Looking Ahead to 2025 as We Reflect on 2024

As we begin another exciting year at the Alliance, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made in 2024 and share our plans for 2025. From groundbreaking research to creative classroom initiatives, we’ve been busy building the foundation for every K-12 student to learn the skills to make better decisions. Here’s a look back at what we’ve achieved—and a glimpse of what’s ahead.

$12.5 Million Research Grants and Awards Program

• The Alliance launched a groundbreaking $12.5 million initiative to fund innovative research and catalyze the field of Decision Education. The inaugural round of grants is underway, backed by an interdisciplinary external review board that includes a Nobel laureate, among others.

Major Public Policy Impact

• Decision Education concepts are gaining traction in education policies nationwide. We’re teaming up with legislators and education leaders to expand decision-making in K-12 classrooms in innovative ways that complement what’s already being taught, and we’re seeing incredible momentum in diverse states across the country.

Innovative Educational Prototypes and Partnerships

• The Decision Education Incubator produced four scalable school models for College and Career Decision-Making and launched four new school-based pilot programs focusing on media literacy in middle schools.
• We developed new school-based pilot programs in a partnership with William Dever Elementary School in Chicago, aiming to create a model for certification of Decision Education schools.
• Our Decision Education Teacher Fellowship wrapped up its fourth and final year and, using the talents and expertise of former Teacher Fellows, launched our Senior Teaching Fellows group to provide expanded support to educators and the Decision Education field.
• Our spring and fall Student Forecasting Tournaments expanded opportunities for students to practice making predictions and honing their decision-making skills.
• We launched new public resources, including 30 lesson and unit plans for teachers, an introductory Decision Education course for everyone, and a Professional Learning Catalog to partner with schools and other organizations.
• To date, Decision Education has been implemented with students in 28 states and 325 district, charter, magnet, and/or independent schools.

Raising Awareness and Making Connections 

• We grew our councils and welcomed new organizational partners.
• We reached new audiences through major conferences like South by Southwest EDU and the ASU+GSV Summit, and shared Decision Education insights at events like the PA Civics Educator Forum and a learning series at The Franklin Institute.
• We launched the fifth season of The Decision Education Podcast, which surpassed 127,000 listens this year.

We’ve got big plans for 2025, and we’re excited to share what’s next as we work to bring Decision Education to more students and schools nationwide. Here’s a quick look at our main focus areas:

Building Stronger Foundations

• We’re working with more states and school districts to include “empowered decision makers” in their Portrait of a Graduate, aiming to recognize decision-making as a key life skill students need to thrive. We’re also teaming up with education leaders to expand decision-making in K-12 classrooms in innovative ways that complement existing curriculum.
• We’re partnering with educators and districts to adapt programs to their communities, focusing on adopting Decision Education K-12 Learning Standards, implementing pilot programs, and providing Decision Education-focused professional development for teachers. We’re also working with local policymakers to solidify these efforts in state and local legislation.

Growing the Movement

• We’re working to amplify our impact by connecting the Alliance with fresh, diverse audiences and rallying a growing network of passionate supporters.
• We’re also deepening our collaborations with current partners while building new relationships with organizations aligned with our vision.

Digital Curriculum Initiative: Tools for the Future

• We are collaborating with educators and schools to design interactive, teacher-friendly digital tools and activities to make it easier to teach and scale decision-making skills nationwide in engaging, practical ways.

As we look ahead, we’re inspired by the road we’ve paved together—and we’re energized by what’s to come. With your support, we can make Decision Education a reality for every student.

Join us in this movement! Sign our public pledge to show your support, advocate in your community, or explore other ways to bring Decision Education to more classrooms. Together, we are shaping a brighter future.