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Who's who

Nonprofits, labs and funders

Foundations, investors, research centers, nonprofits and government programs: who builds, studies and pays for the field.

  • 210 listed

Foundations and funders

  • Annie E. Casey FoundationFoundation · Baltimore, MD, USA · founded 1948Foundation set up by UPS founder Jim Casey and his siblings to improve the futures of children and families in the US. It publishes the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, which ranks states on child well-being, and funds work in child welfare, juvenile justice, family economic success and early learning.
  • Arnold VenturesFoundation · Houston, TX, USA · founded 2008Philanthropy of John and Laura Arnold, founded as the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and restructured in 2019. It funds evidence-based policy across criminal justice, health, public finance and education, and is known for paying for rigorous evaluations and for its support of evidence standards in social programs.People: John Arnold, Laura Arnold
  • Axim CollaborativeNonprofit · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 2021Nonprofit formed by Harvard and MIT with about $800 million from the sale of edX to 2U. It funds and builds work that helps underserved learners reach good jobs through online and technology-enabled learning, and stewards the Open edX platform.
  • Ballmer GroupFoundation · USA · founded 2015Philanthropy of Steve and Connie Ballmer that funds efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the US, with concentrated work in Washington State, Los Angeles and Detroit. Grants cover early learning, K-12, behavioral health, data and government capacity.People: Steve Ballmer, Connie Ballmer
  • Bernard van Leer FoundationFoundation · The Hague, Netherlands · founded 1949Dutch foundation, now calling itself the Van Leer Foundation, that has focused on young children since 1949. It funds programs and research on babies, toddlers and their caregivers, including its Urban95 initiative on designing cities for young children, and it publishes the Early Childhood Matters journal on early childhood policy.
  • Bezos Family FoundationFoundation · Seattle, WA, USA · founded 2000Foundation led by Jackie and Mike Bezos that funds early learning and youth programs. Its best-known project is Vroom, a free set of science-based tips and an app that help parents turn everyday moments like mealtime and bath time into brain-building moments for children from birth to age five. It also runs Students Rebuild and supports youth leadership programs.People: Jackie Bezos, Mike Bezos
  • Bloomberg PhilanthropiesFoundation · New York, NY, USAPhilanthropy of Michael R. Bloomberg that gives billions of dollars a year across public health, climate, cities, the arts and education. Its education work supports charter school growth and career and technical education, including a $250 million initiative announced in 2023 to create healthcare-focused high schools.People: Michael R. Bloomberg
  • Carnegie Corporation of New YorkFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 1911Foundation created by Andrew Carnegie. Its education program funds work on student-centered learning, pathways from high school to college and career, and public understanding of education, alongside programs on democracy and international peace. It is a long-time funder of education policy research and journalism.
  • Chan Zuckerberg InitiativeFoundation · Redwood City, CA, USA · founded 2015Philanthropy founded by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, organized as an LLC. Its education work helped launch the Summit Learning program (later Gradient Learning) and funded research on whole-child learning. In 2025 it gathered its education work into Learning Commons, which builds open datasets and tools meant to make AI products for schools more accurate and better aligned to learning science. Most of its spending now goes to science and its Biohub network.People: Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg
  • David and Lucile Packard FoundationFoundation · Los Altos, CA, USA · founded 1964Foundation created by HP co-founder David Packard and his wife Lucile. Its Children, Families, and Communities program funds early childhood development and early learning in California, including support for parents, child care providers and early education policy, alongside programs in conservation, climate, science and reproductive health worldwide.
  • Gates FoundationFoundation · Seattle, WA, USA · founded 2000One of the world's largest private foundations, formerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its US education work centers on K-12 math, including AI-powered tools for teachers and students, and on college completion. In 2025 it said it would spend more than $200 billion over 20 years and close in 2045. Its 2025 budget was about $8.7 billion across health, development and education.People: Bill Gates, Mark Suzman
  • Google.orgFoundation · Mountain View, CA, USA · founded 2005Google's philanthropic arm. It has funded computer science and AI-literacy education for students and teachers, including grants to groups that train teachers to use AI, along with grants for online safety, economic opportunity and crisis response. Its grants are mostly invitation-only, plus periodic open calls such as AI accelerator programs for nonprofits.
  • Heising-Simons FoundationFoundation · Los Altos, CA, USA · founded 2007Family foundation in Los Altos, California, that funds climate, science, human rights and education. Its education program supports early childhood education, including early math, the early education workforce and families, and research on how young children learn, working with early learning programs, researchers and policymakers.
  • Jacobs FoundationFoundation · Zurich, Switzerland · founded 1989Swiss foundation set up by entrepreneur Klaus J. Jacobs that funds learning sciences research and evidence-based education worldwide. It runs the Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship for early-career researchers, supports programs in Cote d'Ivoire, Switzerland and Colombia, and has backed edtech evidence work and the Learning Engineering Tools Competition.
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationFoundation · Chicago, IL, USA · founded 1978Large private foundation known for the MacArthur Fellows program. From 2006 it ran a decade-long Digital Media and Learning initiative that funded research on how young people learn with digital media and produced the connected learning model. Its current focus areas include climate, criminal justice and nuclear risk rather than education.
  • Joyce FoundationFoundation · Chicago, IL, USA · founded 1948Private foundation that funds policy work in the Great Lakes region. Its Education and Economic Mobility program supports better public schools, teacher quality and college and career pathways, with grants also in democracy, climate, journalism, culture and gun violence prevention.
  • Kapor FoundationFoundation · Oakland, CA, USAFoundation of Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein, based in Oakland, that works to make technology and computer science education more equitable. It funds research and policy on who gets access to CS education, supports programs for students of color, and publishes frameworks for responsible and culturally responsive AI education.People: Mitch Kapor, Freada Kapor Klein
  • LEGO FoundationFoundation · Billund, Denmark · founded 1986Foundation that owns 25 percent of the LEGO Group and funds research and programs on learning through play for young children. It publishes research on playful learning, backs early childhood programs for refugee and crisis-affected children, and partners with universities and NGOs worldwide.
  • Mastercard FoundationFoundation · Toronto, Canada · founded 2006One of the largest private foundations in the world, focused on young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada. Its Young Africa Works strategy and Scholars Program fund secondary and higher education, and it has backed edtech and digital learning research across the continent.
  • Michael & Susan Dell FoundationFoundation · Austin, TX, USA · founded 1999Foundation of Michael and Susan Dell that funds education, family economic stability and health in the United States, India and South Africa. In education it has backed school data systems, charter networks, and programs that help low-income students get to and finish college, and it says it has made $10 billion in commitments since 1999.People: Michael Dell, Susan Dell
  • NestaFoundation · London, UK · founded 1998UK innovation agency for social good, now an independent charity. Its fairer start mission works on narrowing the gap in outcomes for young children before they start school, including tools for parents and early years settings, and it has run edtech testbeds and research on technology in schools and on AI.
  • Nuffield FoundationFoundation · London, UK · founded 1943Independent UK charity that funds research on education, welfare and justice to inform policy. It has a long history in education research and curriculum development, set up the Ada Lovelace Institute on data and AI and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and runs open grant rounds for research projects in the UK.
  • Oak FoundationFoundation · Geneva, Switzerland · founded 1983International foundation based in Geneva whose Prevent Child Sexual Abuse program is one of the main funders of work to keep children safe online, including research, helplines and advocacy for safer technology design. It also funds work on climate, housing and homelessness, human rights, and learning differences such as dyslexia.
  • Omidyar NetworkFoundation · Redwood City, CA, USA · founded 2004Social change venture set up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and Pam Omidyar. It once invested in edtech and global education and now focuses on responsible technology, including funding work on kids' online safety, AI accountability and fair digital markets.People: Pierre Omidyar
  • Overdeck Family FoundationFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 2011Foundation of John and Laura Overdeck that funds programs to help children reach their potential, with focus areas in early childhood, K-12 math and literacy, out-of-school learning, and STEM interest. It is known for backing programs with evidence behind them and for funding rigorous evaluation. Laura Overdeck also founded the Bedtime Math nonprofit.People: John Overdeck, Laura Overdeck
  • Raikes FoundationFoundation · Seattle, WA, USA · founded 2002Foundation of Jeff and Tricia Raikes, focused on young people. Its program areas include education equity in US schools, ending youth homelessness, and helping donors give more effectively. Jeff Raikes was an executive at Microsoft and later CEO of the Gates Foundation.People: Jeff Raikes, Tricia Raikes
  • Renaissance PhilanthropyFoundation · USA · founded 2024Nonprofit that designs and runs science and technology funds for donors, led by former White House science adviser Tom Kalil. It took over the Learning Engineering Tools Competition in 2024 and runs the AI for Math Fund with XTX Markets, among other programs on AI for learning and research.People: Tom Kalil, Kumar Garg
  • Robin HoodFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 1988Poverty-fighting organization founded by investor Paul Tudor Jones that funds programs in New York City, including early childhood, K-12 and college programs. It measures grantees by their impact on poverty and has run funds for learning technology and early childhood innovation.People: Paul Tudor Jones
  • Schmidt SciencesFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 2024Nonprofit founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to fund science and technology research, spun out of Schmidt Futures in 2024. Its programs include AI2050 fellowships and research on the science of AI safety. Schmidt Futures earlier was a major backer of learning engineering, including the Learning Engineering Tools Competition and the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute.People: Eric Schmidt, Wendy Schmidt
  • Siegel Family EndowmentFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 2011Foundation established by David Siegel, co-founder of Two Sigma, that funds work on how technology is changing learning, work and civic infrastructure. It has supported computer science education, AI literacy, and research on the future of learning, and it publishes its grants and research online.People: David Siegel
  • Simons FoundationFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 1994Foundation started by Jim and Marilyn Simons that funds research in mathematics and the basic sciences. Its outreach and education programs support math and science teaching and public engagement, and Jim Simons also founded Math for America, which supports math and science teachers in public schools.People: Marilyn Simons
  • Spencer FoundationFoundation · Chicago, IL, USA · founded 1962Foundation dedicated to funding education research, set up by Lyle Spencer, founder of Science Research Associates. Unlike most funders it runs open grant competitions, including Small Research Grants (up to $50,000) and Large Research Grants, plus postdoctoral fellowships with the National Academy of Education. It is a main source of field-initiated education research funding in the US.
  • Stand TogetherFoundation · Arlington, VA, USAPhilanthropic community founded by Charles Koch that funds work in education, the economy, criminal justice and other areas. In education it backs personalized and student-driven learning outside the traditional system, and it co-founded the VELA Education Fund with the Walton Family Foundation.People: Charles Koch
  • Sutton TrustFoundation · London, UK · founded 1997UK foundation founded by Sir Peter Lampl to improve social mobility through education. It runs summer schools and access programs for students from low-income backgrounds and publishes research on inequality in education, and it helped set up the Education Endowment Foundation.People: Peter Lampl
  • Tools CompetitionCoalition · USA · founded 2020Annual prize competition, formerly the Learning Engineering Tools Competition, that funds teams building education technology tools along with datasets researchers can use. Winners get grants at several tiers, from small catalyst awards to larger growth awards, across tracks such as K-12 teaching, assessment and postsecondary learning. It is a program of Renaissance Philanthropy, organized by The Learning Agency, with applications opening each year.
  • VELA Education FundFoundation · USA · founded 2019Fund started by the Walton Family Foundation and Stand Together that gives small grants to everyday entrepreneurs running learning programs outside the conventional school system, such as microschools, learning pods, homeschool co-ops and enrichment programs. It runs open application rounds.
  • W.K. Kellogg FoundationFoundation · Battle Creek, MI, USA · founded 1930Foundation started in 1930 by cereal maker W.K. Kellogg that funds work so children can thrive. Its grants cover early childhood education, family economic security, community engagement and racial equity, with priority places in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans and work with partners in Mexico and Haiti.
  • Wallace FoundationFoundation · New York, NY, USAFoundation built on the funds of Reader's Digest founders DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace. It funds large, multi-year projects with school districts and arts groups, then publishes free research on what it learns, on topics such as school principals, summer learning, social and emotional learning and arts education.
  • Walton Family FoundationFoundation · Bentonville, AR, USA · founded 1987Family foundation of the Walmart founders' heirs and one of the largest US funders of K-12 education, especially charter schools and school choice. It also supports new learning models, co-founded the VELA Education Fund, and pays for Gallup surveys on Gen Z and on how teachers use AI. It accepts some unsolicited inquiries through its K-12 program.
  • William and Flora Hewlett FoundationFoundation · Menlo Park, CA, USA · founded 1966Large private foundation whose education program has long funded open educational resources (OER), a field it helped create, along with deeper learning in US schools and education research in East and West Africa. It generally makes grants by invitation rather than through open calls.
  • William T. Grant FoundationFoundation · New York, NY, USA · founded 1936Foundation that funds research to improve the lives of young people ages 5 to 25. It runs open grant programs on reducing inequality and on improving how research is used in policy and practice, and the William T. Grant Scholars career awards for early-career researchers.
  • XPRIZE FoundationNonprofit · USA · founded 1994Nonprofit that runs large incentive prizes. Its $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE challenged teams to build tablet software that lets children in low-resource settings teach themselves reading, writing and math; it was won jointly in 2019 by Kitkit School and onebillion after field tests in Tanzania. The Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE followed.People: Peter Diamandis
  • Yidan Prize FoundationFoundation · Hong Kong · founded 2016Foundation created by Tencent co-founder Charles Chen Yidan that awards the Yidan Prize for Education Research and the Yidan Prize for Education Development each year. Each prize is worth HK$30 million, half as a cash award and half as a project fund. Nominations open annually.People: Charles Chen Yidan

Edtech investors and accelerators

  • 4.0 SchoolsNonprofit · New Orleans, LA, USA · founded 2010Nonprofit incubator, based in New Orleans, that helps educators, parents and community members test and launch new kinds of schools and learning programs. It backs ideas early through small pilots and fellowships such as the Tiny Fellowship, and many of its founders have started microschools, tutoring programs and edtech tools.People: Matt Candler
  • Brighteye VenturesInvestor · EuropeEuropean venture capital firm that invests at pre-seed to Series A in education and learning technology startups, from early childhood through workforce learning, and increasingly in tools that help people learn, work and adapt alongside AI. It publishes an annual report on European edtech funding that is widely cited in the sector.
  • Emerge EducationInvestor · London, UKLondon-based pre-seed investor in education, careers and workforce technology startups in the UK and Europe, including AI tools for learning at work. It is known for its community of education leaders and investors who advise portfolio companies, and it publishes research on edtech and the future of skills.
  • Emerson CollectiveInvestor · Palo Alto, CA, USA · founded 2004Organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs that combines philanthropy, impact investing and advocacy across education, immigration, health, the environment and media. In education it funds new school models and teacher programs, and it created and funds the XQ Institute, which works on redesigning American high schools.People: Laurene Powell Jobs
  • GSV VenturesInvestor · USAVenture firm that invests in education and workforce technology startups, part of the GSV group led by Michael Moe and Deborah Quazzo. GSV co-hosts the annual ASU+GSV Summit with Arizona State University in San Diego, one of the biggest yearly gatherings of edtech founders, investors, school leaders and policymakers, and the AIR Show on AI in education.People: Michael Moe, Deborah Quazzo
  • Imagine K12Investor · Palo Alto, CA, USA · founded 2011Edtech startup accelerator that ran from 2011 to 2016, when it merged into Y Combinator. It was started by former tech executives Tim Brady, Geoff Ralston and Alan Louie, and its alumni include classroom apps such as ClassDojo and Remind.People: Tim Brady, Geoff Ralston, Alan Louie
  • Kapor CapitalInvestor · Oakland, CA, USAImpact venture fund of Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein that invests in seed-stage startups that close gaps of access and opportunity for low-income communities and communities of color, including education and learning companies. It asks portfolio companies to commit to diversity and inclusion goals, and its founders also run the Kapor Foundation.People: Mitch Kapor, Freada Kapor Klein
  • Learn CapitalInvestor · USA · founded 2008Venture capital firm focused on education technology, founded by Greg Mauro and Rob Hutter. It invests in companies that use technology to change how people learn and build skills, from K-12 and higher education through workforce and lifelong learning, in the United States and abroad, and it publishes a newsletter and insights on learning markets.People: Greg Mauro, Rob Hutter
  • LearnLaunchNonprofit · Boston, MA, USABoston-based nonprofit that supports the education technology community in New England. It has run an annual conference for educators, founders and investors, programs that help schools choose and adopt digital learning tools, and an accelerator that helped early-stage education startups get started and connect with schools.
  • NewSchools Venture FundInvestor · Oakland, CA, USA · founded 1998Nonprofit venture philanthropy founded by Kim Smith with backing from venture capitalists including John Doerr. It raises money from donors and invests in new public schools, education entrepreneurs and edtech tools, often with a focus on learners from low-income communities.People: Kim Smith
  • Owl VenturesInvestor · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2014One of the largest venture capital firms dedicated to education technology, founded in 2014 by Tory Patterson and Amit Patel. It invests in companies across pre-K, K-12, higher education and workforce learning around the world, at stages from early to growth, and has backed many widely used learning apps and platforms.People: Tory Patterson, Amit Patel
  • Reach CapitalInvestor · USA · founded 2015Early-stage venture capital firm that began in education, spun out of the NewSchools Venture Fund seed fund in 2015, and now invests in learning, health and work startups. Its partners include former teachers, and its learning portfolio runs from early childhood through careers, including AI tools for students and teachers. It publishes playbooks and research for founders on building products for schools.People: Jennifer Carolan, Shauntel Garvey, Wayee Chu
  • Rethink EducationInvestor · New York, NY, USAVenture capital strategy of Rethink Capital Partners, an impact investment manager, that invests in education technology and future-of-work startups. Its focus is on companies that widen access to learning and good jobs for learners and workers who are underserved, from K-12 through adult skills. It sits alongside the firm's Rethink Food and Rethink Impact strategies.People: Matt Greenfield

Government programs and public funders

  • AI Leap (TI-Hüpe), EstoniaGovernment · Tallinn, Estonia · founded 2025Estonian national program, started in 2025, that gives upper-secondary students and teachers access to AI learning tools from partners including OpenAI and Anthropic, along with teacher training. It follows Estonia's earlier Tiger Leap program, which brought computers and internet into schools in the 1990s.
  • AI-ALOE (National AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education)Research center · Atlanta, GA, USA · founded 2021NSF-funded AI institute led by Georgia Tech that studies AI for adult and online learning. It is known for Jill Watson, an AI teaching assistant first used in Georgia Tech online courses, and for tools that help instructors and learners in large online classes.People: Ashok Goel
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)Government · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1967Private nonprofit created by Congress in 1967 to pass federal money to public radio and television, including PBS KIDS programming and the Ready To Learn initiative. After Congress rescinded its federal funding in July 2025, it announced in August 2025 that it would shut down, and its board voted to dissolve the corporation on January 5, 2026, leaving stations and children's programs to find other funding.
  • ED/IES Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Government · Washington, DC, USAFederal program run by the Institute of Education Sciences that gives small businesses phased awards to research, build and test education technology products for students, teachers and schools. Phase I awards fund prototypes and Phase II awards fund full development and pilot studies; past projects include learning games and tools for children with disabilities.
  • Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)Foundation · London, UK · founded 2011UK charity set up with a government grant by the Sutton Trust and Impetus to find out what works in schools. It runs randomized trials and publishes the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, a summary of evidence on teaching approaches. A 2024 EEF trial found ChatGPT cut science teachers' lesson planning time with no drop in quality.
  • Education Innovation and Research (EIR) programGovernment · Washington, DC, USAUS Department of Education grant program, created under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, that funds the development, testing and scaling of education programs. Its grant tiers are tied to the strength of each program's evidence: early-phase grants for new ideas, mid-phase grants for promising programs, and expansion grants for programs with strong evidence. Many edtech and tutoring programs have been evaluated through it.
  • Engage AI Institute (NSF AI Institute for Engaged Learning)Research center · Raleigh, NC, USA · founded 2021NSF-funded AI institute led by North Carolina State University that builds AI-driven, story-based learning environments. Students learn science and other subjects by solving problems in game-like worlds with AI characters, and the institute studies how natural language, narrative and multimodal learning analytics can make learning more engaging.People: James Lester
  • eSafety CommissionerGovernment · Australia · founded 2015Australia's online safety regulator, often described as the first of its kind. It handles complaints about cyberbullying and image-based abuse, sets industry codes, and enforces the country's minimum age of 16 for social media accounts, which took effect in December 2025.People: Julie Inman Grant
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)Government · Bethesda, MD, USA · founded 1962Institute of the US National Institutes of Health that funds research on child development, including long-running research on how children learn to read and on learning disabilities. It co-sponsored the National Reading Panel, whose 2000 report shaped reading instruction in the US.
  • European CommissionGovernment · Brussels, BelgiumThe executive branch of the European Union. It enforces the Digital Services Act, which bans targeted ads to minors and requires platforms to protect children, published 2025 guidelines on protecting minors online, and oversees the AI Act through its AI Office.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Government · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1914US consumer protection agency that enforces the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which limits how apps and websites collect data from children under 13. It finalized major updates to the COPPA Rule in 2025 and in September 2025 ordered several AI chatbot companies to report on how their companion bots affect children and teens.
  • Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)Government · Wilmslow, UKThe UK data protection regulator. It wrote the Age Appropriate Design Code, also called the Children's Code, which since 2021 has set 15 standards for online services likely to be used by children, such as high privacy by default. The code inspired similar laws elsewhere.
  • Institute of Education Sciences (IES)Government · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2002The research, statistics and evaluation arm of the US Department of Education, created by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. It funds education research grants, runs the What Works Clearinghouse, which reviews evidence on programs, and houses the National Center for Education Statistics. In 2025 many of its contracts and staff were cut, a move that drew wide debate among researchers.
  • INVITE Institute (NSF AI Institute for Inclusive Intelligent Technologies for Education)Research center · Urbana, IL, USA · founded 2023NSF-funded AI institute led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that develops AI tools to support skills such as persistence, academic resilience and collaboration in STEM learning. It works with schools and informal learning settings to make these tools fit students from many backgrounds, including in elementary and middle school.People: H. Chad Lane
  • National AI Institute for Exceptional EducationResearch center · Buffalo, NY, USA · founded 2023NSF-funded AI institute led by the University at Buffalo that builds AI tools to help children with speech and language processing challenges, including a screener to flag children who may need help early and an assistant that helps speech-language pathologists plan support.People: Venu Govindaraju
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)Government · Washington, DC, USAThe federal statistics agency for US education, part of IES. It runs the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Nation's Report Card, and collects data on schools, students and outcomes that researchers and journalists use to track learning trends.
  • NSF AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT)Research center · Boulder, CO, USA · founded 2021NSF-funded AI institute led by the University of Colorado Boulder that builds AI partners for classroom group work. Its systems listen to small-group discussions in middle school classrooms and help students and teachers collaborate, and it does research on privacy, consent and classroom ethics alongside teachers and students.People: Sidney D'Mello
  • NSF Directorate for STEM EducationGovernment · Alexandria, VA, USAThe National Science Foundation directorate that funds research and programs in STEM learning, known as EHR until 2023. Its programs include Discovery Research PreK-12, ITEST, Computer Science for All and research on emerging technologies for teaching and learning. Like the rest of NSF, it saw large grant terminations and budget pressure in 2025.
  • NSF National AI Research InstitutesGovernment · Alexandria, VA, USA · founded 2020NSF-led program, with federal and industry partners, that funds multi-university AI research institutes at about $20 million each over five years. Several focus on education, including institutes on student-AI teaming, engaged learning, adult learning, exceptional education and inclusive learning technologies.
  • Oak National AcademyGovernment · UK · founded 2020Public body set up during the 2020 school closures that provides free, optional curriculum resources and video lessons for teachers in England. In 2024 it launched Aila, an AI lesson assistant that drafts lesson plans and resources from Oak's own curriculum content, with safety checks.
  • OfcomGovernment · London, UK · founded 2003The UK communications regulator, which enforces the Online Safety Act 2023. Its Protection of Children Codes took effect in July 2025 and require services likely to be used by children to run age checks and filter harmful content, with fines for breaches.
  • Ready To LearnGovernment · Washington, DC, USAUS Department of Education grant program that funds CPB and PBS to create educational TV, games and apps that build early math and literacy skills for children ages 2 to 8, especially from low-income families, and to study whether they work.
  • South Korea Ministry of EducationGovernment · Sejong, South KoreaSouth Korea's education ministry, known in the AI debate for rolling out AI-powered digital textbooks in schools in March 2025. After pushback from teachers and parents over cost, screen time and readiness, lawmakers reclassified them in August 2025 as optional supplementary materials.
  • UK Department for EducationGovernment · London, UKThe UK government department responsible for schools and children's services in England. It has published policy on generative AI in education, product safety expectations for AI tools used in schools, and funding for AI tools that help teachers with planning and marking.
  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)Government · Swindon, UK · founded 2018The UK's national research funder, bringing together nine councils including the Economic and Social Research Council, which funds education and child development research. Other councils fund AI research and responsible AI programs, and UKRI runs open competitions that researchers in universities and other organizations can apply to.
  • US Department of Education Office of Educational TechnologyGovernment · Washington, DC, USAOffice of the US Department of Education that set national education technology policy. It published the National Educational Technology Plan, the 2023 report Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning, and a 2024 toolkit for safe, ethical and equitable AI integration in schools. Its staff was cut in the department's 2025 reductions and its website, tech.ed.gov, now redirects to the main department site.
  • White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence EducationGovernment · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2025Task force created by an April 2025 executive order on advancing AI education for American youth, chaired by the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It runs the Presidential AI Challenge for students and teachers and gathers company pledges to provide AI training and resources to schools.People: Michael Kratsios

International and multilateral bodies

  • EdTech HubNonprofit · London, UK · founded 2019Global research partnership, funded by the UK government and others, that studies how technology can improve education in low- and middle-income countries. It runs a helpdesk for governments, publishes open evidence reviews, and has a growing body of work on AI in education.
  • Global Partnership for Education (GPE)Coalition · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2002The largest global fund dedicated to education in lower-income countries, a partnership of governments, donors, international bodies, companies and civil society. It funds national education plans in more than 90 countries, with a focus on foundational learning, girls' education and children in crisis settings, and it is raising money for its 2026-2030 strategy.
  • OECD Directorate for Education and SkillsGovernment · Paris, FranceEducation arm of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It runs PISA, the international test of 15-year-olds, whose 2025 round added an assessment of learning in the digital world, and publishes the Digital Education Outlook and guidance on AI in education.People: Andreas Schleicher
  • UNESCOGovernment · Paris, France · founded 1945UN agency for education, science and culture. It published the first global guidance on generative AI in education and research in 2023, which suggested a minimum age of 13 for classroom use of such tools, and AI competency frameworks for students and teachers in 2024. It also tracks progress on the global education goal.
  • UNICEFGovernment · New York, NY, USA · founded 1946UN agency for children's rights and well-being. Its research office, UNICEF Innocenti, published the Policy Guidance on AI for Children and studies children's digital lives, including through the Global Kids Online surveys. Its education programs support digital and remote learning in low-income and crisis settings, and it works with governments on child online protection.
  • World Bank Education Global PracticeGovernment · Washington, DC, USAThe World Bank's education team, which lends to and advises governments on schooling. Its EdTech team studies technology in low- and middle-income countries; a 2024 pilot in Edo State, Nigeria, where students used an AI tutor in after-school sessions, reported large gains in English.

Nonprofit builders

  • ASSISTmentsNonprofit · USAFree online math homework and practice platform, created by Neil and Cristina Heffernan at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that gives students immediate feedback and gives teachers reports on what students got wrong. A large randomized trial in Maine found it improved middle school math scores, and it is a common platform for learning research.People: Neil Heffernan, Cristina Heffernan
  • BenetechNonprofit · Palo Alto, CA, USANonprofit technology company founded by Jim Fruchterman that runs Bookshare, a large online library of accessible ebooks for people with print disabilities such as blindness, low vision and dyslexia. Bookshare is free for qualifying US students, and Benetech also works on tools that make digital textbooks and math content accessible.
  • CASTNonprofit · Wakefield, MA, USA · founded 1984Nonprofit research and development group that created the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which asks educators to design lessons that work for every learner from the start, including students with disabilities. It publishes the UDL Guidelines, last revised in 2024, and runs accessibility and professional learning programs.
  • CK-12 FoundationNonprofit · Palo Alto, CA, USA · founded 2007Nonprofit founded in 2007 by Neeru Khosla and Murugan Pal that provides free, customizable digital textbooks called FlexBooks, plus practice, videos and simulations for K-12 math and science. It offers Flexi, an AI tutor built into its lessons, and is widely used by teachers and students in the US and abroad.People: Neeru Khosla
  • Digital PromiseNonprofit · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2011Nonprofit authorized by Congress in 2008 to spur innovation in education. It runs the League of Innovative Schools network of districts, product certifications such as Research-Based Design for edtech products, and research and guidance on AI in K-12, including frameworks for evaluating AI tools.People: Jean-Claude Brizard
  • Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryNonprofit · Pigeon Forge, TN, USA · founded 1995Book-gifting program started by singer Dolly Parton in Tennessee that mails a free, age-appropriate book every month to enrolled children from birth until they begin school, in partnership with local groups and state governments that share the cost. It operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia and is one of the largest early literacy programs in the world.People: Dolly Parton
  • EdReportsNonprofit · USAIndependent nonprofit that reviews K-12 curriculum in math, English language arts and science against standards and publishes free reports. Its reviews are used by many districts and states to choose instructional materials, and some publishers and researchers have debated its criteria.
  • EdutopiaNonprofit · San Rafael, CA, USA · founded 1991Free publication of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1991, that shares classroom practices backed by research. Its articles and videos, written largely by and for preK-12 teachers, cover topics such as project-based learning, social and emotional learning, classroom management and AI in the classroom.People: George Lucas
  • ETSNonprofit · Princeton, NJ, USA · founded 1947Nonprofit testing and education research organization, founded in 1947 in Princeton, known for the TOEFL and GRE exams. It does research on assessment, measurement of skills and automated scoring of writing and speech, and was a founding partner of the TeachAI coalition on AI guidance for schools.
  • Illustrative MathematicsNonprofit · USA · founded 2011Nonprofit that writes problem-based math curriculum for grades K-12, released under an open license and also sold through partner publishers. Founded by mathematician William McCallum, one of the lead writers of the Common Core math standards, its curriculum is among the most widely used in the US.People: William McCallum
  • Khan AcademyNonprofit · Mountain View, CA, USA · founded 2008Nonprofit offering free online lessons and practice in math, science, reading and more, from early learners (Khan Academy Kids) through high school and test prep. In 2023 it launched Khanmigo, an AI tutor and teaching assistant built on OpenAI models that is designed to guide students with questions rather than hand them answers; Microsoft funding made the teacher version free in the US.People: Sal Khan
  • Learning AllyNonprofit · Princeton, NJ, USA · founded 1948Nonprofit, founded in 1948 as Recording for the Blind, that provides human-read audiobooks and literacy support to students with dyslexia, blindness, low vision and other print disabilities. It offers its audiobook library through schools, trains teachers on dyslexia and structured literacy, and supports parents of struggling readers.
  • Learning CommonsNonprofit · Redwood City, CA, USA · founded 2025Education initiative of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative that builds open AI infrastructure for developers of learning tools. Its offerings include a knowledge graph linking standards, curriculum and learning progressions, evaluators that check AI output against learning science, and a curriculum sync tool, all meant to make AI products for schools more accurate.
  • Learning EqualityNonprofit · San Diego, CA, USANonprofit that builds Kolibri, a free, open-source learning platform that works offline on low-cost devices, so schools and communities without reliable internet can use curated lessons, videos and exercises. It is used in many countries through NGOs, refugee programs and ministries of education, and it builds tools for aligning content to local curricula.
  • OpenStaxNonprofit · Houston, TX, USA · founded 2012Nonprofit at Rice University, founded in 2012 by Rice professor Richard Baraniuk, that publishes free, openly licensed, peer-reviewed textbooks for college and high school courses. Its books are used by millions of students to cut textbook costs, and it also researches adaptive learning and AI tools for students.People: Richard Baraniuk
  • PrathamNonprofit · Mumbai, India · founded 1995One of India's largest education nonprofits. It runs the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), a household survey of children's basic reading and math, and developed Teaching at the Right Level, an approach that groups children by skill rather than grade and has strong evidence from randomized trials.People: Rukmini Banerji
  • Reach Out and ReadNonprofit · Boston, MA, USA · founded 1989Nonprofit that works through pediatricians and family doctors, who give a new book to children at checkups from infancy to age five and coach parents on reading aloud. It began at Boston City Hospital in 1989 and says it serves more than 4.8 million children a year in the US.
  • Room to ReadNonprofit · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2000Global nonprofit founded in 2000 by former Microsoft executive John Wood that runs literacy programs in low-income countries in Asia and Africa. It trains teachers, publishes children's books in local languages, supports girls through secondary school with life skills programs, and runs a free digital library of storybooks.People: John Wood
  • Saga EducationNonprofit · USA · founded 2014Nonprofit that runs high-dosage math tutoring built into the school day, where trained tutors work with small groups of students every day. Randomized trials by the University of Chicago Education Lab found large gains in math, and it now develops AI tools to help its tutors.People: Alan Safran
  • Schoolhouse.worldNonprofit · USA · founded 2020Free online tutoring nonprofit started by Sal Khan in which volunteer tutors, many of them high school and college students, lead small-group sessions over video in math, SAT prep and other subjects. Tutors are certified by passing a review process, and learners can earn verified records of their work.People: Sal Khan
  • Student Achievement PartnersNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2011Nonprofit founded in 2011 by lead writers of the Common Core standards that helps teachers use high-quality curriculum and standards-aligned practice in math and literacy. Its Achieve the Core website offers free lesson materials and tools, and it supports teachers and school systems through coaching and research on reading and math instruction.
  • The Learning AgencyNonprofit · Washington, DC, USANonprofit that works to improve learning with data science and technology. It runs open data science competitions on platforms such as Kaggle, for example on automated feedback for student writing, builds public education datasets for AI researchers, and publishes research on learning engineering.People: Ulrich Boser
  • The Reading LeagueNonprofit · Syracuse, NY, USA · founded 2017Nonprofit that promotes reading instruction based on the science of reading. It trains teachers, publishes a journal and a compass for evaluating curriculum, and has become a central voice in the US movement to change how schools teach children to read.People: Maria Murray
  • Understood.orgNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2014Nonprofit, launched in 2014, for people who learn and think differently, such as those with ADHD and dyslexia. It turns research on neurodivergence into plain-language guides, podcasts and tools for parents, educators and adults, written with experts in learning differences, and offers community support for families.
  • WorldreaderNonprofit · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2010Nonprofit that works to get families reading by providing digital books and reading programs to children and caregivers in low-income settings. Its BookSmart app offers a free library of children's books in many languages, and it partners with schools, libraries and governments to support reading at home.
  • XQ InstituteNonprofit · Oakland, CA, USA · founded 2015Nonprofit created by Laurene Powell Jobs and the Emerson Collective to rethink US high school. It ran the XQ Super School Project, which funded new school designs, and works with districts and states on high school redesign and student-centered learning.People: Laurene Powell Jobs, Russlynn Ali
  • ZearnNonprofit · New York, NY, USANonprofit behind Zearn Math, an online K-8 math program with video lessons and practice that pairs with classroom teaching and is free for teachers and families. Its anonymized usage data has been used in economic research on how pandemic school closures affected learning.People: Shalinee Sharma

Computer science and AI literacy

  • AI4K12Coalition · USA · founded 2018Joint initiative of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and CSTA to develop national guidelines for teaching AI in K-12. It is known for the Five Big Ideas in AI framework: perception, representation and reasoning, learning, natural interaction and societal impact.People: David Touretzky
  • aiEDU (The AI Education Project)Nonprofit · USA · founded 2019National nonprofit, founded in 2019 by Alex Kotran, that works to make AI literacy and AI readiness a core part of every student's education. It offers free lessons and projects for K-12 classrooms, trains teachers, and works with districts and states on AI readiness frameworks and policy.People: Alex Kotran
  • Black Girls CODENonprofit · USA · founded 2011Nonprofit founded in 2011 by electrical engineer Kimberly Bryant that teaches coding and technology skills to Black girls and other girls of color through workshops, summer camps, hackathons and clubs. Its goal is to increase the number of women of color working in technology by reaching them early, and it has run chapters in many US cities and abroad.People: Kimberly Bryant
  • CodeAI (formerly Code.org)Nonprofit · Seattle, WA, USA · founded 2013Nonprofit founded in 2013 by brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi as Code.org to expand computer science in schools; it renamed itself CodeAI in June 2026 as it widened its mission to AI and digital fluency. It provides free K-12 computer science and AI curricula and teacher training, runs the Hour of Code, now the Hour of AI, advocates for state CS policies, and co-founded the TeachAI coalition.People: Hadi Partovi
  • Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)Nonprofit · USA · founded 2004Professional association for K-12 computer science teachers, founded in 2004. It publishes the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards used by many states, runs an annual conference and local chapters for teacher support, and co-founded the AI4K12 initiative with AAAI to define what students should learn about AI.
  • CSforALLNonprofit · New York, NY, USANational hub for the computer science for all movement in US schools. It helps districts plan computer science and AI education through its SCRIPT planning process, convenes a network of member organizations, runs initiatives such as Unlock8 for middle school computing, and coordinates events such as the annual CSforALL Summit.
  • FIRSTNonprofit · Manchester, NH, USA · founded 1989Nonprofit founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen and engineer Woodie Flowers that runs robotics programs and competitions for students from age 4 through high school. Its programs include FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge and the FIRST Robotics Competition, run in schools and communities around the world.People: Dean Kamen
  • Girls Who CodeNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2012Nonprofit founded in 2012 by Reshma Saujani to close the gender gap in technology. It runs free after-school clubs, summer programs and college programs that teach girls and nonbinary students to code, and says hundreds of thousands of students have taken part. Its CEO is Tarika Barrett.People: Reshma Saujani, Tarika Barrett
  • ISTE+ASCDNonprofit · Arlington, VA, USAEducation association formed when the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and ASCD joined. It publishes the ISTE Standards for students and educators, hosts the ISTELive conference, offers AI training for teachers, and owns the edtech news site EdSurge.People: Richard Culatta
  • MIT App InventorResearch center · Cambridge, MA, USAFree, block-based tool for building mobile apps, first developed at Google and moved to MIT in 2011, where Hal Abelson and colleagues lead it. Students and teachers around the world use it to learn programming, and it includes tools for building simple AI apps.People: Hal Abelson
  • MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education)Research center · Cambridge, MA, USAMIT initiative that researches and builds K-12 AI education, led by Cynthia Breazeal. It runs Day of AI, a free annual program with classroom lessons on how AI works and how to use it responsibly, and develops tools for students to build their own AI projects.People: Cynthia Breazeal
  • Raspberry Pi FoundationNonprofit · Cambridge, UK · founded 2008UK charity that makes computing education resources and is linked to the low-cost Raspberry Pi computer. It runs Code Club and CoderDojo clubs worldwide, the Isaac Computer Science platform, and Experience AI, a free AI-literacy program for ages 11 to 14 built with Google DeepMind.
  • Scratch FoundationNonprofit · Boston, MA, USANonprofit that supports Scratch, the free block-based programming language and online community created at the MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten group and launched in 2007. Children use Scratch to make games, stories and animations; ScratchJr brings the same idea to ages 5 to 7.
  • TeachAICoalition · USA · founded 2023Coalition launched in 2023 by Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy and the World Economic Forum, with many advisory partners, to help schools teach with and about AI. It publishes the AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit, which many US states and districts have drawn on for their policies.
  • TechnovationNonprofit · USA · founded 2006Global tech education nonprofit, formerly Iridescent, founded by Tara Chklovski. Its Technovation Girls program challenges girls to build mobile apps and AI projects that solve community problems, with mentors guiding teams in more than 160 countries, and it has run AI education programs for families.People: Tara Chklovski

Children's media

  • Fred Rogers InstituteNonprofit · Latrobe, PA, USAInstitute at Saint Vincent College that carries on the work of Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It studies and teaches his approach to helping children through simple, caring human interaction, runs programs for educators and helpers, and keeps his archive.
  • PBS KIDSNonprofit · Arlington, VA, USA · founded 1999The children's service of the Public Broadcasting Service, offering free educational shows, games and apps for ages 2 to 8, such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and Molly of Denali. It builds its media around learning goals and research, much of it funded through Ready To Learn grants.
  • Reading RocketsNonprofit · Arlington, VA, USAFree website and media project from public broadcaster WETA that explains how young children learn to read and how adults can help. It offers articles, videos, classroom strategies and interviews with reading researchers for parents and teachers, with special attention to struggling readers and the science of reading.
  • Sesame WorkshopNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 1968Nonprofit, founded as the Children's Television Workshop by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, that makes Sesame Street and other educational media for young children worldwide. It pairs its shows with research on what children learn from them and runs programs for children affected by crisis. A 2025 deal put new seasons on Netflix, with episodes also on PBS.

Online safety and advocacy

  • 5Rights FoundationNonprofit · London, UKUK charity founded by filmmaker and House of Lords member Beeban Kidron that works for a digital world designed with children's rights in mind. It pushed for the UK's Age Appropriate Design Code, works on similar laws abroad, and publishes research and legal challenges on AI and children.People: Beeban Kidron
  • AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental HealthNonprofit · Itasca, IL, USA · founded 2023Center run by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 2023, with federal funding, that gives families, pediatricians, educators and teens evidence-based guidance on social media and mental health. It runs a question portal for parents and clinicians and offers the Family Media Plan tool.
  • All Tech Is HumanNonprofit · New York, NY, USANonprofit, founded by David Ryan Polgar, that builds a community around responsible technology through events, reports, mentoring and a job board. With Thorn it led the 2024 Safety by Design for generative AI principles, a set of commitments to prevent AI misuse against children.People: David Ryan Polgar
  • Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)Nonprofit · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1994Nonprofit that works on civil liberties and technology policy. Its education team runs national surveys of students, parents and teachers on student privacy, school surveillance tools and the use of AI in schools, and advises schools on responsible data use.
  • Center for Humane TechnologyNonprofit · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2018Nonprofit founded by former tech workers including Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin that argues technology should be designed around human well-being rather than attention. It became widely known through the documentary The Social Dilemma and now focuses on risks from AI, including AI companions and children.People: Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin
  • Childnet InternationalNonprofit · London, UK · founded 1995UK charity, founded in 1995, that helps make the internet a safe and positive place for children. It offers resources for young people, parents, carers and teachers, is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, and coordinates Safer Internet Day in the UK.
  • Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child DevelopmentNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2013Nonprofit, founded in 2013 by Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra, that funds and shares research on how digital media affects children's development. It brings together scientists, doctors and educators through free public webinars, research grants and conferences, and offers plain-language tips for parents.People: Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra
  • Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)Nonprofit · McLean, VA, USA · founded 1974Self-regulation program of BBB National Programs, founded in 1974, that monitors advertising and data practices aimed at children under 13. It is an FTC-approved COPPA safe harbor that certifies companies' privacy practices, and it has issued guidance on AI in children's advertising and products.
  • Common Sense MediaNonprofit · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2003Nonprofit founded by Jim Steyer that rates movies, games, apps and books for age-appropriateness, teaches digital citizenship in schools, and advocates for child online safety laws. Since 2023 it has published AI risk assessments of chatbots and companion apps, and in 2025 it said social AI companions pose unacceptable risks for anyone under 18.People: Jim Steyer
  • ConnectSafelyNonprofit · Palo Alto, CA, USANonprofit, led by technology journalist Larry Magid, that publishes free, plain-language guides for parents, educators and teens on apps, privacy, security, scams and AI. It also hosts a podcast and organizes Safer Internet Day in the United States each February.People: Larry Magid
  • Digital Wellness LabResearch center · Boston, MA, USANonprofit research institution at Boston Children's Hospital that studies how digital media affects children's health and development from birth through young adulthood. It gives families and clinicians practical, research-based advice and is led by pediatrician Michael Rich. Its resources cover topics such as sleep, gaming and social media.People: Michael Rich
  • EncodeNonprofit · USA · founded 2020Youth-led advocacy group, founded in 2020 as Encode Justice by Sneha Revanur, that campaigns for AI safety and accountability laws in the United States. It brings young people's voices into AI policy, including state bills on AI risks and protections for children.People: Sneha Revanur
  • FairplayNonprofit · Boston, MA, USA · founded 2000Advocacy group, formerly the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, that campaigns against marketing to children and against tech design it says harms kids. It has filed complaints with the FTC, backed the Kids Online Safety Act, and warned parents about AI toys and chatbots for young children.People: Josh Golin
  • Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)Nonprofit · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2007International nonprofit, founded in 2007 and funded largely by tech company members, that works on online safety for kids and families. It publishes research on how parents and teens use technology and AI, holds policy convenings, and offers Good Digital Parenting resources for families.People: Stephen Balkam
  • Future of Privacy ForumNonprofit · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2008Nonprofit, founded in 2008, that brings together companies, academics and advocates on privacy policy. It runs Student Privacy Compass, a resource on student data privacy laws for schools and edtech companies, and publishes guidance on AI in education and on children's privacy laws.
  • HopelabNonprofit · San Francisco, CA, USA · founded 2001Social innovation lab and impact investor, founded by Pam Omidyar in 2001, that focuses on young people's mental health and technology. It co-publishes national surveys of teens and young adults, including on their use of generative AI, and invests in youth mental health startups.
  • Internet MattersNonprofit · London, UK · founded 2014UK nonprofit founded in 2014 by the country's major internet providers that gives parents advice on keeping children safe online. It offers step-by-step guides to parental controls on devices and apps and publishes research on children's use of technology, including how children use AI chatbots.
  • Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)Nonprofit · Cambridge, UK · founded 1996UK charity, founded in 1996, that finds and removes child sexual abuse imagery online and gives industry hash lists and other tools to block it. It takes anonymous reports from the public and, since 2023, has published reports tracking the rise of AI-generated child abuse imagery.
  • Molly Rose FoundationNonprofit · London, UKUK charity focused on suicide prevention for children and young people. It researches harmful content on social media, such as material about self-harm, gives expert-led guidance to families and schools, and campaigns for strong enforcement of the Online Safety Act.
  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)Nonprofit · Alexandria, VA, USA · founded 1984US nonprofit that runs the CyberTipline, where online platforms are required by law to report child sexual abuse material, and works with law enforcement on missing children cases. Its free Take It Down service helps young people remove explicit images of themselves from participating platforms.
  • NSPCCNonprofit · London, UK · founded 1884UK children's charity, founded in 1884, that runs the Childline helpline and campaigns for child protection, including stronger online safety laws. It publishes research on online grooming and on risks to children from generative AI, and offers advice to parents on keeping children safe online.
  • ParentsTogetherNonprofit · USAParent-led advocacy group and news site that campaigns on family policy and children's online safety. It has run investigations of AI chatbots and apps popular with kids and supports kids' online safety legislation, alongside news and tips to help families.
  • Smartphone Free ChildhoodNonprofit · UK · founded 2024Grassroots movement started in the UK in 2024 by Daisy Greenwell and Joe Ryrie that asks parents to sign a pact to delay giving children smartphones, so that whole school communities can wait together. It spread quickly to many countries and pushes for smartphone-free schools.People: Daisy Greenwell, Joe Ryrie
  • Tech CoalitionCoalition · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2006Industry alliance, founded in 2006, of more than 50 tech companies working together against online child sexual exploitation and abuse. It runs Lantern, a signal-sharing program that lets member companies share information about accounts that break child safety rules, and funds research on prevention.
  • ThornNonprofit · California, USA · founded 2012Nonprofit that builds technology to fight online child sexual abuse, including Safer, a tool that helps platforms detect abuse material. In 2024, with All Tech Is Human, it led Safety by Design principles for generative AI that several major AI companies signed, and it researches risks such as AI-generated abuse images and sextortion.People: Julie Cordua
  • Wait Until 8thNonprofit · USA · founded 2017Pledge campaign, started in 2017 by Brooke Shannon, that asks parents to wait until at least the end of eighth grade before giving their child a smartphone. The pledge takes effect once ten families in a child's grade and school sign, so children are not the only one without a phone.People: Brooke Shannon
  • WeProtect Global AllianceCoalition · London, UKGlobal alliance of governments, tech companies and civil society groups working to end child sexual exploitation and abuse online. It publishes the Global Threat Assessment, which tracks new risks such as AI-generated abuse material, and a model national response that countries use to plan their work.

Research centers and labs

  • Alan Turing InstituteResearch center · London, UK · founded 2015The UK's national institute for data science and AI, founded in 2015. Its children and AI program works with children, schools and policymakers to study how AI affects children and how to involve children in decisions about AI, including AI in education.
  • American Institutes for Research (AIR)Research center · Arlington, VA, USA · founded 1946Nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization, founded in 1946, that runs education evaluations, technical assistance centers and assessment work for federal and state agencies. It also studies teacher quality, social and emotional learning and education technology. It also works on health and workforce research.
  • Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown UniversityResearch center · Providence, RI, USA · founded 1993Research institute at Brown University, founded in 1993, that studies how to reduce educational inequality. It runs EdWorkingPapers, a free series of education research working papers, works with nearby school districts on research, and was the first home of the National Student Support Accelerator.
  • Brookings Center for Universal EducationResearch center · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2002Center at the Brookings Institution that researches education policy around the world, including student engagement, family-school partnerships and the effects of AI on students. Its co-director Rebecca Winthrop co-wrote The Disengaged Teen, and it convenes global work on AI and education.People: Rebecca Winthrop
  • Center for Digital ThrivingResearch center · Cambridge, MA, USAResearch center at Harvard's Project Zero, led by Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, that studies young people's lives online and makes tools for teens, families and schools. Its researchers wrote Behind Their Screens and have studied how teens use generative AI.People: Emily Weinstein, Carrie James
  • Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard (CEPR)Research center · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 2005Harvard research center, led by economist Thomas Kane, that works with school agencies on data-driven policy research. With Stanford's Educational Opportunity Project it publishes the Education Recovery Scorecard, which tracks learning loss and recovery since the pandemic by school district.People: Thomas Kane
  • Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)Research center · Tempe, AZ, USA · founded 1993Research center, founded in 1993 and now at Arizona State University, that studies how public education can change, including school choice, pandemic learning and AI in schools. It publishes regular reports on how districts and teachers are adopting AI and is led by Robin Lake.People: Robin Lake
  • Center on the Developing Child at Harvard UniversityResearch center · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 2006Harvard center founded in 2006 by pediatrician Jack Shonkoff that brings together research on early brain development, adversity and stress. It is known for explaining ideas like serve-and-return interaction and toxic stress to parents and policymakers in plain language. Its free briefs and videos are widely used.People: Jack Shonkoff
  • Child TrendsResearch center · Bethesda, MD, USA · founded 1979Nonprofit research organization, founded in 1979, focused on improving the lives of children, youth and families. It publishes data and studies on early childhood, education, child welfare, health and youth development for policymakers and practitioners. Its data tools track children's well-being across states.
  • Digital Futures for Children (LSE and 5Rights)Research center · London, UKJoint research center of the London School of Economics and the 5Rights Foundation, led by Sonia Livingstone, that gathers evidence on children's rights in digital environments for policymakers. Its work covers education technology, AI, data protection and children's play online.People: Sonia Livingstone
  • Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford UniversityResearch center · Stanford, CA, USAResearch project led by sociologist Sean Reardon that built the Stanford Education Data Archive, which links test scores for nearly every US school district, and studies gaps in educational opportunity. It co-publishes the Education Recovery Scorecard with Harvard's CEPR. Its data is free to explore online.People: Sean Reardon
  • Erikson InstituteResearch center · Chicago, IL, USA · founded 1966Graduate school and research center in Chicago, founded in 1966, focused entirely on early childhood development. Its Early Math Collaborative trains teachers in early math, and it works on infant and toddler policy, child welfare and media and technology for young children.
  • EU Kids OnlineCoalition · EuropeMultinational network of researchers across Europe, long coordinated from the London School of Economics, that surveys children about their online opportunities, risks and safety. Its comparable country surveys are a main source of data for European policy on children online.People: Sonia Livingstone
  • Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR)Research center · Tallahassee, FL, USA · founded 2002Research center at Florida State University, founded in 2002, that studies reading development and instruction from preschool through high school. It provides free student center activities that teachers use for literacy practice and trains teachers on reading research. Its research is used in many state reading programs.
  • Haskins LaboratoriesResearch center · New Haven, CT, USA · founded 1935Independent research institute, founded in 1935 and affiliated with Yale and the University of Connecticut, that studies speech, language and reading. Its work on how the brain processes speech and print has shaped research on dyslexia and reading instruction. It trains young scientists in these fields.
  • Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS)Research center · Seattle, WA, USAUniversity of Washington institute that studies how babies and young children learn, especially language. Co-directed by Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff, it is known for research showing infants learn language sounds from live social interaction better than from screens. It shares its findings with parents and teachers.People: Patricia Kuhl, Andrew Meltzoff
  • J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab)Research center · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 2003Research center at MIT, co-founded by Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo with Sendhil Mullainathan, that runs randomized evaluations of anti-poverty programs. Its education work includes evidence on Teaching at the Right Level and on education technology in low- and middle-income countries.People: Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo
  • Joan Ganz Cooney CenterResearch center · New York, NY, USA · founded 2007Research and innovation lab at Sesame Workshop, founded in 2007, that studies how digital media can help children learn. Its work covers families and technology, kids designing games, and children and AI, and it publishes reports and guides for parents, educators and product makers.
  • LearnLab (Carnegie Mellon University)Research center · Pittsburgh, PA, USA · founded 2004Research center at Carnegie Mellon, started as the NSF-funded Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center, that studies how people learn using real courses and tutoring systems. It created DataShop, a large open store of student learning data used by researchers worldwide.People: Ken Koedinger
  • Lifelong Kindergarten (MIT Media Lab)Research center · Cambridge, MA, USAResearch group at the MIT Media Lab led by Mitchel Resnick that develops technologies and activities that help children learn through creative, playful projects, best known for creating Scratch. Its approach is summed up in the four Ps of creative learning: projects, passion, peers and play.People: Mitchel Resnick
  • MDRCResearch center · New York, NY, USA · founded 1974Nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization, founded in 1974, known for large randomized evaluations of education and social programs. Its studies range from early childhood and K-12 programs to community college reforms, aimed at improving the lives of people with low incomes.
  • MIT Media LabResearch center · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 1985Interdisciplinary research lab at MIT, founded in 1985, whose groups have shaped children's technology. They include Lifelong Kindergarten, which created Scratch, and Personal Robots, which studies social robots and AI education for kids. It mixes computing, design and the learning sciences.
  • National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA)Research center · Stanford, CA, USA · founded 2020Research center, started in 2020 at Brown University's Annenberg Institute and now at Stanford, that helps schools design high-impact tutoring and studies what makes tutoring work. It publishes a tutoring toolkit and database, and it researches tools that use AI to support human tutors.People: Susanna Loeb
  • Oxford Internet InstituteResearch center · Oxford, UK · founded 2001Department at the University of Oxford, founded in 2001, that studies the social effects of the internet and AI. Its researchers have published large data studies on adolescents, screen time and well-being that are widely cited on both sides of the social media and mental health debate.
  • Pew Research CenterResearch center · Washington, DC, USA · founded 2004Nonpartisan fact tank that runs national surveys of US teens and parents on technology, social media and AI. Its surveys found in early 2025 that about a quarter of US teens had used ChatGPT for schoolwork, about double the share in 2023, and it tracks teen use of social media platforms.
  • Project TomorrowNonprofit · Irvine, CA, USANonprofit that runs the Speak Up Research Project, a long-running national survey of K-12 students, parents and educators about technology in learning, including AI. Its reports, led by Julie Evans, are used by districts and companies to understand how students want to learn.People: Julie Evans
  • Project ZeroResearch center · Cambridge, MA, USA · founded 1967Research center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, founded in 1967, that studies thinking, creativity, understanding and ethics. It is known for Visible Thinking routines that teachers use worldwide and houses the Center for Digital Thriving. Its researchers have worked with schools for decades.
  • RAND Education, Employment, and InfrastructureResearch center · Santa Monica, CA, USAResearch division of the nonprofit RAND Corporation, formerly called RAND Education and Labor. Its American Teacher Panel and American School Leader Panel surveys track how US teachers and principals use AI and other tools, how much time teachers spend on planning, and how schools respond to new policies, and it evaluates education programs for governments and foundations.
  • SRI EducationResearch center · Menlo Park, CA, USAEducation research division of the nonprofit SRI International that evaluates education technology and programs for governments and foundations. Its work includes the large randomized trial of ASSISTments in Maine and studies of AI and digital learning in schools. It also studies teacher learning and STEM education.
  • Stanford Accelerator for LearningResearch center · Stanford, CA, USAStanford University initiative that connects researchers across fields to work on learning from early childhood to adulthood. Its SCALE initiative, led by Susanna Loeb, studies how AI and tutoring can speed up learning and houses the National Student Support Accelerator; it also runs an AI and education hub.People: Susanna Loeb, Isabelle Hau
  • Stanford Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health InnovationResearch center · Stanford, CA, USALab in Stanford's psychiatry department, led by Nina Vasan, that studies how technology affects mental health and works with companies and policymakers on safer design. In 2025 it worked with Common Sense Media on risk assessments of AI companion apps and teens.People: Nina Vasan
  • Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)Research center · Stanford, CA, USA · founded 2019Stanford institute, founded in 2019, that funds and convenes AI research across fields and publishes the annual AI Index report on the state of AI. It supports research and policy work on AI in education, including the effects of AI tutors and teacher tools.
  • Temple Infant & Child LabResearch center · Philadelphia, PA, USAResearch lab at Temple University led by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek that studies how children learn language and early math, the value of playful learning, and what makes apps truly educational for young children. Its researchers co-wrote frameworks on the four pillars of learning used to judge apps.People: Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
  • University of Chicago Education LabResearch center · Chicago, IL, USAResearch center at the University of Chicago that partners with school districts to test programs with randomized trials. It is known for studies of high-dosage math tutoring with Saga Education and of mentoring programs for young men, and for research on scaling what works.
  • WestEdResearch center · San Francisco, CA, USANonprofit research, development and service agency that works with schools and governments on evaluation, assessment, early childhood, special education and education technology. It runs several federally funded centers and helps states design tests and school improvement programs. Its studies cover early learning through adult education.

Coalitions and networks

  • 1EdTechCoalition · Lake Mary, FL, USA · founded 1997Member consortium of schools, universities and edtech suppliers, formerly IMS Global, that writes technical standards such as LTI and OneRoster so learning tools work together. It runs the TrustEd Apps program for data privacy and is building standards for AI in edtech.
  • CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)Coalition · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1992Professional association, founded in 1992, of school district technology leaders. It publishes the annual State of EdTech Leadership survey, guidance on cybersecurity and AI, and the Trusted Learning Environment seal for districts that protect student data privacy. Its members are chief technology officers and IT leaders.
  • EDSAFE AI AllianceCoalition · USACoalition led by the nonprofit InnovateEDU that sets out the SAFE framework, standing for safety, accountability, fairness and efficacy, for AI in education. It convenes policy labs with districts and states writing AI guidance and comments on federal and state AI policy.People: Erin Mote
  • InnovateEDUNonprofit · New York, NY, USANonprofit that works on education policy, data and technology infrastructure. It leads Project Unicorn, which pushes for edtech products that share data through common standards, and the EDSAFE AI Alliance on safe and fair AI in schools. It also hosted the EdTech Evidence Exchange project, which studied how school context shapes whether education technology works.People: Erin Mote
  • NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children)Coalition · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1926Professional association of early childhood educators, founded in 1926, that accredits early learning programs and publishes guidance on developmentally appropriate practice. It has a position statement on technology and young children and publishes resources for families. It also hosts large conferences for early childhood teachers.
  • SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association)Coalition · USA · founded 2001Association, founded in 2001, of state and territorial education technology and digital learning leaders in the US. It publishes reports on state edtech policy, digital learning, broadband and AI guidance across states, and helps states share what they have learned.
  • Student Data Privacy ConsortiumCoalition · USAGroup of schools, districts, states and vendors, run by the Access 4 Learning Community, that shares standard student data privacy agreements. Its shared system lets districts and edtech companies sign the same contract terms and see which apps have already agreed to them.
  • ZERO TO THREENonprofit · Washington, DC, USA · founded 1977Nonprofit, founded in 1977, focused on babies and toddlers. It shares research-based guidance with parents and professionals, trains early childhood workers, and advocates for policies supporting families with young children, including guidance on screen use for the youngest children. Its resources for parents are free online.

Education journalism

  • ChalkbeatNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2014Nonprofit newsroom, founded in 2014, that covers public education in US cities and states, with local bureaus in places such as New York, Chicago, Detroit and Colorado. It also reports nationally on school policy, learning recovery and AI in schools.
  • EdSurgeNonprofit · USA · founded 2011News site, founded in 2011, covering education technology from K-12 classrooms to higher education, including AI in schools. It is part of the nonprofit ISTE+ASCD and also publishes research, a podcast and events for educators and edtech entrepreneurs. Its reporting is read widely by teachers and founders.
  • Education WeekNonprofit · Bethesda, MD, USA · founded 1981Independent news organization, published since 1981 by the nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education, that covers K-12 education for teachers and school leaders. Its research center surveys educators about issues such as AI use in classrooms and teacher morale. It is read widely by US educators.
  • The 74Nonprofit · USA · founded 2015Nonprofit news outlet, founded in 2015 by former news anchor Campbell Brown and Romy Drucker, that covers US education from early childhood through college and career. Its reporting covers K-12 policy, learning loss, school choice and AI in classrooms. It also publishes commentary and data-driven explainers.
  • The Hechinger ReportNonprofit · New York, NY, USA · founded 2010Nonprofit newsroom, founded in 2010 and based at Teachers College, Columbia University, that reports in depth on inequality and innovation in education. Its stories use research and data to examine what works, including the evidence behind education technology and AI.