THE manager of the G8 Education Redland Bay child care centre has been named Australia's best by the company.
Grasshoppers Early Learning Centre manager Julie Wisemantel has been named Australia's best centre manager in G8 Education's National Awards.
G8 Education is a provider of care and education facilities in Australia and Singapore.
Selected from more than 500 early learning centres across Australia, Ms Wisemantel was named 2019 Centre Manager of the Year at the G8 Education Conference on the Gold Coast this week.
Ms Wisemantel said she was humbled and excited.
"At Grasshoppers Early Learning Services we're very passionate and we're always about paying it forward, you never know what a person is going through in their day to day lives, to walk in their shoes, and we could be the ones to make a difference in their lives," she said after accepting her award.
"For me early childhood education is not simply a nine to five job - it's more than that.
"You've got to have passion, you've got to have commitment and you've got to have a team that's your support and backbone.
"It's also a privilege to be able to work each day with our amazing children and families."
Ms Wisemantel said the centre provided kids with experiences like weekly bush kindergarten sessions and visits to the local nursing home.
"Our risk assessment folder is massive, we have no fear of taking the children out of the service. Once a week 65 of us head out to our bushland for children to explore, for children to be children and not to be exposed to technology and get back to nature," Ms Wisemantel said.
"We also work with a nursing home who we visit once a month. This year we a working with a dementia unit and it's very exciting to watch the connection between the children and the patients. It's very grounding and humbling."
G8 managing director Gary Carroll congratulated Ms Wisemantel.
"It was wonderful to be able to recognise Julie's efforts and celebrate her achievements on a national scale," Mr Carroll said.
"Her work epitomises what it means to work in early learning. It is a privilege to work alongside individuals such as Julie who, together with her colleagues, make a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of children and families across Australia each day."
