Education Initiatives History

The Ball Foundation was created by G. Carl Ball and his wife Vivian Elledge Ball during the 1970s for the purpose of carrying on the research about human aptitudes based on work begun by a pioneer in that field who was their personal friend.  The division of the Ball Foundation that today is called Career Vision carries on that work.

As the owner and CEO of a multi-national business headquartered in the suburbs of Chicago, Carl Ball was a staunch advocate for education.  He was a founding member of the Board of Directors at the Illinois Math and Science Academy and the Corridor Partnership.  Thus, no one was surprised when Carl began to act on his interest in education at the time of his retirement as the leader of the family business.  In the early 1990s, Carl began the work of the foundation in education, and over time that work grew to a size that warranted a second division at the Ball Foundation – Education Initiatives.

Carl traveled down many roads in the pursuit of a better way to do school.  Across time, however, two passions remained constant.  The first was his respect and admiration for teachers and his support of teaching as a profession.  The second was his fascination with literacy and the role that schools play in developing student literacy.

As previously noted, Carl involved himself directly in the work of Education Initiatives up until the time that a stroke caused him to change roles.  From the earliest days of Education Initiatives, Carl employed staff who combined experience from both education and business as he built the Education Initiatives team.  The current team of eight professional and one administrative staff continues to exhibit a diverse background.

Continue reading: The Story of Who We Are and How We Became What We Are Today