Education Development Fund
Supporting and preparing underrepresented students and children to pursue STEM education and participate in the economy of the future.
The Education Development Fund (EDF) supports early-stage or innovative initiatives that are designed to help young people, aged 14-20, from underrepresented populations to overcome barriers to equitable participation and attainment in STEM education and/or skills for the future. Ranging across Canada, Chile, Australia, Peru and Argentina, this fund provides resources to test the viability of each project, in order to determine the potential for long-term improved outcomes for young people.
Partners and Projects
Australia
Indigenous Mathematics Curriculum by ATSIMA
This pilot tests a community-designed, culturally grounded mathematics curriculum in two remote Australian secondary schools serving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Co-developed with local communities and Elders, the pilot aims to improve student engagement and mathematics outcomes in contexts where conventional approaches have consistently underperformed.
TeachWell STEM Teacher Training by Ochre
Combining high-quality, curriculum-aligned resources with the Teach Well Masterclass Series to address inequalities in science and maths outcomes in Australian secondary schools in lower socio-economic communities. Through sustained, practice-embedded professional learning for teachers and leaders, the project helps them strengthen instructional practice and deliver more consistent, high-quality lessons and reviews, improving student engagement, confidence, and achievement in science and maths.
Canada
The Skills Academy Framework Pilot by The King’s Trust Canada
The Skills Academy Framework pilot aims to empower young people aged 16-20 years old through co-created, experiential learning activities that build foundational employment skills. Delivered in partnership with schools and community-based organizations, the program uses game-based activities to help young people recognize their potential, increase their job readiness and prepare for future success.
STEM Career Connected Curriculum by Visions of Science
This pilot supports youth aged 14-18 from underrepresented and low-income communities in exploring and preparing for STEM-related education and career pathways. The pilot develops and tests a career-aligned STEM curriculum, alongside delivery models that engage educators and families, and is designed for implementation across schools, community organisations, and housing partner sites in the Greater Toronto Area.
Catapult by Rideau Hall Foundation
Catapult Canada is an established initiative supporting youth‑serving organizations to help young people achieve their learning goals and build career‑ready skills. This pilot tests a collaborative network model to strengthen the sector ecosystem, drive efficiencies, and increase collective impact nationwide through shared learning and coordinated action.
Ingenious+ by Rideau Hall Foundation
Part of the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Ingenious+ youth innovation challenge, this pilot expands access and participation for youth in Canada’s North through tailored outreach, mentorship, and hands-on learning. By supporting opportunities to engage, build skills, and develop ideas based on lived experience, it strengthens confidence and creates more equitable pathways into innovation and entrepreneurship.
Chile
Futuro Local: Empowering Rural Youth with Future Skills by Fundación 99
Futuro Local is testing ways to equip rural youth in Chile with essential future skills by connecting them to local ecosystems through experiential workshops, hackathons, and industry-recognized certifications that strengthen digital literacy, critical thinking, and collaboration. Through structured partnerships with companies and higher education institutions, the project creates real-world opportunities that aim to foster motivation and readiness for post-secondary education and employment.
Technical and Vocational and Education Training (TVET) Teacher Training by Fundación Chile
The pilot will test a scalable model – if support for the pedagogical and leadership skills development of technical professional teachers in Chile through hands-on coach and micro-credentials, leads to improved classroom quality, greater student engagement and more young people, especially girls, pursuing STEM pathways. The project is supported by the partnership between Fundacion Chile and the Tempare Vocational Collece Tredu and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) in Finland.
Mining Tech Bridge by Fundacion Pais Digital & Desafio Latam
The Mining Tech Bridge is a 15-month pilot addressing the critical digital talent gap in mining in Northern Chile. Using a demand-led model, the program aligns industry-defined roles with tailored training for vulnerable youth in the Antofagasta region and creates concrete job opportunities and shorter and relevant pathways to the mining industry.
Peru
Youth Academy by Ensena Peru
The Youth Academy aims to strengthen secondary students’ readiness for post-secondary transitions by reinforcing foundational academic skills, socio-emotional development, and vocational guidance during the final years of secondary school. Through an integrated support model, the pilot will test the most effective ways to help students build the competencies, motivation, and clarity needed to complete school and make informed post-secondary education and career choices.
STEM Teacher Development by TeachUNITED with Ser Maestro and Viva Peru
In partnership with Peruvian education organizations, Ser Maestro and Viva Peru, TeachUNITED is developing and testing professional training modules for STEM high school teachers in rural Peru. The modules are high-impact, research-based, in-person and virtual, with the aim of leading to improved instructional skills and better student outcomes.
Argentina
STEM Fund Argentina by Latimpacto
The STEM Fund is a pooled philanthropic initiative that strengthens the institutional capacity and programmatic models of 10 organizations in Argentina working with vulnerable youth aged 14–20 – by combining flexible funding with tailored technical support to improve STEM skills, increase career aspirations, and develop innovative, scalable, and AI-integrated education solutions.
BHP Foundation is not seeking applications for funding through the Education Development Fund.
Education Development Fund news
View all newsCatalyzing New Pathways for Young People: Inside the BHP Foundation’s Education Development Fund
Around the world, millions of young people stand at a crossroads. They are ambitious, creative, and eager to learn – yet many find that the pathways available to them narrow far too early. For those from underrepresented or marginalized communities, the odds are often stacked against them long before they reach the age where they can choose a career or enter the workforce.
by Faith Rose, Education Program Director, BHP Foundation,
22 days ago
Education Development Fund