Our Team
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, especially in underserved areas, through data-guided insight and action. We partner with foundations, school districts, government agencies, community organizations, collaboratives and individual investors dedicated to educational and social change benefiting children and youth.
IRRE was founded in 1988 by Dr. James Connell at the University of Rochester, where he was a professor in education and psychology and part of the Human Motivation Research Group. Since that time, IRRE has continued to study the developmental, motivational and organizational factors that contribute to young people’s educational success – where success is defined not only as educational advancement but a sustained and vital engagement in the learning process.
Our history includes uplifting successes benefitting thousands of students – notably, our First Things First and Every Classroom Every Day initiatives. We bring each client everything we have learned from these successes as well as from the inevitable disappointments that come with pursuing transformative change.
Now in our fourth decade, we remain committed to using what we know to give our clients their best chance to make a difference in the lives of the children and youth in their communities.