Giving Compass' Take:

• The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is committing more than $3 million in grants to study how students learn and how to translate that into effective teaching. 

• What does this move mean for education philanthropy? How can funders better learn from each other? 

• Learn about previous education funding failures of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced $3.72 million in grants to two initiatives working to further the understanding of how students actually learn and help educators translate that research into practices that support the needs of all students.

“This body of work is rooted in an appreciation for the complexity of what teachers do everyday in the classroom, and a belief in the transformative potential of learning and developmental science,” said Sandra Liu Huang, head of education at CZI. “These organizations bring  an understanding of what is grounded in evidence with an understanding of the real-world challenges –and opportunities–to help teachers and school leaders bridge the gap between research and practice.”

The grants reflect CZI’s larger mission in education to help more young people enter adulthood with the skills and abilities they need to reach their full potential.

These initiatives have partnered experts in educational practice, child and adolescent development and policy to produce findings and recommendations. The recommendations focus on how learning environments and experiences can be designed to best support student development and learning.

The grants go beyond furthering the research that deepens our understanding of how children and adolescents develop key skills over time. The grants also will allow the Initiatives to develop and share concrete supports with teachers–and those who prepare and support our educators–to improve and expand effective integration of social emotional and cognitive development within academic instruction. It also will support the creation of safe, supportive and rigorous school environments through attention to relationships, and to prioritize whole adult development.

Read the full article about funding research on students and schools at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.