New Research Report: The Future of America's Workforce Starts in Southern Classrooms
SEF's latest report, Economic Vitality and Education in the South, Part II: Projections for a Post-Pandemic South (EVES II), examines how post-pandemic trends in early learning, K–12 education, and higher education are shaping the South's economic future, and what must change to strengthen opportunity for the next generation.
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Southern Education Leadership Initiative Announcing the 2026 SELI Fellows
Meet the 2026 SELI Fellows, a cohort of emerging leaders committed to advancing educational opportunity across the South.
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SEF’s 2026 Public Policy Priorities
Advocating for an education system that supports all students.
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Building on 159 years of educational leadership
The Southern Education Foundation is a research, policy, advocacy and leadership development organization that works to advance education opportunity for underserved students.
Founded in 1867 as the Peabody Fund, we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to advancing more equal education policies and practices, especially for students of color and from low-income families. Today, we also provide direct services for educators, school districts, and states.