MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA August 25, 2016 – Khan Academy announces today the addition of preschool learning to its digital education offerings.
Twenty one mobile apps for children ages two and up, produced by awardwinning app maker Duck Duck Moose, are now available for free, like all products from nonprofit Khan Academy.
“We’re excited to reach children earlier in their lives and help millions of kids around the world with basic reading and math,” said Khan Academy founder Sal Khan. “Preschool learning is a natural next step for Khan Academy and fits perfectly into our mission to provide a free, worldclass education for anyone, anywhere.”
Khan Academy’s entry into the preschool learning space is made possible by Duck Duck Moose, whose nineperson team is joining Khan Academy. Duck Duck Moose is donating its 21 early learning apps, which have been downloaded more than ten million times.
Duck Duck Moose cofounder Caroline Hu Flexer said, “We’re joining Khan Academy because it’s the best way for us to have the largest impact on early learning and children. We’re excited to make all of our products free so they can be accessible to children all over the world, regardless of their financial resources.”
The Duck Duck Moose team will lead a new initiative at Khan Academy to develop early learning products. Like all Khan Academy initiatives, the effort will be funded by philanthropic support and community donations. Omidyar Network, the philanthropic investment firm, is the first underwriter to join the initiative with an initial $3 million grant.
“Early childhood education is critical to longterm success,” said Isabelle Hau, venture partner at Omidyar Network. “The foundational skills children build in their early years can have a huge impact on their learning and life, and this unique partnership will help make highquality early learning tools more universally accessible.”
Khan Academy is well known for K12 and early college education. Duck Duck Moose adds a significant portfolio of early learning apps and an awardwinning team of engineers, designers and product managers who will develop new apps available for free for young children all over the world.
Duck Duck Moose was founded by parents who share a passion for education, design, music and play. Following the launch of its first app, Wheels on the Bus, Duck Duck Moose quickly became an industry leader by creating engaging and educational apps loved by children and trusted by parents and teachers. The company has received numerous Parents’ Choice awards and top ratings.
Duck Duck Moose cofounder Caroline Hu Flexer said she is excited for her company’s next phase. “We’re grateful our original investors, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, understood our commitment to educating children of all backgrounds,” said Hu Flexer. “They helped make this donation happen.”
To download Duck Duck Moose apps, visit the App Store or Google Play Store.
Khan Academy’s blog has a new post about the Duck Duck Moose partnership.
Khan Academy founder Sal Khan and Duck Duck Moose cofounder Caroline Hu Flexer talk about the partnership in this video and host a Facebook live chat today at 4 pm PT.
Khan Academy and Duck Duck Moose are accepting donations to make a free, worldclass education available for anyone, anywhere.
Links:
Screenshots of Duck Duck Moose mobile apps
About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a nonprofit with a mission to provide a free, worldclass education for anyone, anywhere. We believe learners of all ages should have unlimited access to free educational content they can master at their own pace. We use intelligent software, deep data analytics and intuitive user interfaces to help students and teachers around the world. Our resources cover preschool through early college education, including math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, finance, history, grammar and more. We offer free personalized SAT test prep in partnership with the test developer, the College Board. Khan Academy has been translated into dozens of languages, and 100 million people use our platform worldwide every year. For more information, visit www.khanacademy.org, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @khanacademy. And remember, you can learn anything.
About Omidyar Network
Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. Omidyar Network has committed more than $976 million to forprofit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple initiatives, including Education, Consumer Internet & Mobile, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. To learn more, visit www.omidyar.com, and follow on Twitter @omidyarnetwork #PositiveReturns