Mr. Jalen Williams is a former environmental consultant and outdoor education specialist that took a turn into teaching a few years ago and never looked back! He has a Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Environmental studies and a Master’s of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan.

He now has been teaching nearly six years, all of them being here at Benzie County Central Schools. He currently teaches Earth Science and Digital Literacy to our 9th graders, and Physics and Applied Science to the upperclassmen.

Jalen is also the Science Olympiad Coach here at Benzie County Central Schools and is proud to have led his team to six straight appearances at the State Tournament in East Lansing. He is also involved with our Building Impact Team (BIT) and several other committees behind the scenes that are dedicated to connecting our students, staff, and families.

In addition, Mr. Williams is currently part of a two-year TeachMichigan fellowship to help himself obtain National Board Certification as a secondary science teacher. As a partner school in the program, he is very thankful that Benzie Central has given him this opportunity to network with a wide cohort of high-impact teachers across the state and improve his credentials and classroom instruction. Jalen is also a member of various teaching groups (Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association, National Science Teachers Association) and has been a longstanding steward with the Michigan Nature Association.

With a background in outdoor education, he is a strong proponent of engaging hands-on learning experiences that take the teacher away from center-stage and place the ownership and construction of knowledge squarely in the students’ hands. To this end, he tries very hard to establish trusting, positive relationships with students that make them feel empowered to collaborate in a classroom community that values their knowledge and experiences.

Mr. William’s leaves us with this, “Education is the key that opens doors to your future.”