TWO HARBORS, MN, UNITED STATES, October 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Founder of Above & Beyond With U Advances Accessibility Education, Disability Advocacy, and Nonprofit Leadership After a 19-Year Career in Music Education
Two Harbors, Minnesota – Jenna Udenberg is the Founder of Above & Beyond With U, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating more accessible and inclusive spaces through education, advocacy, and community engagement. A disability advocate and accessibility educator based in the Greater Duluth area, she specializes in accessibility education, disability advocacy and inclusion, and nonprofit leadership and development.
Before launching her nonprofit, Jenna built a 19-year career as a music educator, developing inclusive programs such as adaptive music, beginning band, high school choir, and jazz ensembles in parochial, charter, and public schools. Her adaptive elementary general music program met students where they were at by supporting their IEP goals, made the music content accessible at various levels and gave the students and their support staff additional time with the material to be successful in the classroom and performances. More importantly, bringing these access measures into the general music classroom helped their peers learn to interact and communicate with a variety of people. This work reflects the same commitment to inclusion that guides her nonprofit today.
She earned a double bachelor’s degree in Music Education, instrumental and vocal, from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a Master of Education with a focus in technology integration from the College of St. Scholastica. A 2020 Bush Fellow, she has also taken part in the Shannon Leadership Institute and the Blandin Foundation Community Leadership Program. Her honors include the Journey Award from the Miller-Dwan Foundation, Coach of the Year for High-Tech Kids Robotics, and the 2026 Lake County Volunteer of the Year Award. She is also a published author and columnist.
Accessibility education helps organizations understand how physical spaces, programs, and communication can be designed so that people with disabilities can participate fully. Inclusive design benefits everyone. The Americans with Disabilities Act set legal standards for access in 1990, but true inclusion often requires going beyond minimum requirements to consider sensory needs, communication access, and welcoming attitudes. Roughly one in four adults in the United States lives with some type of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making accessibility a concern that touches every community.
Jenna attributes her success to the support of her family and community, the collaboration of those around her, and a foundation of faith and personal values. She believes success is never achieved alone and that people thrive through interdependence and collective action. Staying grounded in her values allows her to remain authentic, resilient, and focused through challenges and change.
She sees navigating generational change as both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity in her field. As experienced leaders step back, newer generations can preserve valuable knowledge while introducing fresh ideas, though sustainable funding and participation require adaptability and collaboration.
Jenna supports the Gitchi-Gami Trail Association, which is building a paved recreational trail along the North Shore of Lake Superior, and coaches the Robo Dweebs LEGO robotics team, helping young people build skills in engineering, programming, and teamwork.
From the music classroom to the founding of a nonprofit devoted to inclusion, Jenna has spent her career making sure everyone has a place. Through education, advocacy, and community involvement, Jenna Udenberg continues to champion disability rights and accessible, inclusive communities.
Learn More about Jenna Udenberg:
Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/jenna-udenberg
Influential Women
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