User Profile

National Director of Grassroots Advocacy & Mobilization, American Federation for Children

Michael Benjamin is the national director of grassroots advocacy and mobilization for the American Federation for Children. Michael leads a team that oversees the grassroots advocacy and mobilization efforts, which maintain and cultivate an extensive advocacy base on behalf of our nation?s children who are in most need of equitable educational opportunity and access. Michael has worked in the educational choice field since 2000 and has established a national reputation for his efforts to engage, recruit, organize, train and mobilize supporters of educational choice. In 2001, he co-founded Step Up For Students, which oversees the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship for low-income students, with John Kirtley and helped convince the legislature to create a program. The program now serves over 100,000 low-income students in over 1,800 schools throughout Florida. For several years he served on the national board of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), serving on their Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Chair of the Audit Committee, and Symposium Planning Committee. Michael earned a bachelor?s in economics and philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor?s in practical ministry from Christian Family Church International Bible Institute. He graduated valedictorian and served as class president. He is a guest lecturer for classes on Introduction to Management at the Bible College. Michael and his family continue to serve their community locally and throughout the Tampa Bay area.