Lucas Education Research

What Lucas Education Research does

Lucas Education Research is a nonprofit research initiative and division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), established in 2013 and based in San Rafael, California. Over a decade-long operating period ending in 2023, the organization collaborated with researchers from USC Dornsife, Michigan State University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington to validate the effectiveness of rigorous project-based learning (PBL) for K-12 students. Its core technology consists of research-validated PBL curricula spanning AP U.S. Government, AP Environmental Science, third-grade science, second-grade social studies/literacy, and sixth-grade science, tested through randomized controlled trials and published in peer-reviewed journals including the American Educational Research Journal.

The product portfolio includes named curricula such as Knowledge in Action (AP), Multiple Literacies in PBL, Project PLACE, and Learning Through Performance, alongside a research archive of white papers, research briefs, and published articles. Distribution is handled through two channel partners: the College Board, which embeds PBL into AP Summer Institutes and ongoing online support, and Accelerate Learning, which publishes the Collaborate Science K-8 NGSS STEM PBL Curriculum commercially. All curriculum materials are open-sourced and free.

The business model is entirely nonprofit: Lucas Education Research does not generate direct revenue and is funded through GLEF's foundation model. Customers are not paying accounts but rather K-12 school districts, education policymakers, and university researchers who adopt the open-source curriculum or cite the research. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and is led by Executive Director Kristin De Vivo, with George Lucas serving as Chairman of the parent foundation. Following the 2023 conclusion of primary research, the website now functions as an archive of the decade's findings.

Name

Lucas Education Research

Legal name

George Lucas Educational Foundation

Website

https://lucasedresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lucas Education Research is a nonprofit division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation that validated project-based learning effectiveness through university-led randomized controlled trials from 2013 to 2023. It develops and freely distributes open-source K-12 PBL curricula and research publications for school districts, educators, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Research

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Project-based learning
• Education research
• K-12 curriculum
• Open-source curriculum
• Educational research

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Nonprofit Research Funding: As a division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Lucas Education Research is funded through the foundation's nonprofit funding model. The curricula developed are open-sourced and free. No direct revenue is generated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lucas Education Research is a nonprofit research division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation that, between 2013 and 2023, collaborated with university researchers to validate the effectiveness of rigorous project-based learning (PBL) for K-12 students. The organization developed research-validated PBL curricula across subjects including AP courses, elementary science, and social studies, and disseminates all curriculum and research materials free of charge through its website and partner organizations such as the College Board and Accelerate Learning.

Product overview

Lucas Education Research was an initiative of the George Lucas Educational Foundation that operated from 2013 to 2023, focused on validating the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) through collaboration with university education researchers. The organization produced research publications (including published articles, research briefs, and white papers), developed PBL curricula, and provided educational resources. The research initiative has concluded, but the curriculum developed during this period remains available through partner organizations including the College Board (AP Project-Based Learning Series) and Accelerate Learning (Collaborate Science K-8 NGSS STEM PBL Curriculum). Key curriculum products include the Knowledge in Action AP Curriculum, Multiple Literacies in PBL Science Curriculum, Project PLACE Curriculum, and Learning Through Performance Science Curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project-Based Learning Research Archive Online archive providing access to research findings, supplementary materials, and publications from Lucas Education Research's decade-long PBL research initiative, available free to educators, policymakers, and the public.
• AP Project-Based Learning Series Research-based workshops and curriculum for Advanced Placement educators, originally spurred by LER grants to the University of Washington's Life Center, delivered via AP Summer Institutes and ongoing online support.
• Collaborate Science K-8 NGSS STEM PBL Curriculum K-8 NGSS-aligned science curriculum developed through multi-year grants and published by Accelerate Learning, designed for project-based learning implementation in STEM subjects.
• Knowledge in Action AP Curriculum Project-based learning curricula for Advanced Placement US Government and Politics and AP Environmental Science, developed by University of Washington professors alongside Seattle and Des Moines teachers.
• Multiple Literacies in PBL Science Curriculum Third-grade PBL science curriculum developed by Michigan State University researchers, allowing students to contribute to solving problems in their communities such as helping local birds survive.
• Project PLACE Curriculum Second-grade social studies PBL curriculum with four projects including a civics unit where students develop proposals to persuade government officials on public space improvements such as local playgrounds.
• Learning Through Performance 6th Grade Science Curriculum Sixth-grade PBL science curriculum developed by Stanford University researchers, featuring projects such as a thermal energy unit where students engineer solar ovens for food trucks or design gloves for fishermen.
• Published Articles Collection of peer-reviewed articles on project-based learning published in professional journals and magazines such as the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and Journal of Science Teacher Education.
• Research Briefs Concise summaries of project-based learning research findings designed for policymakers, educators, and system leaders to support evidence-based decision making.
• White Papers White papers supporting implementation of high-quality project-based learning in U.S. schools, covering equity-centered PBL, curriculum design, and professional learning guidance.
• Resources Supporting materials including literature reviews, case studies, parent guides, and digital toolkits that complement project-based learning research and curriculum offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students in PBL classrooms outperform peers by 8-10 percentage points on AP exams and state tests
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• College BoardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe AP Project-Based Learning Series, originally spurred by LER grants to the University of Washington's Life Center, provides research-based workshops for AP educators through AP Summer Institutes and ongoing online support sessions.
• Accelerate LearningcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborate Science K-8 NGSS STEM PBL Curriculum developed after multi-year grant, published by Accelerate Learning and studied for impact on achievement and social-emotional learning.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Washington professors developed AP Government and AP Environmental Science PBL curricula alongside Seattle and Des Moines teachers. Walter Parker, professor emeritus, developed the Knowledge in Action AP curricula.
• USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted the first study on project-based learning and Advanced Placement results. Found that PBL students outperformed peers by 8-10 percentage points on AP exams.
• Michigan State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at MSU found that third-grade PBL students scored 8 percentage points higher on state science tests. Joseph Krajcik led the Multiple Literacies in PBL project.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford researchers found that sixth-grade students using PBL science curriculum performed significantly better on state assessments in mathematics and English language arts.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers from University of Michigan and MSU found that second graders gained 5-6 months more learning in social studies and 2 months more in informational reading through PBL.
• RTI InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the Interdisciplinary Education: Literature Review and Landscape Analysis report for Lucas Education Research exploring definitions, practices, and research in interdisciplinary education.
• George Lucas Educational FoundationcoreOthersLucas Education Research is an initiative and division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). GLEF is a nonprofit foundation founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1991, dedicated to transforming prekindergarten through 12th-grade education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit driving equitable education and career pathway transformation, with deep involvement in deeper learning and applied/integrated curriculum. Comparable as a research-and-policy nonprofit influencing K-12 instructional models.
• XQ Institute: Nonprofit rethinking the U.S. high school through project-based, student-centered learning models and major grantmaking. Operates in the same high school redesign and PBL advocacy space as LER's AP-aligned work.
• WestEd: Nonprofit research, development, and service agency producing rigorous education research used by districts and states. Comparable as a federally and foundation-funded education R&D intermediary that informs instructional policy and practice.
• EL Education: Nonprofit K-12 curriculum and professional learning organization rooted in project-based, deeper learning pedagogy with its own published ELA and science curricula. Directly comparable as a PBL curriculum provider serving U.S. school districts.
• PBLWorks: National nonprofit dedicated exclusively to project-based learning, offering PBL curriculum, workshops, and teacher certification. PBLWorks (formerly Buck Institute for Education) is the most direct U.S. PBL-focused peer and competes for the same district adoption decisions that LER-influenced curricula target.
• KnowledgeWorks: Nonprofit focused on the future of learning, including project-based and deeper learning approaches in K-12. Operates in overlapping policy and district-engagement channels, with complementary research and forecasting work that competes for thought-leadership attention in PBL.
• High Tech High: Network of PBL-focused K-12 schools and a graduate school of education, generating influential research and case studies on project-based learning. Comparable as a PBL evidence and practice organization with academic depth similar to LER.
• Center for Collaborative Education: Nonprofit advancing equitable, student-centered schooling including project-based approaches, with active district engagement and research dissemination. Operates in the same K-12 PBL advocacy and policy niche as LER.

Emerging players

• BetterLesson: Education organization providing coaching, professional learning, and curated instructional resources to districts, including PBL-related content. Comparable as a channel that influences how LER-derived curricula get implemented in classrooms.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation (Education): Large, established research organization with a substantial education division producing policy-relevant studies on school effectiveness and instructional models. Comparable as a higher-budget education R&D body whose evidence competes with LER's findings in policy debates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL10g2YT_ln2jHmdufy3wEg3C4rJzQKAZw
• Xx.com/lucasedresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lucas Education Research