We are proud to announce that Building Bright Futures Executive Director Morgan Crossman was one of 20 leaders selected worldwide for Zero to Three’s 2024-26 Fellowship Class.
Zero to Three shared this news release:
Vermont Early Childhood Expert Chosen for International Leadership Development Program
Morgan Crossman is among 20 leaders from across the U.S. and around the world selected to deepen equity and innovation, give babies and toddlers a strong start in life
WASHINGTON, DC – ZERO TO THREE, the leading nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, today proudly announced that Dr. Morgan Crossman from Hinesburg, Vermont, is joining its 2024-26 Fellowship Class, its premier leadership development initiative.
Dr. Morgan Crossman is the executive director of Building Bright Futures (Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council) and Vermont’s Early Childhood Data & Policy Center. She leads vision and strategic planning for the state’s early childhood system and monitors its progress, centralizes data to inform decision-making, and is the primary advisor to Vermont’s governor, state legislature, and federal delegation on the well-being of children from the prenatal period to age 8 and their families.
Crossman is one of 20 exceptional early childhood leaders from across the U.S. and around the world, selected from a pool of 225 applicants. These Fellows represent a range of professional specialties, including infant and early childhood mental health clinical services, program administration, research, and early childhood policy. They serve in urban and rural communities across the U.S., Canada, Kenya, Peru, and Uruguay.
“A leader of Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council, Morgan sees the fellowship as important to her leadership development as she strives to expand her professional network, build relationships, and be inspired by other leaders across the country and around the world navigating policy and systems transformation,” said Lynette Aytch, director of ZERO TO THREE’s Leadership Development Institute.
The 18-month Fellowship is designed to support the next generation of early childhood leaders in embracing a courageous, just, and collaborative approach to transforming programs, systems, and policies to give babies and toddlers a strong start in life.
“Each fellow comes with a transformative vision and a strong commitment to driving bold innovations that will help babies thrive and build a brighter future for all,” said Matthew Melmed, executive director of ZERO TO THREE. “Collectively, this class brings a rich diversity of knowledge, leadership experiences, and organizational affiliations that will spark innovation and momentum as we advance equitable solutions across the early childhood field.”
A signature component of the fellowship experience is the advancement of an aspirational Vision for Change, which Fellows propose in their fellowship application. “The goal is to support the Fellows in advancing the Vision in collaboration with a diversity of colleagues, community partners, and allies to move the vision forward. In addition, the fellowship includes four intensive retreats, monthly strategic coaching, and mentorship to deepen Fellows professional skills and relationships as they strive to make the world a better place for infants and toddlers,” Aytch said.
Upon completion of the Fellowship, the class will join more than 300 national and international leaders from previous cohorts as members of the esteemed Academy of ZERO TO THREE Fellows Alumni Network.
