Kerry Belknap Morris, M.Ed., early childhood education program director at River Valley Community College (RVCC), was recognized for her commitment to exemplary ongoing professional development and for holding a credential through the New Hampshire Early Childhood Professional Development System for 10 or more years, with the 2018 New Hampshire Child Development Bureau’s Gwen and Henry Morgan Award.
Along with her instructional and student advising responsibilities, Belknap Morris oversees her program’s three certificate and associate degree programs. She has been credentialed as an Early Childhood Master Professional for more than 10 consecutive years and currently holds faculty, workshop trainer, individual mentor, and program consultant endorsements, and regularly shares her knowledge with other educators through presentations.
“This recognition is so meaningful for us and all educators who are creating growth opportunities for our next generation of thinkers and problem solvers.” said Belknap Morris, who helped develop RVCC’s new infant and toddler early childhood education certificate program to address community and workforce needs for quality education and a highly trained early childhood education workforce. “It’s crucial to balance children’s emotional needs with learning strategies that will enable them to be successful, and we are honored to share those strategies with others.”
The award celebrates the work and lives of the late Gwen and Henry Morgan, champions for access and quality early childhood education. The Morgans were a driving force in supporting and recognizing the importance of developing early childhood educators as emerging leaders and sustaining this growth through the Gwen and Henry Morgan Fund. The Gwen and Henry Morgan Award provides a certificate and stipend each year. Belknap Morris was recognized at the Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Professionals on Tuesday, April 10 in Pembroke.
Belknap Morris, who resides in Claremont, completed her bachelor’s degree at Mount Holyoke College and earned a master’s in education from Plymouth State University. She holds teacher certification through the New Hampshire Department of Education and currently serves on the Careers in Education Craft Committee for the Chester Career Center in Keene. She represents RVCC on the New Hampshire Early Childhood Education Higher Education Round Table and the Preschool Technical Assistance Network’s Institutions of Higher Education Task Force.
After recently completing a term on Impact Monadnock’s Early Childhood Steering Committee, Belknap Morris is now participating in the Claremont Early Childhood Education Coalition. She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and presents regularly at state affiliate conferences and for Child Care Aware of New Hampshire, the state’s child care resource and referral agency.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.