Learn Fresh transforms students’ passion for sports and entertainment into a powerful tool for inspiring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, as well as future-ready skills like relationship-building, collaboration, and self-efficacy. In collaboration with premier sports organizations such as the NBA, MLB Players Trust, and MLS, Learn Fresh has developed programs like NBA Math Hoops, MLB Players STEM League, and MLS STEM Goals, which foster students’ resilience, confidence, and sportsmanship, in addition to academic growth with a focus on algebra readiness.
In its 2025-26 season to date, Learn Fresh has seen seven percent year-over-year growth across all its programs, reaching nearly 399,000 youth nationwide. This expansion was bolstered by steady demand for NBA Math Hoops—the organization’s founding program designed to help students learn fundamental math and social-emotional skills through the game of basketball. In the same period, Learn Fresh also saw substantial growth of its newest offerings: MLB Players STEM League (37 percent year-over-year growth) and MLS STEM Goals (72 percent year-over-year growth).
As Learn Fresh’s footprint has grown, so has visibility and support for its programs. In 2025, the organization maintained partnerships with 31 premier sports teams, supporting local program implementation and expansion. And in June, the NBA Headquarters in New York City hosted the 2025 NBA Math Hoops Global Championship, demonstrating deep partnership and commitment from the league. In a “Spotlight On Innovation” interview, co-founder and CEO Nick Monzi spoke with us about the organization’s partnership strategy and its unique approach to igniting students’ STEM interest in and out of the classroom.
An Overdeck Family Foundation grantee since 2020, Learn Fresh has capitalized on capacity-building support to strengthen its evidence-building, communications, and revenue model. The organization has specifically focused on expanding its evidence base, building on initial positive findings related to math fluency and social-emotional competencies by working with WestEd to conduct a randomized controlled trial that aims to better understand the impact of NBA Math Hoops on students’ math learning, social-emotional development, and self-efficacy and enjoyment of math.
