Latest Our Blog

Spotlight On Growth: National Inventors Hall of Fame

In this “Spotlight On Growth,” Emma Banay sits down with Hannah Paulin, Chief Strategic Officer at the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Together, they discuss the organization’s long history of nurturing students' skills and interest in STEM and innovation, the scale trajectory of its educational programming since the pandemic, and more.

Young students work on laptop computers

Spotlight On Growth: Zearn

Founded in 2012, Zearn is the nonprofit behind Zearn Math, the top-rated math learning platform used by one in four elementary school students nationwide. In this “Spotlight On Growth,” we hear from co-founder and CEO Shalinee Sharma and explore the organization’s journey to expand access to high-quality math learning.

Spotlight On Growth: CommonLit

In this “Spotlight On Growth,” Pete Lavorini talks with Michelle Brown, founder and CEO of CommonLit. Together, they delve into CommonLit’s growth trajectory, the role of AI in the organization’s future, and its approach to measuring impact on student learning and engagement.

Spotlight On Growth: TalkingPoints

The first installation of our new interview series, “Spotlight On,” features Lina Eroh in conversation with Heejae Lim, founder and CEO of TalkingPoints. Together, they discuss TalkingPoints’ growth trajectory, the platform’s use of AI to foster family-school partnerships, and how technology will continue to shape the future of education.

2023 Bright Spots: Unlocking Growth

Here we highlight how our funding helped DiscoverE, EdReports, FluentSeeds, and Teaching Lab unlock growth in 2023, measured by increased earned revenue and reach, improved capacities, and follow-on funding.

Two students work on robotics

2022 Bright Spots: Unlocking Growth

In this blog post, we highlight how Overdeck Family Foundation funding has helped Almost Fun, Imagine Science, Next Education Workforce, Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund, Saga Education, and Tools of the Mind unlock growth, measured by increased earned revenue and reach, improved capacities, and follow-on funding.

2021 Bright Spots: Unlocking Growth

This blog post explores how five organizations—Waterford Upstart, Zearn, TalkingPoints, BellXcel, and Public Impact Opportunity Culture—successfully achieved growth in the past year with support from Overdeck Family Foundation.

Why We Fund Afterschool STEM at Overdeck Family Foundation

Even before the pandemic, NAEP scores for students saw unprecedented declines, especially in math. Afterschool STEM programming plays a unique role in promoting academic outcomes, supporting social-emotional development, and leveraging the home and community environments as places for extended learning. That's why Overdeck Family Foundation aims to make high-quality afterschool STEM accessible to all students.

New Jersey Tutoring Corps Expands to School Year after Successful Summer

The NJ Tutoring Corps, a research-informed, high-dosage, small-group tutoring program created by Overdeck Family Foundation and the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund, will expand to the school year starting in January. The program was launched in summer to tackle COVID-related learning loss and accelerate learning recovery for NJ students.