NMU alumna and Graveraet Elementary kindergarten teacher Erika Morrison is the recipient of the Michigan Reading Association’s K-6 Educator Award. She will be honored March 19 at the 60th annual MRA conference in Detroit. NMU professor Christi Edge nominated Morrison for the award.

According to a Marquette Area Public Schools press release, the MRA said Morrison has “a deep understanding of ‘the nuts and bolts’ of how to teach reading to beginners and shares her passion for promoting literacy with students, staff, parents and the community. Expectations for kindergartners’ achievement have changed drastically. A parent shared that her twin boys’ experience in Morrison’s classroom saw not only academic growth, but the important emotional and social growth that is so important in that first year of school. To help all students in the area look forward to reading and writing, Morrison is co-directing the Young Authors’ conference at NMU this year.”

The MRA promotes literacy across Michigan through professional development conferences, its Michigan Reading Journal, partnerships with local reading councils and support of international literacy efforts. Chartered in 1956, it provides resources to teachers, parents and universities.