About Higher Learning Lab
Higher Learning Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for the students that systems were not designed to serve. We focus on vulnerable students across K–12 and higher education—including children and youth in foster care, first-generation college students, and international students navigating English-speaking universities.
Our work is grounded in a simple conviction: every student deserves access to evidence-based support, and every institution serving those students deserves access to rigorous research and evaluation. We bridge that gap through applied research, program evaluation, technical assistance, and freely accessible resources.
Higher Learning Lab operates through grant-funded partnerships and contract-based technical services. We partner with universities, school districts, foundations, and other nonprofits to design and conduct the research that drives better decisions for students. We also build and share free resources—literature reviews, practical guides, and data briefs—because the people doing this work on the ground deserve tools that are evidence-based and immediately useful.
Governance
Higher Learning Lab is governed by a board of directors and led by Genevive Bjorn, Ed.D., who founded the organization to formalize a career-long commitment to the students that educational institutions too often fail.
Founder
Genevive Bjorn holds a doctorate in Education from Johns Hopkins University and brings more than twenty years of experience in higher education as a researcher, educator, and institutional consultant. Her published work includes Critical Reading of the Research Literature: Introducing the CERIC Method (Cambridge University Press, 2026) and Effective Communication and Academic Success for International Students (Routledge, forthcoming).