Interest Area
Learning
Our Thinking
We believe that multidimensional learning ecosystems that consider the whole learner, whole school, and whole community are a crucial path towards more equitable outcomes. Every factor in a learner’s education— from broadband access to safe and affordable housing to the development of social-emotional skills— can widen inequality and impact success. How might we shift systems in ways that drive equitable outcomes and create opportunities for learners and their communities?
Our Inquiry Areas
Our work supports and shapes programs and solutions that build lifelong learning opportunities and envision an education system that works for everyone, by addressing long standing social and economic inequities. We prioritize initiatives that pilot inventions and scale transformative interventions that incorporate flexibility and rigor, and enable all learners to thrive in a rapidly evolving society. This includes research, platforms, and programs that offer everyone the skills, tools, and opportunities they need to continue learning and adapting, and that are open, accessible, and innovative.
Inquiry Area
Schools as Community Infrastructure
For schools to become the most effective and powerful versions of themselves, it’s critical to understand their place within and connection to the communities they serve, and how both systems – school and community – must be strengthened in tandem. Using a multidimensional framing for school allows us to consider the infrastructure needs of school in a holistic way that elevates the school community’s strengths and resources, and that identifies broad needs that remain unmet. By conceptualizing and conceiving of schools as bigger than the buildings in which they operate, we have an opportunity to expand what schools can do, and to make sure that they have the resources to do that critical work.
Inquiry Area
Computational Thinking
Our investments support the expansion of computer and data science education with a focus on computational thinking. We support research, platforms, and programs that offer everyone the skills, tools, and opportunities they need to continue learning and adapting, and that are open, accessible, and innovative. This includes supporting avenues that adapt enduring skills alongside technology.
Highlighted Grantees
Transcend
Transcend is made up of a diverse team of educators, innovators, and changemakers with experience as school and system leaders, working towards a vision where all young people learn in ways that enable them to thrive in and transform the world.
Developmental Technologies Research Group (DevTech)
DevTech promotes young children’s learning about computational thinking, coding, making and engineering in a playful, developmentally appropriate way.
LeanLab Education
LeanLab specializes in codesign research between education technology companies and schools. They match parents, learners and educators with edtech developers to inform, develop, and evaluate the next generation of classroom tools.
Learning Insights
From Our Grantees
Measuring Impact: Building on the Knowledge and Experience of the Computer Science Education Movement
Leaders at CSforALL share their vision for new and better ways to think about “impact” – how it is defined,…
From Our Grantees
Much More than a Coding Language
In this joint interview, Co-Executive Directors Mindee and Sarah discuss the power of Scratch in developing important skillsets, mindsets, and…
Big Ideas
Spring Case Study Series: How Three Grantees are Leveraging School and Community to Improve Outcomes for All
While the summer months offer an excellent window into how schools and communities come together to jointly grow and teach…