Meet the Instructor

Welcome! I’m Dr. Andre Benito Mountain, an experienced educator, author, and national advocate for culturally responsive teaching grounded in Hip Hop culture. I bring over two decades of experience in K–12 education, literacy leadership, and museum programming to this course—and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you. For seven years, I proudly served as a school principal in metro Atlanta, where I led with a commitment to equity, innovation, and student voice. During that time, I established a groundbreaking Hip Hop Literacy Laboratory that reimagined reading and writing instruction for elementary students, blending academic rigor with cultural relevance. My work has earned national recognition, including being named the 2024 EPIC Educator by the Center for Model Schools, and has been featured in Education Week, Teacher Magazine, and at leading education conferences across the country. Today, I serve as the Director of Education for The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, NY, where I continue to design transformative learning experiences that merge literacy, the arts, and youth culture. I also teach at the collegiate level as an adjunct professor, helping prepare the next generation of educators to meet students where they are—and move them forward with intention. This course is about purpose. Together, we’ll explore how to build your own Literacy Laboratory grounded in Hip Hop culture, equipping you with tools to engage students, foster critical thinking, and create powerful learning environments where every voice matters. Let’s begin this transformative journey—because education deserves a remix.