“Education is the single most important endeavor of the human race.”

– George Lucas

About Us

Founded by award-winning filmmaker George Lucas in 1991, the George Lucas Educational Foundation 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.

We strive for students to have access to opportunities to develop and apply these fundamental skills:

1. Finding and assessing information

2. Using information creatively

3. Working collaboratively to achieve goals

Our Vision

We envision a new world of learning in which students become lifelong learners, innovation thrives, and rigorous project-based learning and social-emotional learning are the norm. In this world, students, educators, families, policymakers, and the communities they serve are empowered with a shared vision to change education for the better. Our vision is based on the fundamental belief that improving education is essential for the human race to survive and flourish.

Our Mission

We seek to improve the pre-K-12 learning process by actively working to:

  • Find, describe, and promote effective models and innovations through stories of what works.
  • Identify and evaluate evidence that supports effective learning practices for learners, educators, and schools.
  • Develop advanced software, technology, and materials for educational purposes as exemplars to guide innovations and inspire others in the field

Note: We are an operating foundation focused on actively pursuing our mission through direct initiatives and projects. We do not provide grants or accept unsolicited funding requests.

Meet the Team

Board of Directors

Board Director Emerita

Executive Director

Edutopia

Stephen Merrill

, General Manager and Chief Content Officer

Chelsea Beck

, Art Director

Tom Berger

, Managing Editor, Contributors

Hannah Bogenreuther

, Brand Marketing Specialist

Amy Erin Borovoy

, Director of Video

Andrew Boryga

, Senior Editor

Nana Gilbertson

, Content Operations Lead

Sarah Gonser

, Managing Editor, Features

Doug Keely

, Motion Graphics Artist

Daniel Leonard

, Assistant Editor

Samer Rabadi

, Online Community Engagement Manager

Kenie Richards

, Chief Marketing Officer

Anne Noyes Saini

, Senior Editor

Madison Shumway

, Social Media Specialist

Emily Taylor

, Senior Product Manager

Youki Terada

, Senior Editor

Paige Tutt

, Associate Editor

Lucas Learning

Maaroof Fakhri

, General Manager

Joel Sadler

, Chief Technology Officer

Charlotte Luongo

, Learning Design Lead

Finance, IT & Administration

Lilly Fu

, Senior Director, Finance and Administration

Billy Hawes

, Desktop Support Specialist

Silvia Tisell

, Senior Accountant & Contracts Administrator

Ryan Gerson

, Executive Assistant

A History of Impact

Travel back in time to see where the George Lucas Educational Foundation started and why we’re excited about what the future holds.

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