As Vice President of Training and Impact, Drew Catt plans and conducts national events, briefings, and trainings to increase the number and quality of educational choice supporters, including legislators, parents, and other key stakeholders. He also leads EdChoice’s impact measurement efforts.
Drew previously served on EdChoice’s Research team for nearly a decade, during which he conducted geospatial analyses, analyzed private educational choice programs, oversaw state-level and national polling projects, and surveyed private school leaders and parents of school-aged children. His research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed academic journals, he is listed as author or co-author on nearly four dozen research reports, working papers, and briefs, and he has presented at multiple research conferences across the world.
Prior to joining EdChoice—formerly the Friedman Foundation—in May 2013, Drew served as program associate for The Clowes Fund, a private family foundation based in Indianapolis that awards grants to nonprofits in Seattle, Greater Indianapolis, and Northern New England. In that role, he oversaw an education and youth development grantmaking portfolio for Indiana.
Drew graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Human and Organizational Development, specializing in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. While at Vanderbilt, he served as research assistant for North Star Destination Strategies, a community branding organization, and researched the effects of homeschooling on socialization.
Drew earned his Master of Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indianapolis and a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. His graduate research focused on teacher performance incentives and cross-sector collaboration. He also received a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS) from IUPUI.
Drew is a native of central Indiana and currently lives in downtown Indianapolis with his wife (a teacher) and their sons, who attend a magnet school.
Favorite Quote
Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.
– LC
Favorite Teacher/Class
Dr. R. Wilburn Clouse (Big Wil), Creativity and Entrepreneurship
High School Mascot
Grizzly Cubs
Favorite Pastimes
bikes/beats/breweries
Inspiration for Joining the Educational Choice Movement
Seeing the sacrifices my parents made to homeschool me when the public elementary school across the cornfield wasn’t going to be the best option inspired me to join this movement. It’s all about finding the best fit school for students at each stage of their lives. I’m a product of all three sectors of education: I was homeschooled for primary school, attended my local public secondary school, went to an out-of-state private university for undergrad and then returned to Indiana and received graduate degrees from a local public university.