A Bold New Chapter: Battelle for Kids Unveils New Brand

Last week, during our EdLeader21 national network's Annual Event, we unveiled a new chapter beginning at Battelle for Kids. As a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering educators, we announced a bold new chapter in our history with a comprehensive rebrand. The rebrand emphasizes our commitment to impacting education to ensure every student is future-ready.?

The Future is Ready

With the new tagline, The Future is Ready, Battelle for Kids aims to lead a movement to reimagine education by partnering with learning organizations to create unified visions, align priorities, and empower educators to drive lasting success. The rebrand reflects the not-for-profit’s evolution as a strategic partner in education, advancing its mission to empower educators and support every student’s journey toward a meaningful and successful future.?

“We are excited to unveil this next chapter of Battelle for Kids,” said Mike Duncan, Ed.D., president and CEO. “Our new brand boldly declares that the future is not something distant or abstract; it’s a reality we can help students prepare for today. We are committed to empowering educators to create learning environments that inspire hope, resilience, and the essential knowledge and skills students need to be ready for whatever the future holds.”?

Portrait to Practice to Impact

For more than a decade, Battelle for Kids, along with our EdLeader21 Network, has been at the forefront of developing Portraits of a Graduate—shared community visions that expand the view of student success in enrollment, enlistment, entrepreneurship, and employment. Today, Battelle for Kids brings the Portrait to life through our Portrait to Practice work, which purposefully integrates essential academic knowledge with durable skills for future success. Moving forward, the organization is committed to broadening the definition of student success through its Portrait to Impact efforts, which will use both evidence and storytelling to showcase student growth, assessment of their knowledge and skills, and demonstration of real-world application.?

Read more about our involvement with the Skills for the Future pilot grant

“Many times, when we start talking about measurement, we immediately go to standardization. Certainly, that’s a part of measurement, but there are also other ways to measure student progress around reflection, peer feedback, and rubric scoring that is as?equally as important a part of measurement as getting into the psychometric side of it,” offered Duncan, who spent 18 years as a school district superintendent before arriving at Battelle for Kids. “What this represents is ultimately getting to a place of effective evidence and storytelling to showcase the impact that this work is having in learning organizations and students.”?

This rebrand underscores the organization’s leadership in redefining how schools measure student growth by integrating academic content with durable skills.???

“Our focus is to challenge outdated models of education and to embrace a future where students are equipped not just for tests, but for life,” Duncan added. “We believe in fearlessly reimagining education, partnering to combat the trend of declining student motivation by building a culture of success. Visionary frameworks like the Portrait of a Graduate and the everyday alignment and activation of this work set educators—in fact, entire learning organizations—on a powerful journey.”?

Future-Ready Journey

Central to this strategy is the Future-Ready Journey Map, designed to guide learning organizations through a journey from Portrait to Practice to Impact. This model emphasizes the importance of aligning every part of the educational system to support deeper learning and future-ready mindsets.???

Learn more about How We Help.

Battelle for Kids’ rebrand includes a refreshed visual identity, which represents its renewed commitment to impacting education systems, moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions, and embracing practices that truly prepare students for the complexities of the future.??