Melissa Clark
Melissa Clark

OIF CEO & President

“Learn to Start is reigniting purpose in education. It gives students the chance to explore who they are, uncover what drives them, and connect their passions to real opportunities beyond the classroom. At the One Idea Foundation, we see this as a game-changer—not just for students, but for the future of education itself.”

"The One Idea Foundation is dedicated to helping close the opportunity gap because we believe that true societal progress hinges on empowering every individual, regardless of background, with the skills and mindset to thrive. Our work is not just about education; it's about unlocking potential and fostering a future where success is accessible to all."

Gary Conroy
Gary Conroy

OIF Founder & Chairman

Opportunity Gap

What We Do

Research & Thought Leadership

The LTS Institute at the University of Central Florida is our bold vision of a collaborative hub where students, educators, and industry partners engage with the Learn to Start (LTS) model to build real-world readiness. The Institute serves as a center for instructor training, graduate-level learning experiences, and research on human development and school culture. The LTS Institute is building a scalable ecosystem that strengthens talent development across Florida while advancing innovative research on how learners grow, connect, and thrive.

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Key Research Areas:
  • Human Development Outcomes (HDOs)
  • Career planning & student agency
  • Equity in real-world learning opportunities
  • Longitudinal learner outcomes through portfolios
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Research Partnership with the University of Central Florida

The LTS–UCF Research Project, led in partnership with Dr. Michele Gill, aims to generate rigorous, human-centered learning research that deepens understanding of how identity, motivation, and self-efficacy develop in both K–12 and adult learners. Through pilot studies, longitudinal tracking, and workplace-based research, the project examines how students use the LTS Blueprint, build their Market-Ready Portfolios, and experience cultural shifts in classrooms and institutions that adopt the model. Areas of focus include teacher sense of relevance, administrative perceptions of cultural impact, peer connectedness among students, and long-term outcomes for learners after they complete LTS.

By embedding research directly within implementation sites—including schools, colleges, and community organizations—the project produces real-time insights while contributing new knowledge to learning science. Dr. Gill’s expertise in educational psychology ensures that findings are both academically rigorous and practically actionable, supporting continuous improvement of the Learn to Start model and informing broader efforts to innovate learning, teaching, and workforce readiness across Florida and beyond.

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Michele Gill
Michele Gill

Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Central Florida

“I’m excited to partner with the One Idea Foundation to study Learn to Start, a program that addresses a critical societal need—preparing students to be market-ready in a way that also nurtures their identity, values, and long-term goals. This approach to human development has the potential to redefine how we think about education and workforce readiness.”

Tiered Funding for Schools & Community Groups

To remove barriers to innovation, OIF provides financial support for:

Public & charter K-12 schools with financial need

Nonprofit youth programs and after-school clubs

Nonprofit adult programs & workforce readiness groups

Our funding includes instructor training, program support, and student access to Learn to Start curriculum and tools—made possible through an exclusive donation from Learn to Start, LLC.

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Join the Movement

Whether you’re an educator, nonprofit leader, researcher, funder, or industry partner, One Idea Foundation invites you to help us shape futures, connect communities, and expand access to Market-Ready education.

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