Latest Our Blog

2023 Bright Spots: Unlocking Innovation

Here, we highlight stories of how our funding helped "Cyberchase," Khan Academy, Science Buddies, and Tools of the Mind unlock innovation—developing and launching new approaches, interventions, or models that address unmet needs.

girl in yellow shirt raises her hand

2022 Bright Spots: Unlocking Innovation

In this blog post, we highlight stories of how Overdeck Family Foundation funding has helped CommonLit, Khan Academy, and LENA unlock innovation—developing and launching new approaches, interventions, or models that address unmet needs.

two educators read at the front of the classroom

Perspectives: It’s Time to Rethink the ‘One Teacher, One Classroom’ Model

Stephanie Banchero of The Joyce Foundation and Irene Chen write about why the traditional school staffing model must be reimagined. This challenging moment in education is an opportunity for district and school leaders to embrace innovative, differentiated staffing that creatively utilizes educators and plays to their strengths—positioning schools for long-term success.

Two students stand holding certificates

Innovation in Parent & Educator Supports Critical to Early School Success

As we enter our third pandemic year, it’s critical that families and educators have the support they need to ensure that our youngest learners are on the path to early school success. Carly Roberts highlights three grantees that innovated their program models to be shorter, easier to implement, and/or delivered virtually or in a hybrid model, to provide that much-needed support.

2021 Bright Spots: Unlocking Innovation

This blog post explores how three organizations—New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Springboard Collaborative, and EiE—embraced disruptions caused by Covid as an opportunity to fuel innovation.

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.

Why Funding Family STEM Is More Important Than Ever

In 2021, Overdeck Family Foundation made grants totaling $3.75 million to organizations that support family STEM. This post explores the importance of engaging families in their children's STEM learning and highlights three organizations that are leading the way.

Supporting Kindergarten Readiness and Early School Success in a Pandemic Year

The Early Impact portfolio at Overdeck Family Foundation funds programs that support school readiness both in and out of "school," ensuring that every child has the opportunity for a strong start. This year, with the many challenges and setbacks created by the pandemic, that work is more critical than ever. This post highlights some of our grantee organizations engaging in this important work.

Tech-Enabled Math Solutions: Investing in the Growth and Continued Innovation of Two High-Quality Math Platforms

The pandemic put the benefits of tech-enabled solutions front and center. While traditional math curriculum providers struggled to adapt, digital and tech-enabled curriculum and solution providers were able to quickly respond to student needs, decreasing the amount of interrupted learning that students experienced. In this post, we highlight two solutions that measurably accelerate math learning: Zearn and ST Math.