As a former high school English teacher, Melinda wanted her students to be critical, creative, and civically-minded citizens. She inspired her students to excel beyond the classroom by focusing on project-based learning and civic engagement. It wasn’t simply about mastering the standards, but mastering the art of building community. It wasn’t simply about numbers on a test, but the number of people you can impact. After teaching high school English for 10 years, Melinda transitioned to working for an English curriculum non-profit where she supported teachers in implementing hands-on literacy strategies and with teaching culturally-relevant lessons.

When presenting webinars and providing professional development, Melinda consistently lit up the room both virtually and in-person with her humor, energy, and empathy. This along with years of teaching project-based learning inspired Melinda to start I5 Empower.