Who We Are

THINC Foundation is dedicated to Transparency, Honesty, and Integrity in the Classroom.

We take a broad, secular, and national approach to advancing a more constructive vision for K-12 education. We are developing an ethnic studies curriculum that emphasizes civil dialogue, mutual respect, and shared values. We support grassroots efforts to promote critical thinking and open inquiry in K-12 education and provide research, talking points, and educational resources to inform and empower parents and communities.

We stand against ideological pedagogy in schools – sometimes, but not always, going by the name “liberated” ethnic studies – and the harm that it inflicts on individual students, classrooms, and communities. Our goal is to build a broad consensus around a more pluralistic, cohesive society. We focus particular attention on regions where the issue of ideological instruction is most acute, while raising awareness nationwide.

Watch Mitch Siegler, THINC’s Founder lay out our founding principles in the video above.

Our Mission

THINC Foundation promotes transparency in K-12 education and is developing an ethnic studies curriculum that fosters civil dialogue, critical thinking, and mutual respect.

Through research, public engagement, policy advocacy, and curriculum development, THINC works to ensure that schools prepare students to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in our diverse democratic society.

Our Vision

We envision a society in which children are taught to see the world in all its complexity, nuance, and diversity.

Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that one day his children would live in a country “where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

As our country becomes increasingly diverse, we have the powerful opportunity to realize that dream. Everyone deserves to be judged as an individual based on their actions, not their heritage.

Our Values

The values that drive our organization and our mission are:

Education and Critical Thinking

Democracy depends on informed and responsible citizens. We believe this begins with an education that places civil discourse, critical thinking, and debating complex issues in an agreeable manner at its center – teaching students the importance of mutual respect in a pluralistic society. Atop this foundation, students should learn to think independently, construct reasoned arguments grounded in evidence and logic, and engage respectfully with people of all backgrounds and perspectives.

True Diversity and Inclusion

We are dedicated to ensuring that none of our children is made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted. We believe that the only way to foster true diversity – including diversity of thought – is to instill the importance of judging individuals by their actions, not by their physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, or the origin of their ancestors.

Celebrating the Best of American Values

We unapologetically believe in freedom of expression and freedom of speech, that people should have equal opportunities regardless of their immutable characteristics, that democracy is preferable to other forms of government, that hard work and merit are central to personal dignity, and that the American future is a bright one.

Viewpoint Neutrality

We believe education should foster inquiry rather than prescribe conclusions. Schools should encourage exploration, discussion, and critical thinking, equipping students with the tools and knowledge they need to ascertain the truth and be productive members of society.

Transparency

We believe that parents and the broader public have a right to know what children in K-12 schools are learning. We all fund public education, and no component of it should be concealed – especially from parents. Only an informed public can be empowered to advocate on its own behalf.

Research and Data

Explore the findings of THINC’s nationwide surveys examining parents’ views on key issues in K-12 education.

Learn more here