PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Alliance for Decision Education has announced the recipients of its 2025 Research Grant, awarding a total of $1 million to projects aimed at strengthening the evidence base for Decision Education in K–12 classrooms. The initiative marks a major step toward integrating structured decision-making skills into U.S. education policy and practice.
The grants support research that explores how young people can make more informed, rational, and empathetic choices — a core focus of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit. “We are thrilled to support this diverse group of research projects directly addressing critical questions in Decision Education,” said David Samuelson, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education. “From leveraging AI to foster civic dialogue to developing the first classroom-ready assessment tool for decision-making skills, this year’s grant recipients are pioneering research that will shape how we teach students to make better choices.”
Among the grantees is Harvard Kennedy School’s Julia Minson, Ph.D., whose study Using Generative AI to Train Teens in Engagement with Opposing Views examines how technology can help students reduce bias and engage constructively with differing perspectives.
At the University of Michigan, Dr. Audrey Michal and Dr. Priti Shah will study Everyday Scientific Reasoning, testing how evidence-based interventions can improve adolescents’ ability to assess health information and make informed choices.
In Tennessee, Laura Mason, Ed.D., and Juliette Biondi of the Tennessee Board of Regents will evaluate the SAILS Mathematical Reasoning for Decision Making curriculum across 7,000 high school students, measuring its effects on financial literacy and post-secondary planning.
Dr. Mike Sell of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Rachel Schiera of Lander University will explore Decision Literacy and Digital Storytelling in English Language Arts, testing ways to embed decision-making concepts into standard high school coursework.
Finally, Dr. Azzurra Ruggeri of the Technical University of Munich will develop ADAPT — a classroom-ready assessment tool for measuring students’ decision-making skills from ages 8 to 16, filling a critical gap in educational evaluation.
Each study is designed to address pressing questions about how decision-making can be taught, measured, and scaled across schools. The Alliance says findings from this first round of funded projects will inform future policy recommendations and shape national conversations about teaching critical thinking and problem-solving to the next generation.
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