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George Lucas Educational Foundation
| George Lucas Educational Foundation | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | San Rafael, Calif. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) private foundation |
| Top official: | Cindy Johanson, executive director |
| Founder(s): | George Lucas |
| Year founded: | 1991 |
| Website: | Official website |
The George Lucas Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that works to promote education reform through hands-on learning. The foundation also publishes Edutopia.org, an education resource focused on technology-based classroom practices and comprehensive student assessment based on academic, social and emotional learning. According to their website, the organization "is dedicated to transforming pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education so all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve their full potential."[1]
Background
The George Lucas Educational Foundation was founded in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas. Lucas believed that technology could enhance learning; to this end, the foundation produced the documentary Learn & Live about "project-based learning, technology, and community partnerships to strengthen learning."[2] According to Philanthropy News Digest, "Lucas found that traditional education can be isolating, with curriculum irrelevant to real life, teachers and students disconnected from resources outside the classroom, and schools operating as if they were separate from their communities."[3] The organization was started as a response to Lucas' educational experiences.
The organization says the following about its mission:[1]
| “ | We seek to improve the pre-K-12 learning process by actively working to:
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” |
Leadership
The website for the George Lucas Educational Foundation lists the following individuals as members of the organization's Board of Directors:[1]
- George Lucas, Founder
- Cindy Johanson, Executive Director
- Stephen D. Arnold
- Robert S. Bradley
- Mellody Hobson
- Kim Meredith
- Marshall Turner
- Andrea Wishom
Work
In 2005, The New York Times reported that the Lucas Foundation's work was largely concerned with "emphasizing the virtues of hands-on field work, practical experience and the use of film, video and digital materials in preference to the usual textbooks and standardized tests."[5]
Policy adovcacy
In terms of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the Lucas Foundation focuses on "how to make them work for students" rather than taking a policy position on the standards themselves. This includes research on using emotion vocabulary to reach standards or how teaching coding can meet core requirements.[6] In terms of school choice through charter schools, the foundation has supported the establishment of Clear View Charter School as a technology-based learning center.[7] Mark Phillips, writing for the organization's blog, has promoted charter schools as one avenue of reform in a system that often fails underserved student populations: "Most importantly, I think school districts have an obligation to do a better job of providing educational alternatives that meet individualized student needs and especially the needs of students who are underserved based on social class and/or ethnicity. If this can be done without forming a charter school, that's great. If not, forming a charter school can be a very effective response to this failure."[8]
Edutopia
The foundation publishes Edutopia.org, an education research website that promotes hands-on learning and classroom practices that utilize technology. The site also promotes awareness of social and emotional learning and comprehensive assessment of these different types of learning.[9] Unlike other nonprofit education reform entities, "Edutopia does not consult with schools or districts. It makes no grants. It offers no professional development or teacher training."[10]
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the George Lucas Educational Foundation's revenues and expenses from 2015 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $13.7 million | $13.4 million |
| 2016 | N/A | N/A |
| 2017 | N/A | N/A |
| 2018 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | $10.4 million | $11.1 million |
| 2020 | $10.5 million | $11.3 million |
| 2021 | $14.6 million | $11.7 million |
| 2022 | $7.4 million | $9.5 million |
| 2023 | $11.9 million | $9.5 million |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms George Lucas Educational Foundation. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 George Lucas Educational Foundation, "About Us," accessed November 24, 2024
- ↑ George Lucas Educational Foundation, "History of Impact," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ Philanthropy News Digest, "George Lucas Educational Foundation," April 27, 2004
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The New York Times, "ON EDUCATION; Like Aristotle With a Light Saber, Lucas Urges Hands-On Learning," August 31, 2005
- ↑ George Lucas Educational Foundation, "Common Core," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ George Lucas Educational Foundation, "Q&A: Clear View Charter School," May 1, 2000
- ↑ George Lucas Educational Foundation, "Awash in a Sea of Misinformation: Charter School Myths and Realities," November 10, 2014
- ↑ George Lucas Educational Foundation, "Core Strategies for Innovation and Reform in Learning," accessed August 19, 2015
- ↑ Education Next, "Edutopian Vision," Summer 2010
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