Celebrating Our Journey, Looking Toward Our Shared Future

February 20, 2026

By Jannelle Kubinec, WestEd CEO

WestEd turns 60 this year, a proud milestone worthy of celebration and reflection. We came into being to conduct and apply research and offer support in addressing difficult challenges for our country’s education and learning systems. While there are many accomplishments to point to, it is also true that challenges abound for our colleagues; our partners; and, most of all, the learners and communities we serve.

As we face these challenges, our mission to promote excellence, improve learning, and increase opportunity for children, youth, and adults matters now more than ever. Since our beginning as the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, we’ve collaborated with educators, families, and leaders worldwide and adapted to shifting realities with growth and innovation. Our strength lies in partnership; in our ability to listen; and in the collective effort to ensure every learner has the opportunity to thrive in school, career, and life.

Our flagship services, including Reading Apprenticeship (celebrating its 30th anniversary), Quality Teaching for English Learners (advancing excellence for 27 years), and the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (marking its 40th anniversary), continue to inspire and equip educators with the knowledge and tools necessary for helping all learners succeed. These offerings reflect our deep commitment to evidence-based practice, even in unpredictable times.

Adapting for Tomorrow

Education and adjacent fields are changing fast, and so are the needs of learners and communities. Across early care environments, classrooms, campuses, and communities, we’re meeting that moment—confronting difficult challenges; seizing new opportunities; and proving every day that research, real-world experience, and partnership can drive lasting progress for learners of every age.

To better meet the needs of our clients and partners nationwide, we’re expanding our core expertise; forging stronger connections across our focus areas; and deepening the partnerships that power a full, thriving education ecosystem.

Every child deserves a strong start. Our work in early childhood is rooted in our thorough understanding that responsive care and secure attachments shape the developing brain in ways that last a lifetime. Working side by side with state and local leaders, we translate that science into action to give early childhood leaders, caregivers, and families the tools, training, and support that set children on a path toward lifelong success.

As learners move through school, we’re studying what works to improve their outcomes. We collaborate with local, state, and national partners to uncover what drives student success and then translate those discoveries into real action across complex, interconnected education systems. Through coaching, professional learning, and hands-on collaboration, we help partners deploy evidence-based, meaningful strategies that are built to last.

Learning doesn’t stop at graduation. Our commitment as a learning organization is helping to strengthen the systems that create lifelong opportunity and well-being, with a relentless focus on clearing the path to stable, rewarding work. Through rigorous assessment, evaluation, and data analytics, we align education institutions, employers, and communities around a shared goal: greater safety, resilience, and economic mobility for everyone.

At the center of a thriving education system are the teachers and students who bring it to life every day. We partner with curriculum developers and professional development providers to transform how instruction is designed, delivered, and measured—because all of these dimensions translate to high-quality, effective learning experiences. Guided by learning science and a dynamic, relationship-based approach, we help create environments in which curiosity drives inquiry, learning is active and engaged, and teachers and students have what they need to do their most powerful work.

As we face these challenges, our mission to promote excellence, improve learning, and increase opportunity for children, youth, and adults matters now more than ever. 

Innovation for a Changing Field

WestEd continues to respond creatively to the evolving education landscape. Our AI in Education initiative, for example, supports leaders in using technology wisely, with an emphasis on human-centered, safe, and responsible learning.

Our Research–Practice Partnership Network connects WestEd researchers with education agencies to bridge the gap between research and practice. These partnerships help keep educators informed and support them in making decisions that improve outcomes.

Gratitude and an Invitation

As we commemorate our 60th year, I want to express my gratitude to our amazing staff, partners, and Board of Directors. Your commitment, collaboration, and trust make our work possible and drive us forward.

I invite you to celebrate WestEd’s 60th anniversary with us. Please connect with us throughout the year and take part in our upcoming anniversary activities. Together, we can pursue a shared vision of promoting thriving learners and empowered communities.