The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education is a nonprofit R&D institute powering innovation and leadership in education. Housed within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego, we engage in pioneering research and evaluation, develop innovative curricula and technologies and support professional learning grounded in the learning sciences.
Over the past eight years, The Jacobs Institute has advanced innovation in education and schools. Our team of researchers, designers, technologists and faculty supports education innovation initiatives, the development of new technologies, curriculum and pedagogical models, and support for educational organizations to sustain and scale various initiatives. Working with multidisciplinary partners, we work in collaboration with districts, schools, educational organizations and education-supporting companies.
Our mission
Collaborate with students, families, educators, leaders and communities to reimagine teaching and learning. Together, we co-create culturally sustaining, research-informed innovations that ignite curiosity, cultivate shared agency, and lead to real-world impact.
Our vision
A vibrant global network of changemakers transforming education into a joyful, inclusive, and collaborative journey. Through bold imagination and purposeful partnerships, we reimagine learning as a force for equity, creativity, and community locally and across borders.
Our core values
We believe in:
Amplifying youth voice and leadership
Fostering lifelong joyful learning
Innovating through STEAM and emerging technologies
Providing opportunities to build innovative mindsets, empowering students to recognize their talent and honor their unique potential through design thinking
Bridging research and practice
Cultivating community-rooted collaboration
Our History
In recognition of Dr. Irwin and Mrs. Joan Jacobs
In 2017, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs became the founding donors of The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, a merger between the Center for Education Policy and Law, the Mobile Technology Learning Center, and the Institute for Entrepreneurship in Education. Their ongoing commitment to our institute stems from their passion for education and their belief that technology can create better, innovative learning opportunities for students.
Their generosity has funded graduate students and post-docs in the institute; technology integration in North Carolina, Texas and New Bedford — Dr. Jacobs’s hometown; and, most recently, the development of an app to support societal good innovation with teens and young adults. We are exceedingly grateful for their dedication and support.
Get Involved
The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education partners with schools, districts and educational organizations to develop cultures of innovation and creativity.