Education Development Center
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is a nonprofit research and development organization[1] with headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and other locations in the United States and around the world. EDC has 1,400 employees who develop and implement programs in education, health, and international development.
In a number of countries, EDC uses technology, most notably radio, to provide educational opportunities for hard to reach learners. For instance, during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, EDC and its partners used radio to provide lessons to students whose schools were closed due to the disease.[2] Research conducted by EDC on teen smoking, has been cited by communities and states as they consider raising the age to purchase tobacco to 21.[3][4]
Named twice to The Boston Globe’s “Top Places to Work,” [5] [6] EDC maintains a staff composed of scientists, researchers, mathematicians, educators, and health and technology specialists. Staff expertise includes research, training, policy, curriculum and materials development, and education technology, and their activities range from small seed projects to large-scale national and international initiatives.
History
EDC is known for creating the curriculum Man: A Course of Study. The organization was founded (as Educational Services, Inc.) by Jerrold Zacharias, an eminent physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who started the Physical Science Study Committee, and is credited with developing PSSC Physics funded by the National Science Foundation. PSSC Physics focused on science as the product of experiment and theory, constructed by real people. EDC introduced it successfully in schools across the country and eventually in many parts of the world..[7][8][9][10]
EDC's work has grown to include projects addressing major education, health, and social challenges such as injury, violence, and suicide prevention and early childhood development and learning. EDC has worked in 60 countries around the world and in all 50 U.S. states.
Leadership
EDC's president and Chief Executive Officer is David Offensend. Previously, Offensend was chief operating officer at the New York Public Library, the nation's largest public library system with 90 affiliated branches.
A 12-member Board of Trustees is chaired by Vivien Stewart, vice president, Asia Society.
Mission
EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide.
Our Work
EDC works in all 50 states and in more than 20 countries. EDC's work focuses on: 1. Elementary and Secondary Education 2. Early childhood development and learning 3. STEM 4. Youth workforce development 5. Out of School Learning 6. Injury, Violence, and Suicide Prevention 7. Behavioral, Physical, and Mental Health 8. HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health 9. Substance Abuse, Prevention, and Treatment 10. Capacity Building for Individuals, Organizations, and Systems [11]
Services
- Design and Development
- Evaluation
- Implementation
- Policy
- Research
References
- ^ "EDC". Education Development Center, Inc. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2014/1019/As-Ebola-relief-ramps-up-other-aid-efforts-stumble-in-West-Africa
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-smoking-addiction-idUSKCN0Q52IL20150731
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2016/0505/Will-voters-try-to-repeal-California-s-21-smoking-age-law-video
- ^ http://archive.boston.com/business/special/topplaces/2008/profiles/education_development_center.htm
- ^ http://archive.boston.com/business/special/topplaces/2009/profiles/education_development_center.htm
- ^ "Reflecting on Sputnik - Lappan 3". Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/zacharias-jerrold.pd
- ^ https://philanthropy.com/article/Nonprofit-Uses-Radio-for/152257
- ^ Norman F. Ramsey. "Jerrold R. Zacharias (1905-1986)" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences website. Retrieved 6/15/2016
- ^ http://www.edc.org/our-work/
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