Literacy Unleashed: Connecting Students to the Power of Words

This session will explore the challenges educators face today with student engagement, academic vocabulary, and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Learn how you can empower students through vocabulary acquisition and comprehension by connecting them to diverse texts, fostering critical thinking, and encouraging authentic expression. We’ll also discuss practical strategies and actionable approaches to help students overcome these challenges and inspire them to become confident, engaged learners.

Dr. Mervin Jenkins, also known as Spectac, is an author, entertainer, and lifelong educator whose work has landed him an NPR interview and a visit to The White House under President Barack Obama, as a participant in the 2014 My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. For almost three decades, he has served as a teacher, school administrator, assistant director for a national nonprofit, and senior manager in the edtech arena. Dr. Jenkins’ love for music has afforded him the opportunity to work with Grammy-nominated hip-hop artists and producers. Dr. Jenkins is the author of two books: Before They Leave Here, While They Are with Us, and most recently, To the Beat of Leadership: A Story of High and Low Notes.

Dr. Jenkins currently serves as the Director of Customer Solutions for Nearpod by Renaissance, where he focuses on sharing how hip-hop can bring pedagogical practices to the classroom. He lives on Johns Island, in his native state of South Carolina, with his wife, Chiffon.