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Innovative educational approaches have always driven Mindy Bingham's work. As a part-time college professor, seminar leader, author, publisher, and community activist, she has spent her career helping educators and students succeed, traveling nationwide to lead workshops for teachers and curriculum specialists.
Mindy's contributions to education and equity have earned wide recognition. She received the Outstanding Women in Education Award from the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women, the Breaking Barriers Award from the Equity Council of the Association for Career and Technical Education, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the South Coast Business Network. She also holds honorary life membership with the Vocational Education Equity Council (VEEC) and received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Innovative Approaches to Curricula from the United States Congress. |
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Since college, Mindy envisioned a curriculum that would help students stay engaged in school while preparing for meaningful careers and fulfilling lives. In 1990, she founded Academic Innovations from her home office and garage, turning that vision into reality.
To date, her books have sold more than three million copies. Her Career Choices series, an ambitious interdisciplinary program, is used in over 5,000 schools and job-readiness programs nationwide. The series has received national acclaim, including recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as a "Promising" curriculum and a "Best Practice" citation from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Her best-selling Choices: A Teen Woman's Journal for Self-Awareness and Personal Planning and Challenges, its counterpart for young men, helped advance gender equity in education during the early 1980s. Her children's picture books include the Ingram number-one best-seller Minou and My Way Sally, winner of the 1989 Ben Franklin Award for Best Children's Picture Book. Her most recent book with Viking/Penguin is Things Will Be Different For My Daughter: A Practical Guide to Building Her Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance from Infancy through the Teen Years.
Mindy lives in Montecito, California. Her daughter, Wendy, holds a degree in Business Administration from USC and led the Academic Innovations professional development team for over two decades. Today, Mindy continues to lead the company with a dedicated team, while enjoying time with her grandchildren. |
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