Our History

There is an urgent need for young people to understand how to make better decisions. High school dropout numbers, substance abuse, and violence are some of the visible signs of poor decision making among many young people in the U.S. In addition, mainstream students are failing to reach their full academic and personal potential because they lack good decision-making skills. They're facing an increasingly complex, risky, and uncertain future in which these skills will be more important than ever.

Yet decision skills training is missing in the majority of today's school curricula.

To answer this urgent and critical need and to provide this missing link in schools and youth programs, the Decision Education Foundation (DEF) was created in 2001 by educators, decision scientists, and management consultants with a passion for education and a commitment to bring decision education to today's youth.

Since then, DEF’s founders, staff, and volunteers have been designing and delivering training opportunities and teaching materials for educators and youth mentors who desire to increase self-esteem, build better critical thinking skills, and give students more power over their academic and personal lives through better decision skills.

Major Milestones

2001 – 2006

2007 – Present

Video

Better Decisions - Better Lives
Listen to educators and parents as they discuss the importance of decision education.

Teachers, administrators, and other school/youth personnel can receive a Certificate in Strategic Decision and Risk Management with an Emphasis in Decision Education from the Stanford Center for Professional Development at Stanford University.

For more information, visit our section on the SCPD website or contact Nadia Gardezy at 650.475.4474.