Duolingo started in 2011 with the goal of figuring out how to teach languages for free over the internet. Since then, we’ve become the largest mobile learning platform globally and expanded to teach over 40 languages as well as math and music. Throughout this time, the company’s mission has remained the same: develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. While millions of people worldwide benefit from learning on Duolingo, we also wanted to serve our mission and be good neighbors in the communities where our offices and employees are based. This is why we made Social Impact a dedicated function within the company.

When I joined the team as Head of Social Impact nearly three years ago, I wondered, “How can we scale social impact in a global company while maintaining a connection to our local community?” Fortunately, the work of Duolingo extends beyond our learning product, it is strengthened by the relationships we build and the communities we support. Though we’re based in Pittsburgh, we haven’t stopped at local initiatives. We’ve developed programs that expand our reach across the globe. Here’s a quick look at some of our social impact initiatives:

Local initiatives

We are a global company with learners and staff all over the world, but we are proud to prioritize high-impact support for Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, where Duolingo is headquartered. Since creating our Social Impact function in 2021, we’ve invested over $500,000 in our local community through sponsorships, donations, grants, and in-kind support. We’ve also welcomed local students into our offices to expose them to career opportunities in tech, and participated in local community activations supporting various causes and programs.

Early Learners First
Learning is a lifelong pursuit so we decided to get in on the ground floor with our flagship community investment: Early Learners First. In 2023, we pledged $1 million annually to further early childhood education in our local Pittsburgh community. We currently support nine local childcare programs by providing funding that fosters staff growth and retention and embracing sustainable business practices. Our aim is to fortify these already exceptional programs, enabling them to expand their reach to more families. Additionally, we will provide tuition grants to eligible families in the next phase of this program beginning in Fall 2024.

Illustration of young Bea on top of colorful building blocks. Duo is smiling and reaching a wing to her. Text to the left of the image reads “duolingo early learners first”

Community Arts Program 
We believe one way to be a good neighbor is to support the artists and cultural institutions that help make our local community a vibrant, thriving place. Our investments not only nurture community engagement but also facilitate cultural enrichment. This is made beautifully apparent by our community arts program, which funds artistic programming and education initiatives for local artists and arts-based initiatives in Pittsburgh. This program began in 2020 with a $150,000 commitment to investing in local artists, including the creation of public artwork in East Liberty by local artists Natiq Jalil and Alison Zapata, and documented by Chris Ivey. We also proudly sponsor the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a beloved neighborhood venue, to provide accessible programming and foster opportunities for local talent. We've just announced our 2024 winners!

Employee engagement

One of the things I love most about working at Duolingo is getting an opportunity to work alongside other mission-driven Duos (our employees). We offer several opportunities for employees to get involved in our social impact work, including helping to place them on non-profit boards and providing a matching gift benefit to support causes they care about. In 2023, our matching gift program generated $330,245 in donations (match-inclusive) for worthy causes worldwide. We also have an employee-led volunteer club that coordinates service projects with nonprofits in our local community, such as the Homeless Children Education Fund, FamilyLinks, Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, and Allies for Health & Wellbeing. Our various teams and employee resource groups also work with their members to plan opportunities to give back to the community through donations and volunteer service.   

An apartment building surrounded by blue, slightly cloudy skies. On the building is a mural–a portrait of a black woman surrounded by a halo of light and butterflies, with the text I STILL BELIEVE running along the side of the mural.
Legacy of the Butterflies Mural by Alison Zapata and Natiq Jalil

International impact

Duolingo was created with a heartfelt mission: to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. So, we must also find ways to reach folks all over the world.

Duolingo University Access (DUA) Scholars 

We select a cohort of 20-25 refugee scholars from India, Iraq, South Africa, and Zimbabwe each year. We provide them comprehensive support, including university and financial aid guidance, immigration assistance, and direct financial support. Currently, 20 DUA scholars are studying at university with $1.3 million in scholarship funds. Five scholars from our second cohort have already been accepted into university. We're in the process of selecting scholars for our third cohort.

Our Global Partners
We also support a range of international non-profits who help us further our mission and theirs by enabling broader access to educational and language resources, especially for resettled immigrants and refugees. These organizations include: 

I chose to work with Duolingo because the company and my colleagues are strongly committed to social impact. My deep understanding of community engagement has grown through my work with a team that is as ready to learn as we are to act. I am honored to chart forward in our collective responsibility to be good neighbors and stewards of our ever-expanding resources.