Ewing resident Ana I. Berdecia, senior fellow with The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy and director of the Center for the Positive Development of Urban Children at Thomas Edison State College, was honored with the Children’s Futures 2016 Guiding Light Award at the Wyndham Garden Hotel on December 11, 2015. Berdecia was recognized for her commitment to helping children develop a foundation of academic excellence and achievement.
Children’s Futures has been working to improve the health and development outcomes for children in Mercer County since 2001. Through parental education, nurse home visits, case management and a host of other family support services, Children’s Futures aims to prevent many of the issues that otherwise compromise the health and well-being of central New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents.
Berdecia, who has worked at Thomas Edison State College for 12 years, is charged with bridging the voices of teachers, practitioners, parent/guardians and the larger community to policy initiatives in New Jersey that impact the health, well-being and educational outcomes of children and families. Berdecia designed the first New Jersey Cultural Competency and English Language Learners Summer Institute and Mentoring Program, and works to engage municipals and business leaders to increase support and understanding about the importance of early childhood investments.
Berdecia earned her AA degree at Mercer County Community College and both her BA in sociology with a minor in women studies and Master of Education with a specialization in early childhood from The College of New Jersey. She also holds a New Jersey Standard Teaching Certificate in preschool through 3rd grade. Berdecia completed a post-graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health from the YCS Infant and Preschool Mental Health Institute and Seton Hall University, and became a certified coach and trainer through the John C. Maxwell Certification Program in 2013.
