For City of Coral Springs, Honoring Longtime Educator Easy as A-B-C

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Marilou Raham and students from Little Trojans Academy in Coral Springs. {City of Coral Springs}

Building a Leprechaun trap, Science Day, and Olympics Week are some of the fun learning activities that siblings Charlotte, Oliver, and Sawyer Davy enjoyed during their years with longtime educator Marilou Raham at Little Trojans Academy in Coral Springs.

On Nov. 13, at City Hall, the newly retired Raham was recognized by the city of Coral Springs for her “service in shaping the lives of young minds in our community.”

Shawn Cerra, city commissioner and former principal at Taravella High School, who helped launch Little Trojans on the Taravella campus, happily presented the award.

“She left a tremendous legacy at JPT and the Little Trojans program,” Cerra said. “She was, without a doubt, the right person to build that program.”

Mom Katie Davy, mother of Oliver, Charlotte and Sawyer, was on hand at city hall to witness the award, along with many families who attended Little Trojans Academy over the last decade with Raham.

“She welcomed us with open arms and embraced our sweet Charlotte with all of her speech needs,” Katie posted on social media. “She saw Oliver’s spark and discovered his love for performing. She took our wild little Sawyer and helped shape him into the deep-thinking boy he is today. She has built a community that reaches far beyond the classroom, touching lives in ways that last forever.”

Raham said she was honored and humbled when she received news of the award.

“Seeing the Early Childhood Education Program/Little Trojans Academy grow over the course of ten years brings me so much joy and pride,” Raham said. “The benefits to the high school students, the preschoolers and all of the families is truly remarkable.”

Her biggest treasures are the memories she’s made over the years, including coming full circle with a few students – having them as preschoolers and then returning to her as a high school student to help teach the little ones.

“I’m so thankful for the relationships I’ve made over the years in my career as an early childhood educator,” Raham said. “I have deep bonds with so many families and I am blessed to remain in their lives.”

LTA nurtures 16 preschoolers each year — mostly children of Broward County employees such as teachers and staff. Two certified teachers and Taravella High School students who are studying Early Childhood Education push in to help teach the children at LTA.

Little Trojans Academy is located in its own enclave on the west side of Taravella campus. Its curriculum has been updated and falls in line with the Florida Department of Education.

Raham, who previously ran Children’s World of Margate for many years, opened LTA a decade ago with then Taravella High principal Shawn Cerra — and there’s always been a wait list to enroll.

The children are given lots of 1-one-1 attention during learning time, which improves the quality of their learning. The ratio is usually 2:1 children: teacher. Children learn the Pledge of Allegiance at the age of 3, as well as basic reading and math skills.

“Because of her efforts, parents got a great first impression of Broward County Public Schools,” Cerra said. “It’s really incredible that many of the original kids came back to JPT as high school students.”

Raham encountered many obstacles to her success in the field of early childhood education, one of them being budget and lack of resources.

“I found early on that this is where relationships are important,” Raham said. “You have to go out into your community and make things happen. You have to keep asking and showing up. Your community will see you and respond positively.”

Her love for young children was her true key to the success of Little Trojans Academy.

“I truly hope that every child or family I’ve touched has felt seen and loved by me,” Raham said. “I wish that they experienced the joy of growing up in an environment where they felt safe, they belonged, they had freedom to enjoy being a child and that these things have stayed with them as great memories.”

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Author Profile

Faran Fagen

Faran Fagen, who teaches high school journalism, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Journalism degree and from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Education. He's worked at The Palm Beach Post, SunSentinel, and MLB.com. He lives in Coral Springs with his wife and two children. Oh, and his three dogs -- who all think that they're his favorite.