Jenny Leeper Miller, master teacher and assistant director at the Ruth Staples Child Development Lab at UNL, has been selected as a Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Award winner. She is one of 50 teachers selected nationally for the award that acknowledges the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality early care and education.
“It gave me a lot of pride to be part of this group of early childhood educators that are receiving this acknowledgement,” Leeper Miller said. “It’s exciting for me to be getting this recognition in my field and that early childhood education is being recognized. I’m also overwhelmed by the support and encouragement from my colleagues, parents and co-workers.”
As part of the award, Leeper Miller receives $500 for personal use and $500 to implement a project proposed as part of the application process. Her project will help parents identify key strategies to support their child’s natural curiosity, and help parents feel confident in supporting their child’s learning in math, science and nature content areas. Activities of the project include a workshop and exploration kit for parents and adult family members to support and encourage interaction with their children in math, science and nature in the home and outdoors.
In addition to her role at Ruth Staples, Leeper Miller is a member of the faculty in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences. She serves as a lecturer. The Winslow, Neb., native has been at UNL since 2004 after teaching for a year at Educare of Omaha. Both her bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education and her master’s degree in child development are from UNL.
“She is just a fabulous teacher,” said Michelle Rupiper, associate professor of practice and director of Ruth Staples. “She embodies what a master teacher is all about. She connects with children and their families and coaches our UNL students to become wonderful teachers. I’m grateful every day that she is part of our faculty.”
The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation, based in Pennsylvania, presents the award. The Foundation was established in the memory of Terri Lynne Lokoff who was killed in an auto accident. She was a devoted child care teacher who was committed to improving the quality of child care. For more information, go to http://www.tllccf.org.
