Patricia Cook teaches kindergarten at Lakeside Primary School in Hot Springs. "Since kindergarten is usually a child's first experience on the educational journey, I try especially hard to help each child develop a sense of self-worth and a positive attitude towards learning," she says. Ms. Cook is one of the creators of BEEP (Be an Earth Patroller), an environmental awareness and recycling program for her kindergarten class that was later expanded to involve the entire school. In view of the fact that Hot Springs is a retirement community, Ms. Cook has introduced several programs that pair senior citizens with kindergarten students. Senior citizens are invited to school to relate their own early school experiences, and on Grandparents Day a lunch is held for students and grandparents from the community. In 1993, Ms. Cook received a Presidential Award from the National Science Foundation.
1976 University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, B.A.
