WEST PLAINS, Mo. – West Plains resident and former owner of The Learning Tree Child Care Center Linda Moore received an honorary Associate of Applied Science degree Saturday, May 16, during Missouri State University-West Plains’ commencement ceremony at the West Plains Civic Center arena.
This is the fifth year an honorary degree has been bestowed by the university. It is designed to recognize extraordinary individuals who have given a substantial part of their lives to serving others and/or who have distinguished themselves, university officials said. It also is designed to establish a public association between Missouri State-West Plains and such exceptional men and women, thereby providing testimony to the values and quality of two-year institutions, officials added.
“Linda Moore is an outstanding recipient for this award,” Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett said. “For over 42 years, she provided high quality and accredited child care for thousands of children, helping with their educational development and providing a valuable service for families in her community. She has been a long-time supporter of Missouri State-West Plains, the community and education, and we are extremely proud to award her this degree.”
Moore opened her first child care center in 1971 in the basement of her family home in St. Peters, Missouri, and purchased The Learning Tree Child Care Center in West Plains in 1980 after she and her family relocated here in 1979. Originally located in a two-story home on West Main Street, Moore moved the business in 1995 to a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art facility designed specifically for children built on 20 acres off Preacher Roe Boulevard. The new facility allowed for the expansion of services for infants and toddlers and became the first child care center within 100 miles to attain accreditation status. It remains among only a few dozen child care centers in the state that provides accredited care to children ages 0-12.
In 1998, she began partnering with Missouri State-West Plains to give child and family development, psychology, education and nursing program students a hands-on site to complete observation and laboratory requirements, providing essential educational services to over 200 college students annually.
In addition to running the center, Moore has served on numerous advisory boards in the field of early childhood education and has hosted many professional development conferences and workshops on site to provide a model of quality child care. A strong proponent of education at all levels, she personally completed early childhood education courses locally, encouraged all four of her children to pursue college degrees, and provided flexible schedules and tuition assistance to her employees to encourage them to pursue higher education opportunities.
Moore also has been actively involved in community service projects to raise funds for a variety of worthy causes such as Christos House, the Avenue Theatre, Samaritan Outreach Center and the West Plains Police and Fire Departments, to name a few. She also has served as a past member of the University of Missouri Extension Council, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation and Girls Town.
University officials noted that awarding Moore with an honorary associate of applied science degree recognizes her many achievements, her remarkable endeavors and her service as a role model for students.