NOMINATIONS are now open for the Leslie Hanson distinguished educator award for teachers at the early childhood and primary schools in the surrounding communities of Kitson Town in St Catherine.

The late Leslie Hanson, after some years of operating an early childhood institution in Kingston, founded Kitson Town Basis School in the early 1960s, and a decade later, he became a teacher at the then Kitson Town All-Age School.

Making the announcement of the award at the recent Kitson Town builder’s awards ceremony, chairman of the Kitson Town Civic Committee Garfield Angus said current and former teachers with early child schools in the area — Paul’s Mountain, Guanaboa Vale and Kitson Town Primary — will be recognised with the award during Education Week 2024.

“The late Mr Hanson formalised early childhood education in Kitson Town, he was a teacher in the sector, and then he moved up to primary education where he inspired many of us during his many years as a teacher, and even when he retired from the system, his work in the community continued as a justice of the peace and a community elder,” Angus said.

Nominations will run until the end of January 2024; thereafter, a committee comprising two of their members, a member of Hanson’s family, the Ministry of Education and Youth, and the Social Development Commission, will meet and decide on the successful candidates for the award.

Interested persons are invited to visit the Kitson Town Civic Committee Facebook page for further details.

“We will seek to recognise this giant of love and community spirit by honouring five deserving teachers,” Angus said.

The Kitson Town Civic Committee was established in 2017. Since then it has honoured two early childhood educators who gave almost 100 years of service to the community.