A year of evidence, action, and impact
We work to give every child the evidence-based education they need to thrive
What we do
How we work
How we learn
What we do
How we work
How we learn
What we do
Our work is dedicated to giving every child a quality education. We believe this can only be achieved if education policy and practice are supported by evidence of what works best for children.
We therefore invest in the world’s premier research to discover how children learn, promote the use of evidence in teaching and learning, and support countries to shape and implement education policies based on evidence.
How we work
Our support goes beyond simply making funding available. We are an active and engaged funder and seek to apply our knowledge and competences in all our work.
Globally, we work with leading researchers to understand how children learn, and locally, we support policymakers and practitioners to catalyze new research, financing mechanisms, and policy collaborations. We work with leading researchers, school practitioners, EdTech companies, investors, and education policymakers to drive initiatives that would not otherwise be possible.
How we learn
Our learning and evaluation approach is designed to empower us to make better decisions and work more effectively so that more children can experience quality education.
We want to learn rapidly and iteratively so we can provide support in areas that show the greatest promise for long-lasting, systemic impact. We share our learning openly, to enable its widest possible application and to achieve long-lasting impact for education systems around the world.
2024 Annual Report
News and insights
News
08 May 2025
LEVANTE welcomes first cohort of participating sites to global research network
The Jacobs Foundation is pleased to announce the first cohort of participating sites selected to join the Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE)—its flagship global initiative focused on advancing our understanding of children’s learning variability. Following a highly competitive call for proposals in August 2024, which attracted 182 applications from around the world, six sites have now been selected […]
Op-Eds
01 May 2025
Learning as a survival strategy: Insights from Donika Dimovska
At a time when the world faces growing challenges and increasingly constrained resources, learning is not a luxury—it is a survival strategy. In a new opinion piece for Alliance magazine, Donika Dimovska, Chief Knowledge Officer at the Jacobs Foundation, reflects on why foundations must prioritize learning and adaptability to meet the demands of today’s complex […]
News
29 April 2025
Jacobs group simplifies organizational structure
The Jacobs Foundation, one of the world’s leading foundations supporting child development and evidence-based education, and Jacobs Holding, a leading professional investment firm, will transition from a historically intertwined setup to becoming two independent institutions. The Jacobs Foundation will assume full control over its assets. In this context, Jacobs Holding, backed by members of the […]
Research Agenda
We know that children vary day-to-day in their skills and behaviors, that they differ from their peers, and learn in different environments with different tools and technology. It’s what we call learning variability.
However, research has not yet fully established the science of this variability, or how best to address it in different educational settings. By increasing our understanding of variability, we can better support policymakers and educators, helping them base decisions on evidence that will tailor learning to individual children and improve learning outcomes for every child.
Latest from BOLD
BOLD is a multimedia platform that explores the latest scientific insights into how children and young people develop and learn.
Digital Museum of Learning
Our new digital museum offers interactive content and playful quizzes for kids of all ages. Become a partner or dive into fun, bite-sized information and learning resources to boost your classroom experience.
Partner with us
We work with a network of partners to seek innovative ways to promote children’s learning and development.
Reports and studies
Annual Report 2023
2023 was the year that we leaned into learning. In the face of global crises and new technological frontiers, we redoubled our efforts to provide every child with a quality education based on the best scientific knowledge and evidence.
Policy labs and evidence use in education
The Jacobs Foundation, alongside On Think Tanks (OTT), have released an evidence review on the efficacy of Education Evidence Labs (EdLabs).
