All students deserve a high-quality education that challenges them to grow and prepares them to succeed.
Culturally relevant, standards-aligned teaching is at the core of a high-quality education. Standards-aligned teaching aligns with college and career-ready standards that lay the path for greater achievement and career opportunities for every student. Culturally relevant reflects inclusive learning environments that support and affirm students of all races and backgrounds to reach their full potential, as well as curriculum that features peoples, places and perspectives that reflect the true history and diversity of our country.
Far too many teachers lack access to professional learning opportunities and instructional materials that support them in creating affirming, relevant and academically rigorous classrooms.
To help teachers foster effective classroom experiences, we invest in learning opportunities that strengthen proficiency in culturally relevant, standards-aligned instruction. We also support efforts to ensure educators have high-quality instructional materials at their fingertips that enable them to bring teaching and learning to life. And we invest in specific states and school systems that seek to lead in these areas and build model professional learning environments for students and teachers.
Through this work, we aim to expand culturally relevant and standards-aligned teaching to ensure all students, particularly Black and Latino students who have been historically underserved by our education system, receive an empowering, liberating education.
Our Approach
Supporting Professional Learning for Teachers
We invest in efforts to provide teachers with ongoing professional learning that enables them to deliver culturally responsive instruction, as well as scalable efforts to deliver high-quality professional learning for teachers.
Investing in High-Quality Instructional Materials
We support the development of high-quality instructional materials that allow teachers to focus their time, energy and creativity on engaging their students. Specifically, we invest in developing free, publicly available instructional materials that are standards-aligned and culturally inclusive.
Creating Place-Based Partnerships
We invest in states, select school systems, and district and charter public schools to help them foster high-quality professional learning systems for teachers and culturally relevant and academically rigorous learning environments for students. We also support networks of districts and states focused on adopting and implementing high-quality instructional materials.
Investing in Targeted Research
To help scale this work, we support efforts to build the field’s knowledge about the specific activities and conditions that support teachers in creating the best possible classroom experience for their students.
Funding Computer Science Education Programs
We support opportunities for girls and students of color to develop skills in computer science so they can have future pathways to thrive in a growing segment of our economy.
Featured Grantees
We are proud to support a range of outstanding organizations and leading the way towards culturally relevant, standards-aligned teaching. Get to know more grantees in our Education portfolio.
