachers International Conference in San Diego. This award recognized her unwavering dedication to empowering vulnerable families and supporting the early development of their children.
As a parent educator at the Mineral County Health Department in Superior, MT., Acker was honored in front of 2,000 early childhood development professionals. The annual conference serves as a platform for discussions on parent engagement, early childhood education, and the latest research that informs the work of caregivers.
The four-day conference featured discussions on trends in home visiting, community engagement, collaborations and partnerships, diversity, equity and inclusion, health and wellness, parenting, and child education under the theme “Born to learn – Power of the Past – Building for the Future.
As a recipient of the award, Acker received complimentary registration, roundtrip travel, and lodging at the conference. She expressed her gratitude for the award, emphasizing that nothing brings her more joy and purpose than witnessing parents grow in their confidence and abilities.
Acknowledging the award, Acker expressed her deep gratitude, emphasizing that her greatest joy comes from witnessing parents grow in confidence and abilities. She sees her role as a parent educator not just as a job, but as a way to serve others and make a positive impact on the world.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized,” said Acker. “To me, being a parent educator is not just a job but a way to serve others and positively impact my community. I accepted this award on behalf of all the people I work with every day who also believe that healthy communities begin with healthy families. Parents as Teachers gives us the tools to support the work we do and I am grateful to be a part of this work.”
Parents as Teachers is an international program connecting parents and caregivers with trained professionals known as Parent Educators. These educators make regular home visits during a child’s earliest years to provide support in early childhood education and parenting skills.
Constance Gully, president and CEO of Parents as Teachers, praised Acker’s unwavering dedication to improving the lives of children and families in and around Montana.
“Laura deserves the award due to her demanding work and countless hours spent helping children reach their full potential,” said Gully. “She has been a parent educator for the Mineral County Health Department for a decade and day in and day out demonstrates her belief that healthy communities begin with healthy families.”
Acker plays a vital role in providing essential support to new parents and has also obtained certifications as a lactation counselor, child passenger safety technician, birth doula, and death midwife.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers builds strong communities, thriving families, and children that are healthy, safe, and learning by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. The internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 40 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. Parents as Teachers currently serves nearly 180,000 families in all 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, six other countries, and one U.S. territory. Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
From left Wendy Schwalbe, Wisconsin Parents as Teachers State Leader at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Mark Ginsberg, , Parents as Teachers board chair, and Constance Gully, president and CEO, present Laura Acker with the 2024 Parent Educator of the Year Award along with board member Sean Doherty and Adriann-Adams Gulley, vice president and chief financial officer.