Peggy A. Gallagher Award for Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs

The Peggy A. Gallagher Award for Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs is given for distinguished service to quality educational improvements for all of Georgia’s children. The award was established in 2017 to honor Dr. Peggy Gallagher, Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Special Education at Georgia State University, who has been a consistent voice in Early Childhood Special Education for over 30 years..

Award criteria

Recipients of the Peggy A. Gallagher Award for Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs must meet the following criteria:

  • Classroom teacher who actively promotes the inclusion of young children (birth through age 8 years) with disabilities through friendship, play, social and cognitive activities with typically developing children of the same age

  • Teaches in a classroom with children with identified disabilities (i.e. have an IEP or IFSP or eligibility for) along with typical children ages birth to 8 years

Recipients of the Peggy A. Gallagher Award for Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs

  • 2022: Cheryl Cate

  • 2021: Denise Gabriel

  • 2020: Becky Kitchens

  • 2019: Davina Swaim

  • 2018: Caitlin Macon

  • 2017: Dina Treff