our impact to date
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the unprecedented transition to remote learning that it caused, have made the Robin Hood Learning + Technology fund more vital than ever. Learn more about the goals of the Fund below, and see how our grants enabled our partners to respond to the pandemic in real time.
Our mission is to unlock the potential of technology to transform learning
and advance achievement for low-income students across New York City. Our partners create free and
open-source resources so all students can develop the knowledge and skills they need to be strong
learners.
“Blending technology into curriculum and classroom practice has
the potential to help teachers and students get the support they need, enhancing both teaching and
learning in NYC.”
–John Overdeck, Co-Chairman of Two Sigma and
Co-Chair of the Fund Advisory Board
who we are
Robin Hood, Overdeck Family Foundation, and Siegel Family Endowment
established the Learning + Technology Fund to shift teaching and learning so all students are prepared
to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
The fund is an initiative of visionary leaders,
including:
John Overdeck, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder, Two
Sigma Investments
David Siegel, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder, Two Sigma
Investments
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Founder, SV2 Stanford Center
on Philanthropy
Matt Dalio, Founder, Endless
Michael Horn, Chief Strategy Officer, Entangled
Solutions
Dan Huttenlocher, Dean, MIT Schwarzman College of
Computing
David Saltzman, Co-Founder, Atria
Eric Schmidt, Technical Advisor and Former Executive
Chairman, Alphabet, Inc.
who we work with
“Collaboration is the cornerstone of effective
philanthropy, and a key to making grants that will help children become successful
learners.”
–David Siegel, Co-Chairman of Two Sigma and
Co-Chair of the Fund Advisory Board
Find out if you’re eligible and learn more about the commitment and
grantmaking process.
big bet #1:
blended literacy
IMPROVING THE WAY STUDENTS LEARN TO READ AND WRITE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
Why?
Literacy is one of the biggest indicators of later success for all students. It is particularly critical to improving the lives of children living in poverty.
Students living in poverty who read proficiently in 3rd grade are 13 times more likely to graduate high school on time.
How?
We work with curriculum and teacher-training organizations to better integrate technology into K-8 classrooms so teachers have tools and resources to improve student reading and writing.
Learn More:
Blended Literacy Concept Paper
Blended Literacy in Practice
big bet #2:
computational thinking
UNCOVERING NEW WAYS TO PREPARE CHILDREN TO BECOME COMPUTATIONAL THINKERS.
Why?
The ability to find solutions to problems using all the tools available including computers – that is, to think computationally – is critical to developing strong and creative learners who are prepared for success in our increasingly digitally-driven world.
How?
Our goal is to create a pipeline of teachers who are equipped to teach students how to think, solve, and create with computers in order to learn any subject better. We focus on elementary grades because starting this kind of learning at a younger age helps students build strong foundations, and be more open to experimenting with computers as they get older.
Learn More:
Computational Thinking Concept Paper
Computational Thinking in Practice
our blended literacy community partners
Illuminate Literacy
our computational thinking community partners
in the news
our team
Our team is led by:
Amber Oliver, Managing Director
Laina Vlasnik Yip, Senior Program Officer, Blended Literacy & Engagement
Our team is supported by:
Emary Aronson, Chief Knowledge Officer & Senior Advisor to the CEO, Robin Hood
Anu Malipatil, Vice President, Education, Overdeck Family Foundation
Katy Knight, Executive Director, Siegel Family Endowment
Melanie Dukes, Associate Program Director, K-9, Overdeck Family Foundation
Joshua Elder, Vice President & Head of Grantmaking, Siegel Family Endowment
Stephanie Lo, Head of Philanthropy, Endless
In Partnership With
