Benn Vanoudenallen

Bennett VanOudenallen is a highly accomplished educator, program designer, and community leader with over two decades of experience in educational innovation and student empowerment. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, he is renowned for creating engaging, transformative learning experiences that drive individual and community growth.

His passion for education was ignited during a "Senior-Switch Day" at Indian Hill High School, where he experienced the joys of teaching firsthand. After graduating from the Richard Farmer School of Business at Miami University with a degree in Management, he honed his teaching skills while embracing national service. He was an AmeriCorps volunteer in rural Massachusetts, a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, and a National Park Service interpretive educator in Arizona. These roles led him to pursue his teaching certification from Upper Valley Educators Institute in New Hampshire and a master's degree in Educational Design from Plymouth State University.

In 2021 Benn was the national recipient of the Jane Ortner Education Award from the GRAMMY Museum. In 2024 Benn was chosen as the January National Spotlight Educator by the Honored foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating extraordinary educators who have been nominated by their students for having a profound positive impact on their educational career. Benn has designed lesson plans and delivered educational design to clients from the National Museum of African American Music to Microsoft.