Matt Vanderwerff is a senior technical advisor for IREX’s Center for Applied Learning and Impact.

Matt leads IREX’s work to introduce media literacy programming through our Learn to Discern approach in the US. His work focuses on partnership development, testing approaches, curriculum design, and training so that more people in the US have the skills to recognize and respond to unreliable information. Previously, Matt served as Deputy Director for IREX’s Information and Media practice, providing direct program management and technical assistance in Washington, DC and oversaw the Beyond Access project, an initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation that supported libraries as sustainable modern community learning and information hubs.

Prior to joining IREX, Matt worked as Research Assistant for USAID's Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. Matt holds an MA from the University of Michigan.