Jonah Edelman

An award-winning public education reform advocate, Jonah Edelman focuses on transforming and improving the educational landscape in America through his nonprofit organization, Stand for Children. The recipient of an undergraduate degree from Yale University, Jonah Edelman became inspired to take part in education reform while working as a tutor in Washington, D.C., during the early ‘90s. He went on to complete both a master of philosophy and doctor of philosophy at Oxford University before returning to the U.S. to help organize the Washington, D.C., Stand for Children Day rally. More than 300,000 people attended the event, thus making it the largest rally for children in U.S. history.

Jonah Edelman founded Stand for Children in 1996, the same year of the rally. During the organization’s early years, Stand for Children helped support rallies across the country. Today, it focuses on policy reform through grassroots organizing, and encourages educational investment at the local and state levels with a goal of using this momentum to inspire change at the national level. The nonprofit maintains a clear mission: to increase access to higher education for U.S. students from all backgrounds, and to advocate for policies and funding that will help facilitate this goal.

Over the years, Jonah Edelman has won numerous awards for his achievements in education reform. In 2007, he became the first resident of Oregon to receive a fellowship from Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.