Co-Building AI Tools for Multilingual K-8 Classrooms
Applications closed April 3, 2026
Stay tuned for more updates.
Multilingual by Design is a collaborative philanthropic initiative to bring together K-8 education nonprofits and AI builders to create tools that put multilingual students first.
Why Now?
Multilingual learners are a diverse and growing population of students in U.S. classrooms who bring unique linguistic strengths and rich cultural perspectives to our schools. By improving multilingual learner instruction, we can unlock enormous potential, creating pathways to opportunity that benefit not only students, but their families, careers, and communities.
AI tools are entering classrooms faster than ever and transforming how teachers approach lesson planning, grading, and adapting materials, but few are built with multilingual students in mind. Beyond translation features and additional lessons, multilingual learners need scaffolded instruction that meets them where they are.
We believe AI-enabled tools can empower teachers and transform multilingual math and literacy learning across the U.S. – if they’re rooted in real classroom challenges and experience. That's why we're pairing education nonprofits with deep learning expertise with AI builders who can develop better tools, and giving them the resources and structure to collaborate as true partners.
Funders
Advisory Board
Crystal Gonzales
English Learners Success Forum
Henry Hipps
Diffusion Venture Studio
Magaly Lavadenz
Loyola Marymount University School of Education
Nadia Madan Morrow
Place Bridge Academy
Rebecca Holmes
The Colorado Education Initiative
Rich Leimsider
Fund for the City of New York
Jerry Almendarez
Creative Futures Collaborative
Danny Setiawan
CoCreate & UX Support Group
How it works
Multilingual by Design will pair nonprofits with deep expertise in multilingual education with AI builders to co-design new tools for K-8 math and literacy. Starting with an in-person prototyping and community-building workshop, teams will rapidly develop teacher-centered, classroom-ready tools. Select partnerships will receive grants up to $350k to develop and test their work.
March 3-April 3
Submit a brief expression of interest, solo or with a partner.
Tell us about your expertise and the challenges you want to solve. No coding expertise required to apply as a nonprofit; no classroom experience required to apply as an AI builder.
Prototype + Learn
June 2-4, Washington, D.C.
Join fellow practitioners, AI builders, and educators for in-person “Design Days” with all expenses covered.
Over 2.5 days, teams will discuss ideas, exchange knowledge, and rapidly prototype new tools – then present their work to funders and field experts.
Develop + Pilot
Fall 2026-2027
Select teams will be invited to apply for long-term funding.
3-5 partnerships will receive up to $350k to develop and test their tools in real K-8 classrooms, with expert coaching and go-to-market support.
Apply + Connect
Who Should Apply?
Multilingual by Design welcomes applications from individuals and organizations that fit into one of three tracks:
1. Education Nonprofits
U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations serving K‑8 multilingual learners and their families
What we're looking for: Experience with multilingual math or literacy education and a commitment to improving outcomes for multilingual students
You might be: A nonprofit supporting teachers or developing instructional models, an academic researcher focused on multilingual pedagogy, a curriculum developer, or a community-based organization serving multilingual families
2. AI Builders & Developers
Individuals and teams ready to design and build AI-enabled tools
What we're looking for: Technical skills and experience building functional AI products, along with interest in collaborating with educators to solve real classroom challenges
You might be: An independent AI developer or designer, a small EdTech team or consultancy, a founder-track grad student or researcher, or a tech company exploring education and social impact work
3. Existing Teams
Nonprofit + AI builder partnerships already working on multilingual education
What we're looking for: Existing teams with both multilingual learning expertise and proven AI development experience who are ready to take their work to the next level
You might be: A nonprofit with an established technical partner, a university research team collaborating with community organizations, or a nonprofit with in-house AI capacity
The application process is simple and straightforward, focused on your experience and the challenges you want to address. We'll review all applications and help connect select teams with complementary expertise before our in-person workshop in June.
Grant funding will be awarded to nonprofit organizations as the fiscal lead, with the expectation that teams will collaboratively determine the best partnership structure and compensation for all contributors. We'll provide guidance on partnership models and approaches.
Application Process
Questions?
We’re here to help
Watch the info session recording to learn more about the initiative and application process, schedule office hours for a 1:1 conversation, or explore our FAQs.
You can also reach us any time at hello@multilingualbydesign.org
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Yes! You don't need technical staff or AI experience to apply. We're specifically looking for 501(c)(3) nonprofits with deep knowledge of what multilingual students and their teachers need — and we'll help connect you with AI builders who can apply that expertise into working tools.
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Absolutely. We're looking for developers ready to learn from educators and apply their skills to real classroom challenges. You'll gain direct access to domain experts who understand multilingual learners, clear problem definitions to work from, and the chance to build portfolio-worthy work. Interest in collaboration and learning is a must, but classroom experience is NOT required.
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We'll help you build connections and support all teams throughout the process. If you already have a partner in mind, you can apply together. Otherwise, we'll review all applications and help assemble teams with complementary interests and expertise. We’ll introduce you in advance and give you a chance to indicate your top 3 potential partners; the in-person event also includes structured time for teams to connect, collaborate, and refine their ideas before moving forward.
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We anticipate 30-40 applicants will participate in the in-person workshop in Washington, D.C., with travel and expenses covered by our funders.
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Select participants will be invited to submit a funding application in late summer, and we anticipate awarding grants of up to $350,000 to 3-5 teams. This funding will help selected teams develop and test their tools over a 12-month period (Fall 2026-Fall 2027).