Interest Area
Learning
Our Thinking
Siegel Family Endowment strives to understand how we can better equip individuals with the knowledge they need to contribute to and engage with a rapidly changing society. Yet, we also recognize that 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.
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.
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—especially in communities that have been traditionally hurt by a narrow vision for school. 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 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.
Inquiry Area
Future and Frontier Skills
Rapid changes in technology affect how and what we learn. Without adaptable skills, more and more people risk being left behind by digital transformation. Building on our legacy of investment in computer science education and computational thinking, we support new avenues for skilling individuals in emerging industries such as data science, entrepreneurship, invention, and biotechnology.
Highlighted Grantees
Reimagine America’s Schools
Reimagine America’s Schools is a project of the National Design Alliance with funding from Siegel Family Endowment and catalyst funding from SCHMIDT FUTURES.
NYC FIRST
NYC FIRST runs immersive, hands-on STEM education and robotics programs that serve 7,000 students annually.
Data Science 4 Everyone
Data Science for Everyone is a coalition advancing data science education so that every K-12 student is equipped with the data literacy skills needed to succeed in our modern world.
Learning Insights
From Our Grantees
Cooper Hewitt’s Design-Driven Solutions for Distance Learning
Bringing a whole education system online isn’t just a question of recreating it digitally.
From Our Grantees
Uniquely Human Insights from SFE’s Grantee Network
What human qualities can’t be replicated by machines? And how can we apply these traits in an automated world to…
News
Scratch 3.0 is here!
One of the biggest updates in the Scratch universe to date brings with a number of new features that will…