About
John Yelding is an Adjunct Professor and chair of the Department of Education at Hope College since 2016. With over 25 years of experience in public education, he has taught at all levels from elementary to high school and served as an administrator in diverse educational settings, including a summer migrant education program in West Michigan. His expertise spans secondary, rural, and urban education, with a focus on diversity and educational leadership.
- M.Ed.L, Western Michigan University, 1987
- B.A. in Social Studies, Michigan State University
John teaches foundational courses such as Perspectives in Education, Foundations of Education, and the Student Teaching Seminar. He co-directs the Hope Comes to Watts May Term program, which engages students in urban education through travel-study, and developed a June Term course on the civil rights movement. His work emphasizes diversity, including chairing advisory boards for the Phelps Scholars and Hope College Upward Bound programs.
- The Motoichiro Oghimi Global Courage Award (2016)
- Susan M. and Glenn G. Cherup Associate Professor of Education (Endowed Chair, 2013)
- Provost’s Award (2009)
- Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund award (2011)
Outside Hope College, John served on the West Ottawa Board of Education and the boards of the Alliance of Cultural and Ethnic Harmony and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland.
