Every day in the classroom, educators are inspiring students with their passion, creativity, and dedication. These same traits can be found in the eight organizations described below – progressive groups that are changing how we view education.
- Battelle for Kids
This organization works to improve education for students by supporting the educators who work with them. Battelle for Kids helps educators advance their teaching skills through professional development and learning resources, and provides support for creating initiatives for students.
- CODE.org
This nonprofit is dedicated to promoting interest in computer science and making it more accessible to girls and under-represented students of color. Code.org helps increase diversity in computer science and works to make it part of modern core curriculum.
- One Laptop per Child (OLPC)
The mission of this organization is to empower the world’s least advantaged children by providing them with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop. OLPC has designed hardware, software, and content to empower these children to engage in their own education and use their connectivity to teach themselves.
- Sesame Workshop
The long-standing nonprofit behind the creation of Sesame Street has been working since 1969 to make early education as available to disadvantaged children as it is to middle-class children. One of their main initiatives, “Literacy & Numeracy,” includes programs that encourage children to get excited about reading, writing, and other topics, such as basic finances for young children.
- TED Talks
This nonprofit organization provides a stage for creative educators to share their ideas and discoveries with other professionals in education. TED's early emphasis was on technology and design (the acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design), but it has since broadened its focus to include educational technology innovations created to solve real-world problems in the classroom.
- Jumpstart
This nonprofit is dedicated to preparing young students for success in kindergarten, which keeps students from falling behind and helps them continue being successful as they progress through primary school. Jumpstart recruits and trains college students and community members to help preschool children in low-income neighborhoods gain the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten.
- Khan Academy
Khan Academy’s mission is to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Their online database of interactive lessons and instructional videos provides a personalized learning resource to anyone with Internet connectivity. Khan Academy is well known for its math instructional content, but it also offers lessons in science, computer programming, history, economics, and more.
- 4.0 Schools
This nonprofit runs four-day intensives, book clubs, conferences, and other programs that transform educators into entrepreneurs with education solutions. The rigorous 4.0 Schools process gives aspiring entrepreneurs a pathway from their initial hunch to the launch of a new product or school, helping to reimagine the way we teach and learn.
To stay informed about other dynamic leaders and organizations in education, sign up for our blog.
