From a learning platform to new possibilities for Vietnamese students

But behind that learning experience lies a bigger question: Does every child have what they need to learn, build confidence, and continue pursuing what they want?

That is also the question Vietnam Foundation (VNF) is exploring as it brings Khan Academy to students across Vietnam. To date, Khan Academy Vietnam (KAV) has been implemented in more than 11,000 schools, with more than 3.5 million students using the platform. But for VNF, bringing educational resources closer to students is only the starting point. What matters more is how those resources can truly become part of the classroom and the teaching and learning process.

When a Learning Platform Becomes Part of the Learning Experience

During their four weeks working with VNF, Iris (Xin Ou) Wu and Suzanne Esaki (Suzie), students at Stanford Graduate School of Business, had the opportunity to see this work from the inside.

Both came to Vietnam as part of Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX) - a program that brings MBA students to work with international organisations on real-world projects. At VNF, they had the opportunity to learn about the organisation’s work, explore KAV, and visit a school implementing the program.

Iris came to VNF through a natural connection with Khan Academy. She used the platform in Canada at different stages of her education, from her school years and SAT preparation to studying for the GMAT. As a longtime user, she strongly connected with VNF’s effort to bring Khan Academy to as many Vietnamese children as possible.

Iris and Suzie connecting with students.

Before joining VNF, Iris spent more than four years at Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, where she managed funding for social impact organisations worldwide. From that experience, she viewed KAV through a very specific lens: How far can an education initiative be implemented, and what sustained impact can it achieve in practice?

What Iris saw went beyond the number of students or schools reached. It also included the way VNF works with teachers, schools, and education authorities at different levels to make KAV part of the education system. KAV’s reach of more than 3.5 million students, together with its partnerships with the Ministry of Education and Training and local education authorities, gave her confidence in the program’s potential to expand its impact.

For Suzie, the story began from a more personal experience. Born in Vietnam and adopted as a young child, Suzie grew up in the United States in a family that valued education and lifelong learning. After attending the U.S. Naval Academy and serving as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy, she is now pursuing an MA in Education alongside an MBA.

Her interest in education was also one of the reasons she came to VNF. She was drawn to the way VNF brings education to remote communities and places where access to educational opportunities remains limited. For Suzie, quality education begins by meeting students where they are and providing resources that address their individual needs - whether a student is struggling with a particular topic or has already advanced beyond it.

When visiting schools supported by VNF, she saw something even more concrete: education is not simply about learning something new. It is also about giving students the ability to remain curious, discover what they care about, and believe they can go beyond the circumstances they were born into.

Every Student Deserves the Opportunity to Learn and Write Their Own Path

Iris shared a story about a teacher who once told her that some students reached high school still afraid of fractions. It was not necessarily because they could not learn fractions, but perhaps because earlier learning experiences had left them lacking confidence in the subject.

For Iris, the story showed how confidence in learning is built from an early age. Having opportunities to practice repeatedly and learn in ways that work for them can help students not only understand a subject better but also build their confidence. That is what she hopes KAV can bring to children in Vietnam.

During a school visit, Iris also had the opportunity to talk with young students about their dreams. Some wanted to become math teachers, some Vietnamese teachers, and others soccer players.

KAV continues to support Vietnamese students as they confidently pursue their dreams

Those dreams may change over time. But what matters is that the students can already imagine a future for themselves. Iris hopes KAV can help them move closer to what they aspire to.

Suzie, meanwhile, hopes that students who engage with the program will become lifelong learners - not necessarily because they love academics or going to school, but because they retain their curiosity, discover what sparks their interest, and have the drive to pursue their dreams regardless of their circumstances.

That is also where Iris and Suzie’s perspectives on education meet: the value of education lies not only in what students learn, but also in what they begin to believe they can do.

Iris and Suzie spent only a short time with VNF. But what they saw was part of a much longer journey - a journey to bring education closer to Vietnamese students across different regions and circumstances.

And for that journey to continue, VNF needs more people who believe that every student deserves the opportunity to learn, explore, and pursue their dreams.

Because a learning platform may begin with a math problem, a video, or a question. But for a child, it can be the starting point for imagining a future they had not yet thought possible.

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