Kenyon Andrews

Our member spotlight this month is Mr. Kenyon Andrews, who is a first-generation college graduate and currently a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership with a Specialization in Transformational School Leadership at Barry University. With an MS and BA in Developmental and Child Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University, he also currently serves as a special education teacher in the Nevada area. Kenyon’s research interests include intersectionality, disability, cultural affirmation, and fostering inclusive learning environments. He is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Council of Exceptional Children and the American Educational Research Association. His publications include "Disability, Intersectionality, and Belonging in Special Education" and "Black Male Educators in American Classrooms: Recruitment, Retention, and K-12 Impact”.

Kenyon is actively involved in disability and special education work globally and was recently awarded a Global Learning Fellowship, which aims to expand educators’ understanding of global competencies and intercultural awareness. He will spend June in Costa Rica, and his project will focus on accessibility in global classrooms, specifically highlighting the importance of water access and equity from a global perspective. He also previously presented on Disability, Bias, and Belonging in Education for DISES in Panama in 2024. These initiatives showcase his commitment to international education and addressing critical global issues.

Nationally, Kenyon is also very involved in crucial collaborative work. He has established partnerships and collaborations with organizations such as Teach Plus, 100 Black Men of America, National Educators Association (NEA), NAACP, CEC, National Board-Certified Teachers (NBCT) & National Board Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators (NAME). This has included working with K-16 institutions and districts across the United States to provide and promote professional development, educational policy and advocacy, community youth mentoring, and advancement in equity and inclusion for students with disabilities and minoritized educators.  

Mr. Andrews’ work and initiatives are driven by his goals to inspire change in education by transforming thoughts on intersectionality, disability, and cultural affirmation. His goals include addressing systemic biases and fostering welcoming, inclusive learning environments and spaces, and using his dissertation and future research to advance the work related to Black special education teachers and their teaching practices state-wide and nationally. As Kenyon graduates and prepares to move into a higher education role, he will continue his global engagement and work, striving to assist educators from diverse cultural backgrounds in creating a supportive ecosystem for professional development and community building. Kenyon’s research provides strategies for empowering diverse learners and fostering inclusive environments.  Kenyon's scholarly contributions have and will continue to impact the lives of youth across various age ranges, particularly in skill building, career-related goal setting and planning, the importance of mental health, self-awareness, self-advocacy, and giving back to their community.

Kenyon may be contacted at kenyon.andrews@yahoo.com