Latest Our Blog

Students working on laptops

Perspectives: As Technology Use Explodes in Classrooms, Philanthropy Must Help Ensure All Students Benefit

Technology has the potential to play a significant role in improving engagement with families, assessing student progress, and providing personalized learning solutions. But to have a real impact, edtech tools need to be evaluated and refined before they're made available at scale. John Overdeck, President of Overdeck Family Foundation, points to the need for philanthropic investment in new innovations and ongoing evidence-building to ensure these solutions improve learning for all students.

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.

Students work together at a table in a classroom.

2022 End of Year Research Update

Overdeck Family Foundation is committed to promoting transparent research practices by lifting up timely findings. Here we share the results of seven grantee research studies that concluded at the end of this year.

Child stands holding tablet with parent

Perspectives: Why Digital STEM Initiatives Are a Critical Investment Right Now

As was the case pre-Covid, many students continue to score below proficient in STEM subjects, with low-income, Black, and Hispanic students on average far behind where they would have been if not for Covid-related learning disruptions. Gemma Lenowitz calls for investment in affordable and scalable digital solutions that can help close this widening gap by engaging students in STEM learning beyond the classroom.

Q1 2022 Funding Announcement

In Q1 2022, our foundation awarded 41 grants totaling over $12 million dollars. Of these, 17 grants were new and 24 were renewals. This post highlights just some of the many organizations we’re proud to support this quarter as we begin our 2022 grantmaking.

November News Roundup

This roundup highlights our grantees’ and Foundation staff’s work in November 2020, especially in response to COVID-19's continuing impact on education.

October News Roundup

A roundup highlighting our grantees’ and Foundation staff’s impactful work in October 2020.

September News Roundup

This roundup highlights some of the impactful work our grantees and staff accomplished in September 2020.

Keanna Marshall, a City Year team leader works with a student in a school in Tulsa, OK, in 2017. Image via Amadou Diallo for The Hechinger Report

August News Roundup

In this roundup, we highlight some of the impactful work our grantees and Foundation staff accomplished in August 2020.