Learning & Impact
The Learning & Impact team helps The Skillman Foundation make better decisions and accelerate results for Detroit youth. We use data, research, and community insight to strengthen our strategies, assess impact, and improve outcomes across Detroit’s education ecosystem.
Learning drives better strategy and results for Detroit youth.
Why Learning Matters
At The Skillman Foundation, learning drives better decisions and stronger results. We define learning as the intentional use of data, research, and lived experience to understand what’s working, where we need to adapt, and how to improve outcomes alongside our partners.
The Learning & Impact team supports staff and partners to:
- Clarify what success looks like
- Track and learn from progress in ways that matter to those most impacted
- Reflect, adapt, and grow together
- Build and share knowledge grounded in evidence and lived experience
- Stay accountable to Detroit youth, families, and communities
Our goal is to combine evidence with community wisdom to deepen impact and advance lasting change.
Lasting change happens when we learn and act together across organizations and roles.
Guiding Principles for Learning and Evaluation
We are intentional about what we learn and how we learn. Several principles guide our approach to evaluation.
1
Be Transparent
We are clear about our questions, methods, and how findings are shared.
2
Honor Multiple Ways of Knowing
We value data, evidence, and lived experience and use them to explore change.
3
Focus On What Matters
We prioritize learning that is both meaningful and actionable for our partners, the Foundation, and the field.
4
Measure Responsibly
We only collect data that we will use and do so in ways that respect our partners’ time and capacity.
5
Center Those Closest to the Work
We elevate the voices, experiences, and knowledge of partners and communities.
How We Learn Together
No single organization can improve education outcomes alone. Progress requires aligned, connected action.
We invest in learning across the many organizations and sectors that touch K-12 education to strengthen coordination and shared progress.
We support learning across this broader education community by:
- Convening partners. We bring leaders together to reflect on data, share lessons, and identify opportunities for coordinated action.
- Building shared evidence. We invest in data, research, and synthesis to create a common understanding of what’s happening across Detroit’s education community.
- Strengthening learning capacity. We help partners use data and evidence through technical assistance, storytelling, and analytic support.
- Elevating community voice. We ensure youth, families, and community leaders shape what is learned and how it is used.
Our Current Initiatives
Bringing leaders together for shared learning, deeper connection, and coordinated action toward education systems change.
Strengthening Detroit’s K-12 Data Ecosystem
Mapping how organizations connect, where resources and ideas flow, and where stronger partnerships can open doors to greater impact.
Investing in tools and partnerships that help education changemakers understand needs, identify solutions, and work together.
