News about our grantees, the Foundation, and the field.
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.
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.
With the expiration of ESSER funds, out-of-school programs—key beneficiaries of federal stimulus dollars—may be at risk of disinvestment in schools nationwide. Emma Banay points to the irreplaceable role high-quality out-of-school-time programs play in children's holistic development, calling for school, district, and state leaders to prioritize these programs as more than a nice-to-have.
In Q3 2024, our foundation awarded 69 grants totaling over $16.5 million. Here, we highlighted just some of the direct impact and ecosystem organizations we’re proud to support this quarter.
Over the last two years, we’ve made over $13 million in commitments to organizations building, scaling, or learning about AI-powered interventions in Pre-K-12 education. To inform how we pursue genAI investments in 2025 and beyond, we analyzed our grantmaking efforts and trends we’re seeing in the broader landscape. Jon Sotsky shares five reflections from this exercise focused on the progress, challenges, and dynamics we’re observing through the efforts of our grantees and others in the field.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, one out of every four students—or even more—have been considered chronically absent in U.S. school systems. To combat the growing absenteeism crisis, a new study from the Ad Council Research Institute, funded by Overdeck Family Foundation, provides guidance for how school leaders, educators, community partners, and others can more effectively encourage families to send their children to school on a consistent basis.
Each day, our grantee partners impact the lives of countless educators, students, and families across the country. Here, we highlight stories from Parent Teacher Home Visits, PBS SoCal, and MIND Education, which provide a glimpse into how our grantees create meaningful change in the communities they serve.
Jessica Fredston-Hermann sits down with David Rosenberg, a partner at Education Resource Strategies (ERS), for a “Spotlight On Innovation.” Together, they discuss the current state of the teaching profession and how schools and districts across the country are rethinking the traditional “one teacher, one classroom” model with a flexible, team-oriented approach known as strategic staffing.
Our funding will support five studies designed to produce data and research that collectively inform the work of policymakers and practitioners in the hope of increasing student attendance from Pre-K to high school.
In this “Spotlight On Innovation,” Emma Banay talks with Nick Monzi, co-founder and CEO of Learn Fresh. Together, they discuss Learn Fresh’s innovative approach to inspiring STEM interest both in and out of the classroom, how the organization established strong partnerships with professional sports organizations, and the key to training and developing skilled program coordinators to support students’ math learning.