Instructure, the maker of Canvas, has partnered with Thunderbird School of Global Management (Thunderbird) at Arizona State University (ASU), to provide a platform for the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative.

The program is powered by the Canvas Learning Management System and aims to offer quality online education from world-class accredited institutions in 40 languages to learners across the globe. The courses will be provided at no cost to the learner with women and girls accounting for 70 percent of enrollment worldwide.

“As leaders, we need to think globally about how we deliver first-rate equal access to education with a diverse range of student needs in mind,” said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. “This global initiative is an engaging online program that offers the necessary flexibility and empowers forward-thinking leaders and educators worldwide.”

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The Global Initiative has three pathways for learners depending on their education levels. The foundational courses are for learners of any level; the intermediate courses are for advanced high school learners to current undergraduate learners; the advanced courses are for advanced undergraduate learners and above.

Francis and Dionne Najafi, both Thunderbird graduates, made a $25 million donation to the Thunderbird School of Global Management earlier this year that launched the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative. The program provides world-class education to a population that previously could not access it, especially women and young learners. It continues through 2030.

“We believe access to education is a basic human right, which is why we worked with Thunderbird to create a global initiative that will educate 100 million learners worldwide,” said F. Francis Najafi on behalf of him and his wife, Dionne Najafi. “We are excited and deeply humbled to be part of such a bold initiative that combines T-bird’s entrepreneurial drive with a desire to do good. We hope to impact communities around the world and be a force that brings us all closer together.”