Mychal Wynn, parent, educator, author, consultant

“I am on a mission to make a difference.”

Mychal Wynn is a visionary who created the space now referred to as, “College Planning.” During the eighties, Mr. Wynn, through his staff development presentations, workshops, and keynote addresses in the United States and Bermuda, advocated for providing students with a purpose for learning—hence, dreams and aspirations. He trained teachers in creating multi-sensory classroom environments and developing differentiated interdisciplinary instructional units to show students the type of colleges and careers into which their dreams and aspirations could lead.

During the nineties, as his older son was progressing throughout elementary school and middle school, Mr. Wynn authored such books as “Building Dreams: Elementary Ed. Teacher’s Guide,” and “Ten Steps to Helping Your Child Succeed in School.” These books provided deeper insight into how to guide young children in conceptualizing potential college/career pathways based on their gifts, talents, interests, and personality types.

Mr. Wynn volunteered to guide the strategic planning of his son’s middle (Johns Hopkins Creative and Performing Arts Magnet Middle School – St. Petersburg, FL) to cultivate stronger relationships with students of color, those who would be the first in their family to attend college, and struggling learners by inspiring student achievement and guiding students onto college-bound pathways. These efforts, which resulted in Johns Hopkins moving from a ‘D’ to an ‘A’ graded school, are profile in his book, “Increasing Student Achievement: A Guide to School Improvement Planning.”

In 2002, as his son entered high school, Mr. Wynn published a series of college planning guides and middle school and high school students: A Middle School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams and a High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams. As parents, Mr. Wynn and his wife, Nina, guiding their older son into a full need-based scholarship at Amherst College, one of the premiere liberal arts colleges in the United States. Six years later, while schools were continuing to talk about college and career readiness, Mr. and Mrs. Wynn guided their younger son into being selected as a Gates Millennium Scholar and attending Morehouse College, the preeminent liberal arts college for Black men.

Mr. Wynn has advocated for, written about, and designed curriculum focused on expanding postsecondary access to colleges and scholarships for first generation, low-income, and marginalized students. Deservedly, he has become one of the most preeminent and highly sought after speakers in the country. His writings and presentations are based on experiences gleaned over the course of 30 years of parenting and teaching.

A child of poverty and first in his family to graduate from college, Mr. Wynn has unparalleled insight into the issues and obstacles confronting students from high poverty and marginalized communities. However, such students are not the only students challenged with navigating preschool through high school pathways into college.

Many students fail to maximize the preschool through high school opportunities to take the right classes, earn the right grades, and achieve the right test scores needed to pave the way to full college scholarships. Most students will fail to identify their ‘hook’ and fail to match to the right college. Indeed, most student require guidance, support, encouragement, and inspiration.

Mr. Wynn has worked with students in elementary through community college; juvenile court schools; and alternative schools. He has worked with elementary through college faculty and administrators. He has worked with parents from lower income to affluent communities. He has worked with schools, school districts, faith-based and community organizations, and with policy makers. In essence, Mr. Wynn has worked with every stakeholder group concerned with increasing student achievement and supporting student success.

Mr. Wynn has been recognized as a ‘Transformational Leader’ for his service to the AME Church; as a ‘Citizen of the Year’ by the Chi Gamma Gamma Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., for his work in the the community; and has received Keys to the City for the huge impact he has made in supporting students and families and expanding college access.

 

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