Elementary school educator Dr. Jennifer Norford garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from President Barack Obama in 2008. Photo credit: Jennifer Norford

I always enjoy sharing stories about excellent educators who have earned recognition for their work with students. One of these is Dr. Jennifer Norford, a science teacher from the US Virgin Islands who received Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) from President Barack Obama in 2008.

At the time she garnered her Presidential Award, Jennifer was teaching fifth and sixth grade at the Ulla F. Muller Elementary School in Charlotte Amalie in the Virgin Islands. In the more than two decades she worked in the classroom, Jennifer was praised for her tireless efforts to maintain rigor and relevance in her teacher. She had a reputation for developing curriculum that fostered creativity, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning in her classroom.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jennifer also served as the liaison for the High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE), a program funded by the US Department of Education to assist teachers in becoming designated highly qualified teachers. She also coordinated her school’s first-ever School Health Index Plan, served on the School Improvement Team, and was selected president of the Parent-Teacher Association.

Jennifer earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, magna cum laude, from the University of the Virgin Islands. She earned her Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Educational Administration. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational Leadership from Walden University in 2013. Additionally, she is a member of the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society.

In addition to her PAEMST award, Jennifer garnered the Outstanding Award for Science Theory and Practice from the College of Further Education in St. Kitts, Virgin Islands.