Thriving Adolescents

We believe that young people can thrive if they receive a high-quality, well-rounded education that responds to their interests, makes room for self-expression and self-determination, and supports post-secondary transitions to college, careers and civic life.  This kind of education only happens within systems of schools that intentionally design for it, are structured for collaboration and shared ownership, and have the necessary resources for high-quality learning environments and continuous improvement. 

We are intent on transforming the structure and experience of high school to center meaningful learning that is relevant, aligned with life experiences and interests, and connected to future hopes and goals. We are also focused on post-secondary transitions to college, career and participation in civic life and our democracy.

Transforming Systems for Equity

The Foundation has a long history of work on state systems change and remains focused on the conditions and attributes that will enable California to deliver on the promise of public education systems. 

As we act on our commitment to support adolescent growth, agency and belonging in equitable and racially-just systems of public education, schools must be adequately resourced, with the provision of greater support to those with greater needs. We will partner with researchers and technical assistance providers who build knowledge and capacity; community and policy advocates who influence and shape priorities and policies and help hold systems accountable; and networks that bridge research, policy and practice and support effective implementation.

What is the mission of the Stuart Foundation? 

The Stuart Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to improving life outcomes for young people through education.  The Foundation was established to benefit young people in California and Washington in perpetuity.  We are guided by our history, values, and belief that public schools can be the foundation for vibrant communities, inclusive economies, and a robust democracy. For more than three decades, the Foundation has worked to transform public school systems and youth-serving systems, always with the goal of creating the conditions for young people to thrive.   

We focus on systems-level work in order to change the odds for young people – so that race, family income, culture, or any other social factor is no longer a predictor of success in school and life.   We focus on adolescents because we believe in their ability to grow and thrive and lead. Adolescence is a time of remarkable growth and potential that not only deserves but demands our complete attention. Too often, adolescents – who in California are majority low-income and youth of color – encounter school and community structures where they are not empowered, seen, welcomed, or engaged. Yet we know that schools and systems can be transformative for young people, accelerating academic success, creativity, agency, and belonging – indeed, doing so is one of the central racial justice issues of our time. 

What is the size of the Foundation?  

The Foundation has an asset base of approximately $534 million, a current staff of 16, and charitable expenditures for 2022 of approximately $24 million.   

What is the Foundation’s vision for public schools and school systems? 

In California, as in public school systems throughout the country, there is a pernicious link between students’ race, family income, and their academic and life opportunities and outcomes. We envision schools and school systems that have the people, orientation, and capacity to break these stubborn connections and fundamentally transform how young people experience school. Decades of research and the lived experience of young people tell us that a school system designed with thriving adolescents at the center should include: 

• Quality, well-resourced public schools that deliver rich academics and equitable outcomes;  
• Caring relationships with adults and peers that support authentic youth voice and agency;  
• Safe, inclusive environments that affirm identity and a full sense of belonging; 
• Wellbeing and healing, including social-emotional development and robust mental health;  
• Integration of arts and creativity for personal expression and collective meaning-making;  
• Opportunities for democratic / societal purpose and active civic engagement; and  
• The chance to develop personal passions with clear pathways to post-secondary opportunity, including formal higher education and / or a meaningful career  

What is the Foundation’s strategy and who are its partners? 

Our refined strategy focuses on thriving adolescents and equitable systems.  These two key areas of work are symbiotic: strengthening public systems is key to creating the conditions and capacity to fully support adolescents. At the same time, progress on improving opportunities and outcomes for young people demonstrates the ability of the public education system to be responsive to changing needs and cultivate the rich talents of today’s students.  The Foundation has invested significant time and resources in understanding the needs of foster youth and, more recently, youth experiencing homelessness, newcomer students, and multi-lingual students. This work continues to be an important part of our strategic focus. Paying attention to these special populations helps us understand where systems work or struggle.  

We approach our education equity work with a learning mindset that recognizes and embraces complexity and prioritizes building trust.  We believe that relationships are pivotal to bringing about true transformative change – whether it be at the level of the school, district, community, or country. At the center of our strategy is our capacity to learn and improve. We ask this of students and must model it ourselves: we are committed to learning from our partners, reflecting on what we learn internally and with others, adapting our approach, and sharing lessons and insights. 

We recognize and value the diverse perspectives, talents, and voices that are essential to transforming schools and school systems.  Through convenings, strategic communications and narrative, and grantmaking we support the engagement and partnership of students, families, educators, advocates, community partners, researchers, funders, and policymakers.  We listen to and learn from our partners, many of whom are engaged in research and in advancing systems, structures, and practices to support the education and wellbeing of young people, particularly those who are furthest from opportunity.  We also partner with other funders across California and the country who are similarly committed to transforming the experiences and opportunities for adolescents, particularly in our public education systems and other youth-serving systems. 

The Foundation has a long history in child welfare grantmaking resulting in policy and practice reforms and improved outcomes for youth in foster care. Within our overall strategy, we will continue to fund organizations that support and serve foster youth in K-16 systems to improve their educational experiences and outcomes and ensure that policy makers prioritize their welfare.

Learn more about some of our recent foster youth education grants.

In addition to the Foundation’s grantmaking, we work to inform and amplify our work in the following ways:

Convenings: We set tables to build productive conversations, relationships and common ground to accelerate learning and innovation.

Funder networks and partnerships: We collaborate closely with like-minded philanthropies in order to understand their work and amplify our own.

Learning visits: We spend time in schools, school districts, and the communities they serve.