Battelle for Kids was established in 2001 through a partnership with the Ohio Business Roundtable and supported by an initial grant from Battelle Memorial Institute to improve student achievement in Ohio. A cornerstone of the organization’s early work was the creation of SOAR, a collaborative group of 42 Ohio school districts that came together to explore innovative practices for their schools. This collaborative pioneered high-impact improvement strategies and new measures of student progress. Over the past decade, the SOAR Learning & Leading Collaborative has expanded to include nearly 100 Ohio districts and continues to serve as a learning lab for developing new strategies and solutions.
From research and through partnerships with schools systems, Battelle for Kids collaborates with educators and others to pilot innovative solutions and efficiently scale their use on a larger scale to accelerate student success.The organization works to overcome opportunity gaps by leading collaborative action to adopt innovative strategies for dual enrollment, blended learning, college/career pathways, instructional quality, and redesigning time, talent, and resources in rural schools across the nation.Through the Rural Education National Forum, Battelle for Kids brings rural education leaders together to learn, share, and collaborate around ideas for improving education and economic prosperity in rural communities.