EDC at 60: A Legacy of Innovation
Students at the Bago Tribe School in the Philippines are among millions of learners reached by EDCs work.
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EDC turns 60 this year, and we are celebrating with anniversary events all around the world. In this podcast, President David Offensend discusses EDC’s legacy of innovation, as well as our impact on education, health, and workforce development.
On what sets EDC apart
Offensend: We have people who really know how people learn. And if we can marry that with these other evolutions in technology, then we have a huge contribution to make in many different ways.
On EDC’s impact since 1958
Offensend: What we estimated is that we reached over 110 million students directly through our projects. But over those 60 years, when you count the follow-on effects of the curricula still being in use and the teachers who benefited from our professional development still teaching, we estimate that we have reached 1 billion students. And that is an extraordinary legacy.
On the success of EDC’s Pitch Competition
Offensend: I was hoping that the Pitch Competition would kindle [EDC’s] spirit of innovation and propel it into the future. But I have been blown away by how many people dived in and wanted to participate. . . . So I think the Pitch Competition proves to me that the DNA of innovation that we have here at EDC is alive and well.