LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Roddenberry Foundation today announced it is refocusing its philanthropy on emerging approaches to learning, rooted in its enduring commitment to exploration.
The pursuit of understanding through exploration has long defined the Roddenberry ethos. It guides the Foundation’s work to bring curiosity, imagination, and ethical judgment to bear in the face of the unknown. At its core is a belief that exploration is how humanity grows, learning to navigate complexity with care, openness, and purpose.
As the Foundation concludes its fifteenth year of philanthropy, it is putting this philosophy into practice with renewed clarity, supporting learning approaches that help people develop the judgment and adaptability needed for the century ahead.
“As information and the tools to engage with it evolve at an ever-accelerating pace, we see exploration as the proving ground for new ways of learning, where we deepen what it means to be human and strengthen our capacity to be humane,” said Heidi Roddenberry, Board Chair of The Roddenberry Foundation.
As part of this shift, the Foundation is assessing how best to engage and support the education community for long-term impact. Additional information will be shared later in 2026.
Coinciding with this transition, the Foundation concluded its +1 Global Fund program on December 31, 2025. Launched domestically in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, +1 evolved to support locally led organizations across the Global South, focusing on last-mile humanitarian efforts and community development. An archive documenting lessons from the program will be released in 2026.
The Foundation’s renewed emphasis on learning guided by exploration comes ahead of the sixtieth anniversary in 2026 of the original airing of Star Trek, whose vision of exploration and human possibility continues to guide the Foundation’s work.
Questions may be directed to [email protected].
About The Roddenberry Foundation
The Roddenberry Foundation is a philanthropic institution rooted in exploration and possibility. With enduring optimism, it invests in creative minds and bold ideas, pursuing a more humane and abundant future for all. Inspired by the legacy Gene Roddenberry began, the Foundation is the next generation’s effort to bring the Roddenberry philosophy from script to form.
SOURCE The Roddenberry Foundation
