Bright Spots
Unlocking Growth
Overdeck Family Foundation was one of CommonLit’s first partners who deeply believed in our vision and potential. The team has been instrumental in helping us reach millions of students, study and demonstrate our impact, and develop our comprehensive instructional program for ELA, CommonLit360.—Michelle Brown, Founder and CEO
The Problem
The pandemic erased two decades of progress in reading, causing severe learning loss, particularly among students who were already behind grade level. Exacerbating these challenges, only 35 percent of teachers report using standards-aligned English language arts (ELA) materials at least once a week.
The Growth
CommonLit offers students and educators a text library and CommonLit 360, a full-year ELA curriculum that connects the dots between curriculum, assessments, and professional learning in an all-in-one platform, which has been shown to improve student learning. Students have access to thousands of high-quality reading lessons where they can make real-world connections and receive personalized instruction through guided comprehension questions, text-to-speech, translation, and digital annotation tools. And educators have support through professional development that’s designed to reduce cognitive load, increase teachers’ self-efficacy, and routinize key instructional moves, addressing key reasons educators provide for not using grade-level materials.
Since it launched in 2014, CommonLit has experienced steady year-over-year growth in reach and revenue. CommonLit grew from serving 1,779 schools in 2022 to 2,410 schools in 2023 and, across all of its offerings, CommonLit is now the number one most cited new instructional program in the core market. In a recent “Spotlight On Growth” interview with founder and CEO Michelle Brown, she reflected on how the organization navigated an influx of demand sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has sustained this growth in the years since through key hires and product development.
CommonLit’s investment in strengthening its evidence base has also supported its growth. A study of 113,825 sixth through tenth grade students in 313 schools across 40 states during SY 2021-22 found that students with teachers highly utilizing CommonLit 360 saw faster growth in reading—equivalent to about three to four months of learning—than students in comparison group classrooms. CommonLit has also recently been awarded an EdReports “all-green” rating, indicating it meets all quality and usability expectations, including alignment to standards. To date, the organization has helped over five million students become proficient readers.
Our Catalytic Role
Over the past three years, Overdeck Family Foundation’s general operating and capacity-building support have enabled CommonLit to enhance its product suite, build internal data capacity through a partnership with a Strategic Data Project fellow, conduct a market analysis, and develop a growth plan. In 2024, we also provided CommonLit funding to conduct an external validation on the impact of CommonLit 360’s program on ELA achievement, with findings anticipated in 2027.
Number of Schools Paying for CommonLit’s Full Program
The number of schools paying for CommonLit’s Full Program has grown 35 percent since SY 2021-22.
Michelle BrownFounder and CEO
Michelle Brown is the Founder and CEO of CommonLit.org. She is a native Spanish speaker and an experienced English teacher who has taught in urban and rural environments, and at the university level as a professor of Spanish. In 2019, Michelle was the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Mid Atlantic). She is dedicated to coaching early-stage entrepreneurs and writes for Women@Forbes.
CommonLit
PortfolioInnovative Schools
Our Funding to Date$4,761,500 since 2022
Founded2014
HQWashington, DC
Websitecommonlit.org
Overdeck Family Foundation has been critical to expanding the offerings and reach of the Museum of Science’s engineering and computer science activities and curricula. With their support, we’ve been able to further promote children’s creativity and problem solving through free, high-quality resources for educators and families.—Dr. Christine Cunningham, Senior Vice President, STEM Learning
The Problem
Despite the growing emphasis on engineering embodied in the Next Generation Science Standards, K-12 educators are not well supported to teach engineering skills, practices, and content to their students.
The Growth
The work of the PK-12 Education team at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA focuses on developing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula for Pre-K through eighth grade students, preparing and empowering educators to teach STEM, and conducting rigorous research to inform K-12 engineering education. Best known for its Engineering is Elementary® (EiE) curricula, the team also offers educators its new Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) curricula and provides families with a suite of resources to lead engineering and computer science activities at home.
In SY 2023-24, over one million students accessed YES and EiE’s engineering and computer science units, a 115 percent year-over-year increase. This increase in reach was primarily fueled by educator demand for high-quality and engaging engineering curricular materials for in-school and out-of-school time programs. At the same time, the Pre-K-12 Education team continued to respond to growing demand from families. With grant support from the Foundation, the team developed and released a set of three new computer science multimodal experiences designed to provide families with fun and interactive opportunities to build familiarity and comfort with the engineering design process and introductory computer science concepts.
While YES and EiE curricula have been adopted nationwide, the Museum of Science continues to play an important role in creating access to high-quality STEM learning experiences in its home city as well. It has embarked on a major renovation project to create a new Public Science Common convening space at the Museum in Boston, helping the institution become a community resource and demonstrating its continued commitment to serving children wherever they learn: at school, after school, at home, or at the museum.
Our Catalytic Role
An Inspired Minds grantee since 2018, the Museum of Science has used grant funding to scale EiE curricula and adapt its foundational principles (creative problem-solving; collaboration; and authentic, real-world challenges) to create engaging learning activities for children and their families to do at home. To support this work, Overdeck Family Foundation has provided capacity building to inform growth planning in addition to a Strategic Data Project fellow to supplement the Museum’s research and evaluation capacity, enabling it to conduct additional formative and summative evaluation activities to inform product development.
Number of Students Using Museum of Science Engineering and Computer Science Units
The number of students accessing Museum of Science engineering and computer science units has more than doubled since SY 2020-21.
Dr. Christine CunninghamSenior Vice President, STEM Learning
Christine Cunningham, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President of STEM Learning at the Museum of Science in Boston. She is the founding director of Youth Engineering Solutions and Engineering is Elementary, which develop equity-oriented, research-based, field-tested STEM curricula and professional learning resources for Pre-K through eighth grade youth and their educators. Previously, Christine was a Professor of Practice in Education and Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University.
Museum of Science (EiE)
PortfolioInspired Minds
Our Funding to Date$2,196,775 since 2018
Founded2003
HQBoston, MA
Websiteyes.mos.org
Overdeck Family Foundation’s support has led to transformative change for our organization over the last five years, facilitating our evolution from a regional to an international nonprofit. As we explore our next phase of growth, the Foundation’s support for our research goals, fiscal development, and operational strategy will be critical for the success of our global vision.—Nick Monzi, Co-Founder and CEO
The Problem
The U.S. faces a growing math proficiency crisis, ranking 26th out of 81 countries in the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), and showing the largest decline in math proficiency since 1990 on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The Growth
Learn Fresh transforms students’ passion for sports and entertainment into a powerful tool for inspiring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills and social-emotional learning. In collaboration with premier sports organizations such as the NBA, MLB Players Trust, and MLS, Learn Fresh has developed programs like NBA Math Hoops, MLB Players STEM League, and MLS STEM Goals, which foster students’ resilience, confidence, and sportsmanship, in addition to academic growth with a focus on algebra readiness. Since 2012, Learn Fresh has engaged over one million students globally, with research finding evidence that participants have made marked improvements in math proficiency and social-emotional skills like leadership and grit.
In its 2023-24 season, Learn Fresh saw 18 percent year-over-year growth across all its programs, reaching over 370,000 youth nationwide. This expansion was bolstered by steady demand for NBA Math Hoops—the organization’s founding program designed to help students learn fundamental math and social-emotional skills through the game of basketball. In the same period, Learn Fresh also saw substantial growth of its newest offerings: MLB Players STEM League (95 percent year-over-year growth) in addition to EcoTour and MLS STEM Goals (tenfold participation growth for both, since inception).
As Learn Fresh’s footprint has grown, so has visibility and support for its programs. In 2024, the organization maintained partnerships with 21 premier sports teams, supporting local program implementation and expansion. And in June, the NBA Headquarters in New York City hosted the 2024 NBA Math Hoops Global Championship, demonstrating deep partnership and commitment from the league. In a recent “Spotlight On Innovation” interview, co-founder and CEO Nick Monzi spoke with us about the organization’s partnership strategy and its unique approach to igniting students’ STEM interest in and out of the classroom.
In the months ahead, with strategic and financial support from the Foundation, Learn Fresh will expand its evidence base, building on initial positive findings related to math fluency and social-emotional competencies by working with WestEd to conduct a randomized controlled trial that aims to better understand the impact of NBA Math Hoops on students’ math learning, social-emotional development, and self-efficacy and enjoyment of math.
Our Catalytic Role
An Overdeck Family Foundation grantee since 2020, Learn Fresh has capitalized on our capacity-building support to strengthen its evidence-building, communications, and revenue model. Through coaching and thought partnership from Foundation staff and engagements with external capacity-building supports and a Strategic Data Project fellow, Learn Fresh has improved its theory of change and measurement and evaluation framework, strengthened its organizational culture around evaluation and data, and improved its data systems.
Number of Students Participating Across All Learn Fresh Programs
The number of fourth through eighth grade students participating in Learn Fresh programming has increased by 65 percent in the past four years.
Nick MonziCo-Founder and CEO
Nick Monzi is Co-Founder and CEO of Learn Fresh. Since the organization’s founding, he has worked with global corporations, leading school districts, and national and regional after-school providers to develop the Learn Fresh community program model. Nick has presented at national conferences including SXSW EDU, ISTE, Beyond School Hours, and the NSLA National Conference.
Learn Fresh
PortfolioInspired Minds
Our Funding to Date$4,171,200 since 2020
Founded2013
HQPhiladelphia, PA
Websitelearnfresh.org
For more than 50 years, the National Inventors Hall of Fame has been at the forefront of illuminating the legacies of world-changing inventors and providing opportunities for the next generation to learn directly from these innovative role models. With the involvement of our Inductees and the generous support of partners such as Overdeck Family Foundation, the Hall of Fame will carry this mission into the future.—Michael J. Oister, CEO
The Problem
The rate of innovation in the U.S. has declined since the 1970s, due in part to unequal access to social networks, role models, and generational wealth that make innovation more possible. Researchers estimate that children from the wealthiest families are 10 times more likely to become inventors than children from below the median income.
The Growth
The National Inventors Hall of Fame® recognizes world-changing inventors by inducting them into the Hall of Fame and infusing their stories, insights, and passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into education camps, clubs, and school-day programs. These offerings, which include Camp Invention®, Club Invention®, and Invention Project®, promote confidence-boosting, hands-on innovation and entrepreneurship for elementary through college-aged students across the country.
Since it was founded in 1973, the National Inventors Hall of Fame has continued to evolve to meet the needs of students, families, and educators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team capitalized on the influx of federal stimulus dollars in the education sector, successfully spearheading partnerships with new school districts to bring Invention Project programs to their students. At the same time, the organization saw notable growth in its out-of-school time programs, with Camp Invention averaging approximately 83 campers per camp, the largest in the organization’s history. In 2023, the most recent complete year with available data, the National Inventors Hall of Fame grew students served by 37 percent while continuing to prioritize reaching underserved students through its philanthropic partnerships. This year, approximately 71 percent of students who participated in National Inventors Hall of Fame programs came from underserved backgrounds.
This strong growth trajectory has ensured more children have access to highly engaging STEM programming that can foster STEM interest and skills, and ultimately an innovation mindset. Findings from a study conducted with researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology showed an increase in science and math interest; an increase in problem-solving and inventing skills; and a lowering of science and math anxiety after just four days of Camp Invention programming for students who reported at least some room for improvement at the program’s start.
The organization’s recent success, fueled by ESSER spending, also sparked strong revenue growth, with 2023 out-of-school program revenue greatly exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In a recent “Spotlight on Growth” interview, Chief Strategic Officer Hannah Paulin detailed how her team navigated this explosive growth period, and how the organization is preparing for a tighter fiscal climate in the years ahead by pursuing lower-cost program models, cost sharing, and alternative funding streams.
Our Catalytic Role
Since 2020, Overdeck Family Foundation’s grantmaking and strategic support have helped the National Inventors Hall of Fame expand access to its STEM enrichment programs for thousands of students each year. During this time, the organization has capitalized on capacity-building support to diversify its revenue streams, better understand programmatic cost drivers, build data and evidence capacity through its Strategic Data Project fellow, and develop a dynamic forecasting tool to identify fiscal implications in a post-ESSER environment that would allow it to remain sustainable in the future.
Number of Students Participating in Camp Invention, Club Invention, and Invention Project
The number of students participating in National Inventors Hall of Fame programming increased by 66 percent since 2021.
Michael J. OisterCEO
Since joining the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2004, Michael J. Oister has worked to expand its mission of recognizing and inspiring innovation in America. Michael, who holds more than 20 U.S. patents, first joined the National Inventors Hall of Fame as President of the Invent Now Kids subsidiary before he accepted the role of CEO in 2013. Prior to joining the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Michael built Classic Sport Companies from a startup to a $20 million-plus manufacturer of sporting goods, supplying team dealers throughout the country while building partnerships with prominent retailers.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
PortfolioInspired Minds
Our Funding to Date$3,039,000 since 2020
Founded1973
HQNorth Canton, OH
Websiteinvent.org
I’m so proud of the work of the New Jersey Tutoring Corps. We’ve worked with district partners in 19 of 21 New Jersey counties, created more than 700 jobs, grown to impact over 12,000 scholars, and, most importantly, have increased scholars’ academic knowledge and love of learning. None of this would have been possible without the support of Overdeck Family Foundation.—Katherine Bassett, CEO
The Problem
New Jersey state assessment scores from 2023 reveal that 48.7 percent of students across the state are below grade level in English language arts and 62.4 percent are below grade level in math. While scores show an average of two percentage point improvement over the prior year, they remain lower than 2019.
The Growth
The New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. was launched as a statewide tutoring program during the summer of 2021 to help close widening academic gaps, increase students’ confidence and love of learning, and establish a statewide pathway of skilled educators. The program’s research-based, evidence-rich high-impact tutoring model provided direct support in math and literacy to Pre-K through eighth grade students both after school and through integration with summer and afterschool programs. In SY 2022-23, the Tutoring Corps piloted an embedded school-day program designed to provide its high-impact tutoring year-round as part of the school day.
Today, as an independent nonprofit, the New Jersey Tutoring Corps co-designs programming with school districts, hiring and training tutors to offer in-person high-impact tutoring to small groups of one to four students meeting for 30- to 60-minute sessions two to three times per week with the same tutor for 15-25 weeks, following the Annenberg Institute’s recommendations. By prioritizing close district partnerships, the Tutoring Corps increased its year-over-year reach by 64 percent in 2024, serving almost 4,000 total kindergarten through eighth grade students in 80 school sites across 25 districts. During this time, the organization also saw significant earned revenue growth, demonstrating strong demand for high-impact tutoring across New Jersey.
As the New Jersey Tutoring Corps’ in-school program expands and evolves, it continues to show potential positive impact for students. During SY 2023-24, grade-level-proficiency in math increased from four percent at the start of the school year to 26 percent following participation in the program, and from 12 to 30 percent in literacy, across grade levels. To more rigorously understand the impact of its tutoring support, the Tutoring Corps has partnered with Mathematica to conduct an ESSA Tier 2-aligned quasi-experimental design (QED) impact study estimating the effects of the program on student achievement, with findings anticipated in 2026.
Our Catalytic Role
Overdeck Family Foundation helped conceptualize and design the Tutoring Corps in 2021 as a response to state-wide learning loss exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have provided extensive consultative support and general operating grants, helping the organization launch its program, unlock new sources of funding, establish its 501(c)(3) status, build a long-term strategy to improve sustainability and increase reach, and gather and understand beneficiary feedback. The Foundation has also offered New Jersey Tutoring Corps ongoing research support through connections to external evaluation teams and iterative research design feedback as the organization embarks on its QED.
Number of Students Participating in New Jersey Tutoring Corps
The number of kindergarten through eighth grade students participating in the New Jersey Tutoring Corps more than doubled from 2021 to 2024.
Katherine BassettCEO
Katherine Bassett, CEO of the New Jersey Tutoring Corps, previously served as Director of Policy and Partnerships for the Center for Educator Effectiveness at Pearson, as well as the Director of the Educator Relations Group at Educational Testing Service, CEO of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, and Co-Founder and CEO of RAD Science Solutions. Katherine spent 26 years in the classroom as a middle school librarian and was named New Jersey’s 2000 State Teacher of the Year.
New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc.
PortfolioNew Jersey
Our Funding to Date$1,641,350 since 2021
Founded2021
HQNew Jersey
Websitenjtutoringcorps.org
