Jacobs Foundation Strategy 2030: Driving Evidence-Based Education for Every Child

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The Jacobs Foundation is positioning itself at the centre of a critical global conversation: how to ensure that every child, regardless of background, receives a quality education grounded in what actually works. Through its Strategy 2030, the Foundation is advancing a model that places evidence, not assumption, at the core of education systems.

At a time when education systems across the world continue to rely on standardised approaches, the Foundation’s work challenges the status quo. Its central argument is clear: learning is not uniform, and education should not be either. Children differ in their abilities, behaviours, and environments, yet many systems still adopt a one-size-fits-all model that limits individual potential.

From Research to Policy: Bridging the Evidence Gap

The Jacobs Foundation’s approach is built on a straightforward but often underutilised principle: education policy and classroom practice must be informed by rigorous research. To achieve this, the Foundation invests in leading global research on how children learn, with a focus on translating findings into actionable policies.

This work goes beyond academic theory. The Foundation actively supports governments and institutions to embed evidence into national education strategies. By connecting research to policy implementation, it ensures that insights are not confined to journals but are applied in real-world classrooms.

Strategy 2030 reinforces this commitment through targeted funding and partnerships. With a pledge of CHF 500 million, the Foundation is working alongside researchers, educators, and policymakers in countries including Switzerland, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Colombia. The objective is not only to generate knowledge but to ensure it shapes how education systems function.

Understanding Learning Variability

A defining feature of the Foundation’s research agenda is its emphasis on learning variability. Children do not learn in identical ways or at the same pace. Their performance can vary daily, and their development is shaped by diverse social and environmental factors.

Despite this, many education systems continue to design instruction for an “average” learner. The Jacobs Foundation is working to change that narrative by funding research that explores the causes and implications of these differences. Its goal is to build systems that recognise and respond to individual learning needs rather than suppress them.

Through initiatives such as the Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship and global research conferences, the Foundation is fostering a multidisciplinary community focused on these questions. This network is intended to drive both academic debate and practical reform in education systems worldwide.

How the Jacobs Foundation Works: Partnerships at the Core

At the operational level, the Foundation’s model is built on collaboration. It works through partnerships with researchers, policymakers, and education stakeholders to generate and apply evidence that improves learning outcomes globally.

Its earlier structure, organised around Learning Minds, Learning Schools, and Learning Societies, has now evolved into a more integrated framework focused on global and country programmes. This shift reflects a deliberate strategy to ensure that knowledge generation is directly linked to implementation, both internationally and within specific national contexts.

Through these partnerships, the Foundation strengthens the connection between research and classroom practice. The objective is not only to produce evidence but to ensure that it informs education systems in a way that is practical, scalable, and responsive to local realities.

Global Programmes: Advancing Knowledge and Policy Alignment

The Foundation’s global programmes are designed to expand the frontiers of education research while ensuring that findings influence real policy decisions. These programmes focus particularly on how individual differences shape children’s learning experiences.

Initiatives such as the Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowships, LEVANTE, and LEARN support emerging scholars and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the same time, projects like ENJOY and IFFEd work to align evidence frameworks with education financing and policy structures, ensuring that investments in education are guided by credible research.

This dual focus on research and policy alignment allows the Foundation to influence not just how education is studied, but how it is funded and delivered across systems.

Country Programmes: Localising Evidence for Impact

Complementing its global work, the Foundation’s country programmes focus on embedding evidence within national education systems. Active in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Colombia, and Switzerland, these programmes are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of each country.

The approach is structured around three mechanisms. EdLabs translate research into practical, classroom-ready solutions. Communities of Change bring together local actors to collaborate and share insights. Co-funding mechanisms mobilise both public and private sector resources to scale effective interventions.

By combining these mechanisms, the Foundation aims to strengthen education systems, expand access, and ensure that reforms are grounded in high-quality data. The emphasis is on sustainability, ensuring that improvements in learning outcomes are not temporary but embedded within national frameworks.

A Strategic Framework for Impact

The Foundation’s Theory of Change outlines a structured approach to achieving long-term impact. Its work is anchored in four core competences: generating and translating evidence, innovating partnerships, acting as a catalytic investor, and shaping policy environments.

These competences guide how resources are deployed and how success is measured. By embedding evidence into each stage of its work, the Foundation is building systems that are both adaptive and resilient.

In parallel, digital initiatives such as the Digital Museum of Learning reflect a shift towards accessible, interactive education tools. Designed for children and educators, the platform provides engaging resources that complement formal education systems while reinforcing evidence-based learning methods.

Global Vision, Local Relevance

While the Jacobs Foundation operates on a global scale, its work carries increasing relevance for African education systems. Countries such as Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are already part of its strategic focus, highlighting the importance of aligning demographic growth with investments in quality education.

The Foundation’s emphasis on evidence-based policy offers a structured pathway to address long-standing challenges such as inequality in access, inconsistent teaching quality, and limited responsiveness to student needs. Its model demonstrates how research can be translated into practical reforms that improve outcomes at scale.

As governments and institutions across Africa continue to prioritise education, the Jacobs Foundation’s Strategy 2030 presents a clear proposition: effective systems are built not on assumptions, but on evidence that is continuously tested and applied.

The broader implication is significant. Education reform is no longer just about expanding access; it is about refining delivery. For Africa, where the stakes are high and the opportunities even higher, this approach offers a credible route towards building systems that truly serve every child. The progress may be incremental, but the direction is precise, and the potential impact is transformative.

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