Institute for Curriculum Services

What Institute for Curriculum Services does

Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It operates as a free, digital-first K-12 curriculum and professional development provider focused on Judaism, Jewish history, antisemitism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and religious literacy. ICS delivers standardized-aligned lesson plans, primary source document collections, slide decks, interactive activities (via Thinglink and Genially), and classroom-ready PDFs distributed through its website (icsresources.org). The organization's core technology is a content platform rather than a software product: curriculum is built around C3 Framework and NCSS standards and developed with scholarly rigor, drawing on Library of Congress primary sources.

ICS serves a long tail of K-12 social studies, history, global politics, and English Language Arts teachers at public, charter, private, and parochial schools nationwide. Its professional learning stack comprises three delivery formats: live one-hour virtual workshops on Zoom (with CTLE credit available for New York State educators), self-paced asynchronous online courses with certificates of completion, and multi-day virtual Summer Institutes offering stipends ($225 for the Arab-Israeli Conflict track, $150 for the Jewish History track) upon completion. The organization also offers district-level custom professional development events on request. Institutional partnerships include membership in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium and a recent collaboration with the National Constitution Center.

ICS operates as a free / freemium non-profit model with no revenue generated from educator customers; institutional support comes from grants and donations rather than from product fees. Funding cadence disclosed includes Jim Joseph Foundation grants in 2010 ($60,740), 2016 ($600,000), and a 2019 entry with undisclosed value. The organization appointed its first CEO, Dr. Susan Kardos, in March 2025, following a national search, marking a transition from founder- and board-led governance to professionalized executive leadership.

Name

Institute for Curriculum Services

Legal name

Institute for Curriculum Services

Website

https://icsresources.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institute for Curriculum Services is a nonprofit that provides free, standards-aligned K-12 curriculum and professional development on Judaism, Jewish history, antisemitism, and religious literacy to social studies and ELA teachers across U.S. schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Curriculum and Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

Keywords

• K-12 curriculum
• Social studies education
• Teacher professional development
• Religious literacy
• Primary source learning

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Free Educational Resources: ICS provides all curriculum, lesson plans, slide decks, primary source documents, and professional development materials at no cost to K-12 educators. The organization is a non-profit that operates through grants, donations, and institutional support rather than through revenue from its educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICS provides free, standards-aligned K-12 curriculum and professional learning on Judaism, Jewish history, antisemitism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, religious literacy, and related topics. Offerings include downloadable curriculum materials (lesson plans, primary-source documents, Google Slide decks, interactive Thinglink activities, and Genially virtual museum tours), live virtual workshops on Zoom, self-paced online courses, multi-day Summer Institute programs, and district-level custom professional development events open to teachers at accredited K-12 public, charter, private, and parochial schools.

Product overview

Institute for Curriculum Services provides K-12 educators with free professional learning and standards-driven resources on Judaism and Jewish history. The organization operates a platform-plus-services model comprising: (1) Core Curriculum Products including Teaching About Judaism, Jewish Americans, History of European Antisemitism, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Jewish Immigration, Ancient Israel, Religion & Government in the Middle East, Environmental Challenges & Cooperation, and Developing Religious Literacy; (2) Professional Learning Services including Live Virtual Workshops (one-hour interactive sessions on Zoom), Online Courses (self-paced asynchronous courses with certificates), and Summer Institutes (multi-day intensive programs with stipends); and (3) Supplementary Resources including slide decks, video series, interactive Thinglink activities, virtual museum tours on Genially, and classroom-ready PDF materials. All curriculum emphasizes primary sources and is aligned with C3 Framework standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Virtual Workshops One-hour interactive workshops hosted live on Zoom by ICS Educators, delivering ready-to-use classroom resources aligned to educational standards. Open to any teacher at an accredited K-12 school.
• Online Courses Self-paced asynchronous online courses covering the Arab-Israeli Conflict, European Antisemitism, and Jewish Americans. Each course includes interactive learning tools and a certificate of completion.
• Summer Institutes Multi-day virtual professional development programs run during summer months, providing in-depth learning experiences for middle and high school teachers. Application-based admission with completion stipends for participants.
• Teaching About Judaism Curriculum Lesson exploring basic tenets of Judaism using the 3Bs framework (Belief, Behavior, Belonging), aligned with the C3 Framework for grades K-12.
• Jewish Americans Curriculum Lesson examining the bonds that unite Jewish Americans as an ethnic group and the diversity within the community, covering identity, history, and experience.
• Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict Curriculum Five-lesson curriculum exploring the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace process with emphasis on primary sources. Covers Zionism, Arab Nationalism, the British Mandate era, wars, and peace treaties.
• History of European Antisemitism Curriculum Lesson helping teachers and students understand the origins and evolution of antisemitism, identifying four forms (religious, economic, political, and racial).
• Ancient Israel Curriculum Resources exploring ancient Israelite society using archaeology, texts, and current research, covering daily life, religion, and law in the context of ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations.
• Jewish Immigration Curriculum Lesson exploring Jewish immigration history between 1880 and 1924, examining push and pull factors, primary source documents, and the Immigration Act of 1924.
• Environmental Challenges and Cooperation Curriculum Lesson examining environmental challenges in the Middle East and how Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians cooperate to meet these challenges as a path to peace-building.
• Religion and Government in the Middle East Curriculum Lesson focusing on the complex religious landscape of Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, and Iran and the different relationships between religion and politics in these countries.
• Developing Religious Literacy Curriculum Materials helping teachers explore the legal foundations for teaching about religion in schools, with case studies and guidelines for incorporating religious study into the classroom.
• Israel-Hamas War Resources Educational resources helping students understand the Israel-Hamas conflict, including classroom discussion support, glossary of terms, and curriculum links.
• Jewish Voices in Early America Lesson Plan Lesson plan exploring religious liberty and civic participation for Jewish citizens in early America, released to mark America's 250th anniversary (America250).

Quantifiable outcome

• Free professional learning and standards-driven resources on Judaism and Jewish history available to all K-12 educators

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Constitution CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2026ICS partnered with the National Constitution Center (NCC) to co-host the workshop 'Faith, Freedom, and the Classroom: Navigating the First Amendment and Religious Literacy' on August 25, 2026. The collaborative workshop equips educators with nonpartisan approaches to teaching religious literacy grounded in constitutional principles and First Amendment jurisprudence, featuring a leading Constitutional scholar. This is a key co-branded professional development event.
• Library of Congress (Teaching with Primary Sources Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS is a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Consortium Member. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program enables ICS curriculum to leverage Library of Congress primary sources, archival materials, and analysis tools. This partnership provides ICS with institutional credibility and access to a national network of educators using TPS resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USC Shoah Foundation (Visual History Archive / IWitness): Provides Holocaust testimony-based K-12 educational content and teacher resources. Comparable as a non-profit delivering free, primary source-based curriculum on antisemitism and the Holocaust to K-12 educators.
• iCivics: Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics provides free K-12 civics curriculum and games. Comparable as a non-profit offering free, standards-aligned social studies resources and teacher PD to U.S. schools.
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Education: ADL's education division delivers K-12 anti-bias, Holocaust, and antisemitism curricula with PD for teachers. Closely comparable to ICS on antisemitism education, free curriculum, and professional learning offerings for K-12 educators.
• National Constitution Center: Non-profit offering civics and constitutional education resources for K-12 teachers, including co-branded PD events with ICS. Direct overlap in the constitutional and religious literacy teacher PD space.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Non-profit that provides free K-12 curriculum and professional development on history, Holocaust, antisemitism, and civil rights. Directly comparable in mission, free resource model, and teacher PD offerings, and overlaps in antisemitism/Holocaust content with ICS.
• Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance, by SPLC): Provides free K-12 classroom resources and lesson plans on civil rights, social justice, religion, and identity. Comparable as a free, standards-aligned K-12 curriculum provider, with overlapping religious literacy content.
• Yad Vashem Educational Materials: World Holocaust Remembrance Center produces K-12 lesson plans, primary sources, and teacher PD. Closely comparable in Holocaust and antisemitism curriculum for K-12 social studies teachers.
• NewseumED / Freedom Forum Institute: Provides free K-12 curriculum on the First Amendment, religious liberty, and civic life. Directly comparable to ICS on constitutional and religious literacy teacher PD, including the NCC/ICS workshop subject area.
• Primary Source (organization): Non-profit providing K-12 curriculum and teacher PD on world history and cultures, with an emphasis on primary sources. Comparable in free resources, teacher training, and history/area studies curriculum focus.

Broad incumbents

• PBS LearningMedia: Public broadcaster-affiliated free K-12 digital content library spanning all subjects. Overlaps with ICS on free standards-aligned video and interactive content for K-12 social studies classrooms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Ficsresources.org%2Fslideshow%2Fhistory-of-european-antisemitism%2F&text=History%20of%20European%20Antisemitism
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=JO9YxZYd0qY&feature=emb_title
• Facebookfacebook.com/History4Now
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ficsresources.org%2Fslideshow%2Fhistory-of-european-antisemitism%2F&description=History%20of%20European%20Antisemitism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituteforcurriculumservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Curriculum Services