Whether it’s a biochemistry researcher at Purdue University developing a drug with a near 100% success rate in treating malaria, or Sesame Workshop ensuring that children fleeing the war in Ukraine have access to books, these brands are showing what a commitment to education looks like:
Purdue University
The public university established “Purdue Innovates,” a strategic initiative that encourages students and faculty alike to explore and create. In the last year alone, Purdue researchers have filed more than 500 patent applications for inventions, nine startups have launched, and seven awards have been given by Purdue’s Trask Innovation Fund to support and enhance the value of the university’s intellectual property. Among the many notable inventions born out of Purdue Innovates is a drug developed by a biochemistry researcher that treats malaria. A Phase II trial showed nearly 100% effectiveness.
Quizlet
Would companies really be innovating in 2023 if they weren’t figuring out how to use AI to enhance user experience? Quizlet first partnered with OpenAI back in 2020. Last March, the three-year collaboration culminated in the launch of Q-chat, the first fully adaptive AI tutor built on ChatGPT’s Application Programming Interface (API). The technology expands the capabilities of existing studying tools for students in multifaceted ways. Students now have access to AI-generated multiple-choice questions to quiz themselves, or they can opt for the “Smart Grading” feature if they have Quizlet Plus, which can be used for fill-in-the-blank memorization. This feature evaluates whether answers accurately reflect a term or phrase’s meaning, rather than what might be considered a minute detail when studying a concept, such as the answer’s spelling.
Sesame Workshop
The nonprofit, which focuses on expanding and improving education for children around the world, has continued its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of children both at home and abroad. Although it’s been years since schools reopened after the COVID-19 lockdown, the impact of the months children spent learning online and in isolation from their peers is only just beginning to show. When children under 5 first became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Sesame Workshop partnered with the Ad Council, the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics to model Elmo happily getting his shot. In the years since, Sesame Workshop has continued to work with parents to facilitate learning development after time lost in the classroom, with the understanding that 90% of brain development happens before the age of 5. Abroad, the nonprofit stepped in to assist children displaced by the war in Ukraine by partnering with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education to ensure that educational opportunities were still made available to the disproportionate number of children forced to flee the country.
Watermark Insights
Though educational consulting company Watermark Insights is interested in expanding access to learning at all ages and levels, the brand’s Minority Male Success Initiative is an emblem of its commitment to focusing on historically overlooked groups. The three-year study, which hopes to increase the completion rate of classes, found that when minority male students were assigned a success coach, they were almost 3% more likely to complete an in-person course and nearly 9% more likely to finish an online one.
This story is part of Fast Company’s 2023 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of companies that have demonstrated a commitment to their purpose as a brand and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
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