Annual Report

2024

The future of learning is now

 

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As we reflect on 2024, one thing has become crystal clear: the urgency of our mission has never been greater. At the current rate of global investment in education, 300 million students will lack basic numeracy and literacy skills by 2030. What sets this year apart is our renewed motive to address this as we shape the future of education and its financing while driving groundbreaking research into learning variability.
Statement from the President and Co-CEOs
Statement from the President and Co-CEOs
Highlights

2024 in review: transforming education around the world

The Jacobs Foundation in Figures

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Cumulative Projects
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Projects approved in 2024
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Projects Approved in 2024 by Portfolio

Annual Report 2024 – Projects approved

Payments for Projects in 2024 by Portfolio

Annual Report 2024 – Payments to projects

Stories of change

At the Jacobs Foundation, we believe that rigorous research is a cornerstone of educational progress. By supporting world-class researchers and fostering connections between research and real-world action, we help shape policies and create better learning opportunities for every child. 

Scale
Thrive
Engage
Develop
Innovate
Succeed
Thrive
Future
Dr. Jessica Schleider
Lab Director
Building, testing, and sharing scalable, evidence-based mental health solutions
I am honored to join the Jacobs fellowship community, which offers an unmatched venue to learn from and work with leaders across fields—from neuroscience to public policy—to promote youth wellbeing at scale.
Dr. Jessica Schleider
Lab Director
Dr. Margherita Malanchini
Developmental psychologist
My goal is to provide a shift in the way we think about developmental disorders and about the environments that enable youths with neurodevelopmental and disruptive behavior disorders to thrive.
Dr. Margherita Malanchini
Developmental psychologist
Dr. Joshua Jeong
Developmental scientist
Examining the role of fathers in promoting early child development in Tanzania and Kenya
My intervention research can inform the design and delivery of more gender-sensitive and family-inclusive parenting programs that engage not only mothers but also fathers to maximize program impacts on child and family outcomes.
Dr. Joshua Jeong
Developmental scientist
Dr. Sofie Valk
Research group leader
Understanding how household factors, abuse, and neglect influence memory and learning in the brain
Our neurobiology and the social world we live in are deeply intertwined.
Dr. Sofie Valk
Research group leader
Dr. Brenda Wawire
Developmental scientist
Strengthening language and literacy skills among learners from linguistically diverse communities
The screening tool for developmental dyslexia will provide direction for stakeholders to develop targeted interventions to support these learners, hence helping many children learn how to read who may have been overlooked or misunderstood before.
Dr. Brenda Wawire
Developmental scientist
Dr. Roman Stengelin
Developmental psychologist
Exploring the impact of group size on childhood learning
Research on children’s social cognition in extradyadic settings—those beyond one-on-one interactions—is crucial for supporting the diverse environments that shape child development outside of Western communities.
Dr. Roman Stengelin
Developmental psychologist
Dr. Nia Nixon
Assistant Professor
Setting students up for success in a technology-driven world
I plan to help students improve academic skills and build their confidence. This approach is especially important for girls and students from underrepresented groups who often face barriers in STEM fields.
Dr. Nia Nixon
Assistant Professor
Dr. Brenden Tervo-Clemmens
Developmental psychologist
Understanding brain development and mental health
Our open science and improved within-person methodological efforts, together with an expanded collaborative network through the Jacobs Foundation, can provide key tools for a range of additional applications in development and learning.
Dr. Brenden Tervo-Clemmens
Developmental psychologist

Year in review

Hear directly from our partners and prize recipients about how the Jacobs Foundation is transforming education around the world.

Doris Hanappi, Lead of LEARN Policy and Impact at the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development

Karthik Krishnan, Founding CEO for the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd)

Julian Mariño, Head of the Evaluation Center at Los Andes University Colombia, Member of the Learning Variability Exchange Network (LEVANTE)

2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize Recipients

Big bets for 2030 and beyond

EdLabs connect research and action
Evidence-based investment in education
A global education data bank
EdLabs connect research and action
Schoolchildren standing in a doorway

Education Evidence Labs (EdLabs) generate locally relevant evidence and strengthen the link between global knowledge and local education systems. Operating in Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Switzerland; by 2030, EdLabs aim not only to improve how evidence is used but also to help ensure that new evidence-based practices are put into action. This approach will lead to measurable improvements in educational outcomes, as the evidence is translated into better policies and practices in these countries.

Evidence-based investment in education
A pupil working in their books in class

Currently, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a $100 billion annual financing gap. To address this, we are supporting the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), an innovative financing model that directs multilateral and domestic funds toward high-impact, evidence-based educational interventions.

By leveraging philanthropic and donor investments, IFFEd can multiply financing, increasing the flow of resources for education.

A global education data bank
Smiling kids work on a school desk covered in world flags

In line with global efforts in sectors like health and climate change, the creation of a Global Education Data Bank is an exciting frontier. The data bank would allow for “living evidence synthesis,” and provide policymakers and practitioners with real-time, accessible evidence to drive faster adoption of proven practices. With the help of AI, the aim is to create an infrastructure where evidence is continually updated, ensuring that educational interventions are informed by the most current data, ultimately accelerating improvements in outcomes across countries and contexts.

Supporting evidence-based education through BOLD

BOLD—our global, digital platform for scientific knowledge that is changing children’s lives—is a source of free, easy-to-access knowledge, empowering caregivers and educators with the information and tools they need to help every child learn and develop. We are translating science into accessible resources for everyone and, in 2024, we produced almost 100 articles, podcast episodes, interviews, and videos. All of these are freely available on our online platform, ensuring the latest insights on child development and learning reach those who need it most.

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Bringing the history and science of learning to life on screen for children at the Digital Museum of Learning

The Digital Museum of Learning has launched its new global exhibition, Fabrics of Identity, offering an interactive and playful way for students and educators to explore cultural diversity, identity, and inclusivity through engaging digital stories and resources, in collaboration with world-class museums and experts.

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Annual Report PDF 2024