Jailyn Jenkins

Jailyn Jenkins has built her career on a foundation of belonging, equity, joy, and the daily adventures of learning, striving to instill a passion for science, especially among students of color. Inspired by curiosity, nature, and exploration, her dedication focuses on cultivating joyful learning experiences and authentic visibility in the STEM field. Growing up, she navigated diverse spaces and actively carved out room for advocacy and representation in areas where they were scarce and undervalued.

Facing Arizona's early teacher shortage, Jailyn started her teaching career before officially earning her STEM Education degree from Arizona State University. After a few years of teaching in Phoenix, she returned to her hometown of Denver, to teach and complete her Masters in Education Administration at Grand Canyon University. She then ventured into spaces that allowed her to influence and enhance equity-centered communities. Becoming a lab host provided her with another platform for advocacy, complementing her roles as a science instructional coach, staff developer, district facilitator, and public speaker.

After more than a decade of dedicated service, Jailyn identified a need to explore and expand into an organization committed to enhancing education systems and student access comprehensively. Joining the team at the Public Education and Business Coalition, she currently serves as the Manager of Resident Development, Innovation, and Coaching. Jailyn also is the co-founder of the fruitful BEST (BIPOC Educational STEM Thinkers) Conference & affinity groups, an initiative rooted in connecting, supporting, and sustaining educators, both locally and nationally, because "it is hard to be what you can't see".