Twenty years of nurturing young children earns Arianna Lopez her school's highest honour

Arianna Lopez, executive director of The Goddard School of Skokie – Evanston/Wilmette in Illinois, has been named the 2026 Goddard School Director of the Year. Lopez brings more than two decades of teaching and leadership experience and has led her school since it opened in 2016. The award recognises directors who build strong learning programmes, mentor fellow teachers and create the kind of school culture where young children, families and staff all thrive.

SDG 4 · Quality education — Mechanism: individual leader