After four decades shaping the lives of young children and families, Sandra Houlahan, Nominated Supervisor and Educational Leader at Shine Bright’s Elmore Kindergarten, has been named Educator of the Year in the 2025 Victorian Early Years Awards – a recognition she never expected but richly deserves.
Nominated by her colleagues (Belinda Schultz and Belinda Quinn) for building strong ties with the local community, Sandra admits she didn’t think much of being nominated at the time that it occurred.
“I actually took off to Spain and thought nothing of it,” she laughed. “I had no idea there was any possibility that I might actually win!”
When her name was announced at the awards presentation evening in Melbourne, Sandra says she felt both shocked and embarrassed.
There are so many brilliant educators out there who deserve to be recognised. The programs showcased at the awards event were incredible — it’s amazing to see how far our profession has come over my forty years in early childhood education.
Sandra with the Parliamentary Secretary for Children, Nathan Lambert MP, at the awards ceremony.
The Educator of the Year award recognises innovative and exemplary practice. The award recipient demonstrates how they have made a significant contribution to teh delivery of high quality early childhood education programs and/or achieved significant improvements in children’s learning and development outcomes.
For Sandra, the award is more than a personal achievement — it’s a celebration of everyone who has shared her journey.
“I’m still processing it, but this award represents many joyful years of people, jobs, programs, friends, children, and families that have influenced me. This award is for all of them, as much as it is for me,” she said.
A Career Built on Relationships and Community
When asked what she’s most proud of, Sandra doesn’t hesitate.
“The relationships with children – including how much say they have in what happens at our kindergarten. Everything revolves around them.”
She also takes pride in the strong community partnerships that have been built around her Elmore service.
“We’ve worked closely with local schools, the medical centre, shops, and playgroups. Everyone works together for the kids — that’s what makes our work and our community so special.”
Wisdom for Fellow Educators
Over the years, Sandra has developed her own unique approach to staying inspired, this year, choosing a key word to guide her teaching practice – a tactic used by many Shine Bright educators, and introduced by the Shine Bright Wellbeing and Early Years team at the 2025 annual Shine Bright conference.
This year our word was essence. There’s always so much work to do, but if you don’t have time to build relationships with children and truly listen to their perspectives, then you’re not doing your job – connection is the essence of what we do.
Still Learning After Forty Years
Despite her long and impactful career, Sandra says she’s far from finished.
“Early years education and care is ever evolving, and the work is never done. Every new group of children brings new challenges, and families have new needs. The key is to stay open — to be ready to do everything differently, every year. That’s what early years education is all about,” Sandra said.
Humble, passionate, and endlessly curious, Sandra embodies what it means to be an educator who never stops learning. Her recognition as 2025 Educator of the Year is a fitting tribute to a lifetime dedicated to children, families, and the community that surrounds them.
Sandra with some of her Shine Bright central office colleages. From left: Kat Bell, Kate Andrews, Sandra Houlihan, Belinda Schultz, Belinda Quinn, Vanessa Tehan, Millie Ruff.
