9 Inspiring Education Nonprofits

Education continues to provide a bridge to growth and advancement, and education at any level allows individuals to learn skills that will help strengthen and empower society.

Despite free access to education through the public school system in the United States, and even around the globe in many countries, there are still barriers that children and adults experience that make it challenging to learn.

Listed below is a sampling of education nonprofits, both nationwide and global, who are working to educate and enhance society through research, advocacy, programs, and other support.

Discover ways to connect and partner with them to bring change to society.

1. World Vision

This global education nonprofit exists to empower children in need living in a plethora of countries. World Vision enhances the educational opportunities in their communities and provides the children with physical support to meet their needs for food, water, and medicine. When their basic needs are met, they have a foundation of health to pursue their education and enrich their local communities. As an organization that hires over 90% of their staff locally, World Vision is working to allow community members to impact their own communities and plant roots for change.

2. Unicef

This is another global education nonprofit that is working tirelessly to bridge the gap for children who are impoverished, have disabilities, or are excluded because of their gender or ethnicity and provide them with an education. Not only is learning an essential component of a thriving society, but quality education is important because it ensures current and accurate content is taught. As an education nonprofit, Unicef focuses on training teachers and instituting a safe and friendly learning environment so that students are motivated to learn and can contribute to society through meaningful employment one day.

3. Compassion

This education nonprofit provides a unique opportunity for individuals to sponsor a child and watch him or her journey through life. This personal connection allows sponsors to see the impact their contribution is making in the life of a child as he or she goes to school and learns. In addition, the child is able to connect with a real person through writing letters back and forth. This communication with sponsors allows children to know that someone is cheering them on and believing that they can do great things with their life.

4. Room to Read

Room to Read is an education nonprofit that exists to pair learning to read with the love of reading. Offering a variety of teaching resources, free films, and more, children can learn to read without barriers. Videos are read-aloud and are accessible in over 40 languages to bring the love of stories to life for countless children. In addition to online resources, this education nonprofit collaborates with schools to create libraries that provide on-level reading content that is diverse and engaging.

5. Pencils of Promise

With a focus on providing education for those in underserved communities globally, this education nonprofit builds schools in rural areas where access to a learning center is limited. They are connecting with communities in Ghana, Guatemala, and even Laos. In addition to training up educators to work with children, they initiate a WASH program to equip students with the knowledge and practice of personal hygiene. The goal of discussing physical cleanliness is to help students see the correlation between their health and attendance during the school day.

6. Blessings in a Backpack

While curriculum and learning materials are vital for imparting knowledge to students, so is meeting their physical needs, which shows love and care. This education nonprofit aims to distribute meals to children on the weekends, when the free school lunches are not available. Blessings in a Backpack uses backpacks to their advantage to distribute the food in a discreet way to remind kids they are seen while working to prevent bullying because of their circumstances and needs. By removing the barrier of hunger, students are able to focus and thrive throughout the school year.

7. Boys & Girls Clubs of America

When the school day ends, many children need to find an activity to do until their parents are able to pick them up when the work day is finished. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is another education nonprofit that meets the need for childcare through after-school programs. Pairing students with role models in the community, these children learn the value of leadership, positive behavior, and healthy lifestyles. They are able to learn through engagement, ask questions, and know their needs are met through specific, intentional relationships.

8. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

This free resource gives children from birth through age five stories to read. The goal is to encourage a love of reading for children and foster a mindset of imagination and learning. Children can look forward to getting a book in the mail each month and start building their own personal library.

9. Khan Academy 

Designed to help students excel outside of classroom hours, Khan Academy is an education nonprofit that makes video tutorials and interactive lessons available for free. Students can study at their own pace and prepare for SATs, review STEM material, and more. These free resources empower students to take learning into their own hands and deepen their knowledge on topics over time.

Now that you have a resource library of education nonprofits, you can be part of the change by either supporting one of these organizations or connecting people you know with these organizations to help make education accessible to everyone.

Written by Laura Conaway