2026 AECEA Dr. Sherrill Brown Award of Distinction

Award recipients must have made outstanding contributions to the field of early learning and child care over a minimum of 10 years, demonstrating impact in one or more of the following areas:

Involvement with the early learning and child care community
Demonstrated involvement and/or impact with families and the early learning and child care community at the local and provincial levels.

Commitment to the field
Ongoing commitment to strengthening the early learning and child care profession and supporting the growth and development of others in the field over time.

Innovation
Understanding of sector trends and issues, with creative and effective approaches to support and advance quality child care at the local, provincial, and/or federal levels.

Professional excellence
Leadership, career growth, and partnerships that contribute to advocacy, education, and quality in early learning and child care at the local and provincial levels.

Not all criteria need to be met equally. The selection committee will consider the overall impact and contributions of each nominee.

The successful applicant will receive a $250 monetary award, a physical award, public recognition and acknowledgment in the field.

To be eligible for the Dr. Sherrill Brown Award of Distinction, nominees must:

• Be a current AECEA professional member in good standing
• Have demonstrated involvement in Alberta’s early learning and child care community
• Have contributed as a leader within the early learning and child care community in Alberta over a significant period of time, with a minimum of 10 years
• Have demonstrated professional excellence in one or more of the following areas:
  • leading practice
  • awareness, advancement, and promotion
  • partnership
  • research
  • leadership
  • education

The AECEA Award of Distinction is administered in accordance with the following guidelines. By participating in the nomination process, nominators and nominees are deemed to have read and understood these requirements.

Eligibility of Nominators

• Nominators must:
  • be a resident of Alberta
  • be 18 years of age or older
  • not be related to the nominee
• Nominators must have direct knowledge of the nominee’s contributions to the field.
• Nominations may be submitted by an individual or a group.

Nomination Requirements

• Individuals may nominate an Albertan on their own behalf or on behalf of an Alberta-based organization or agency.
• Nominations cannot be submitted without the digital consent of the nominee.
• Nominations must be complete and submitted by the stated deadline.
• Nominations that are incomplete or do not comply with these guidelines may be disqualified.

Submission and Materials

• All nominations and supporting materials become the property of AECEA and will not be returned.
• AECEA is not responsible for incomplete, inaccurate, lost, or late nominations.

Privacy and Use of Information

• Selection and publicity related to the award will be conducted in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act.
• Selection and publicity related to the award will be conducted in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

Consent and Participation

By digitally signing the nomination form, each nominator and nominee:

• agrees to abide by the guidelines that govern the Award of Distinction
• consents to having their photograph taken for award-related publicity purposes
• consents to the use of their name, community, photograph, and nomination materials in any award-related publicity carried out by the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta
• consents to participate in award-related activities and functions, including the award ceremony, if selected as the recipient

• The award recipient is chosen by the 2026 Award Selection Committee, composed of representatives from the AECEA Board of Directors.
• Decisions made by the Award Selection Committee are final.