Our Mission
We aim to build AI infrastructure that better connects
the way students learn to the tools they learn with.
Our Story
Learning Commons is Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s education initiative, launched in 2025 to build upon the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s decade of work advancing learning science and translating research into classroom practice.
The Problem We’re Solving
Learning science shouldn’t be hard to access or apply
For decades, research has shown us what helps students learn best. Yet translating that science into classroom practice has remained largely out of reach not because educators don’t want it, but because the infrastructure to deliver it at scale simply hasn’t existed. Learning science is complex. Academic standards vary across states. High-quality curricula aren’t easily integrated into digital products. And as artificial intelligence opens unprecedented possibilities to better differentiate learning, the risk of building on shaky pedagogical ground has never been higher.
The result? Educators are doing the impossible: stitching together disconnected curricula, tools, and technologies, often sacrificing precious time and the ability to differentiate instruction. Students have fragmented learning experiences that don’t fully respond to how they learn best. And developers, even those deeply committed to educational impact, face steep barriers to accessing academic standards, learning progressions, and research-based frameworks needed to build with rigor.
Learning science shouldn’t be hard to access or apply. The research exists. The expertise exists. What’s been missing is the connective tissue: the open datasets, standards, and shared infrastructure that enables knowledge about effective teaching and learning to be easily integrated.
Meet Learning Commons
Leadership
Sandra Liu Huang,
President
Sandra Liu Huang is the president of Learning Commons. A product and philanthropic leader, Sandra brings together a world-class engineering team, researchers, educators, and developers to build AI infrastructure that better connects the ways students learn with the tools they learn with.
Previously, Sandra served as the head of product at Quora, a platform for gaining and sharing knowledge, where she served as their first product manager and oversaw its growth to 100 million monthly unique users. Sandra also led product development in roles at Google and Facebook, where she managed complex, interdisciplinary teams building tools and products such as Google AdWords and Google AdSense. She holds bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from Stanford University.
How we work
Our Team
Learning Commons brings together data scientists, applied learning scientists, product managers, engineers, and designers who’ve built leading tech products, paired with deep connections to educators, researchers, and school districts. What makes us rare in philanthropy is our technical depth: engineers who’ve scaled systems serving billions, product leaders who’ve shipped complex platforms, and designers who craft sophisticated experiences—all working alongside learning scientists who translate research into practice. This allows us to build infrastructure that’s both production-ready for developers and grounded in how teaching and learning actually work.
Our Approach
We are creating these resources in deep collaboration with the people closest to the work
We’re developing this public foundation through open, machine-readable educational datasets and evaluation methods that improve the rigor of educational technology. We are creating these resources in deep collaboration with the people closest to the work: educators using tools in real classrooms, researchers advancing our understanding of how learning happens, school leaders balancing instructional vision with practical constraints, and builders committed to shipping products that genuinely serve students.
Our Commitment
We’re dedicated to making learning science accessible to all
As a nonprofit organization, we’re dedicated to making learning science accessible to all. We believe technology should amplify what teachers do best: engage, motivate, and truly see their students. We’re committed to every partner we work with, to the educators and learners they serve, and to the research that guides us toward better practice and student outcomes.
Interested in joining Learning Commons?
Because Every Learner Matters