Institute for Humane Education

What Institute for Humane Education does

The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Surry, Maine. Its mission is to educate about the interconnected issues of human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability, and to develop changemakers through a proprietary methodology called the Solutionary Framework — a four-phase process (problem identification, root-cause research, solution evaluation using the MOGO/Most Good principle, and action) that underpins all of IHE's offerings.

IHE's core products span accredited graduate programs, professional development for educators, and free or low-cost teaching resources. The graduate portfolio — M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, and Ed.D. — is delivered online in partnership with Antioch University New England, which manages admissions and tuition. For working teachers, IHE offers the self-paced Solutionary Micro-credential Course (continuing education credits) and Solutionary Workshops delivered directly to schools and institutions. Supporting content includes the Solutionary Toolkit, lesson plans, the Solutionary Voices podcast, a blog, and publications by co-founder Zoe Weil. The technology layer is a conventional online learning management system paired with website-based content distribution; the differentiated technical asset is the Solutionary Framework methodology itself rather than any software platform.

IHE monetizes through three primary streams: graduate program tuition (collected and administered by Antioch University New England), donations and charitable contributions from supporters, and fees from workshops and professional development training. Distribution is hybrid: sales-led for graduate enrollment and school partnership deals, and self-serve / community-driven for the micro-credential, toolkit, podcast, and newsletter. The organization is led by co-founder Zoe Weil as President and by Steve Cochrane as Executive Director, with a small staff of roughly two dozen facilitators, curriculum developers, and communications personnel, and a Board of Directors providing governance. Operating geographies span the USA, India, Canada, and China through online delivery and an international alumni base.

Name

Institute for Humane Education

Legal name

Institute for Humane Education

Website

https://humaneeducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Humane Education is a 1996-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers graduate degrees, teacher micro-credentials, and K-12 workshops through its proprietary Solutionary Framework, serving educators, graduate students, and schools across the USA, India, Canada, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Education Standards & Professional Practice Framework Authorities (EDADAEAH), Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement (BPAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Humane education
• Graduate education programs
• Teacher professional development
• Solutionary framework training
• K-12 curriculum resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Graduate Program Tuition: Revenue from tuition fees for M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, and Ed.D. programs offered in partnership with Antioch University New England. Programs include online coursework, residencies, and faculty instruction.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Voluntary donations from donors supporting the organization's mission of humane education. Donors contribute to support programs, resources, and outreach activities.
3. Workshop Fees: Revenue from solutionary workshops and professional development training sessions offered to educators and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute for Humane Education delivers accredited graduate degree programs in humane education (M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, Ed.D.) in partnership with Antioch University New England, alongside teacher professional development offerings including the Solutionary Micro-credential Course and Solutionary Workshops. Its core educational methodology, the Solutionary Framework, provides a structured four-phase approach for addressing interconnected issues of human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability, supported by a library of lesson plans, toolkits, and teaching resources.

Product overview

The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and resources centered on its Solutionary Framework. The core offerings include graduate degree programs (M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, Ed.D.) delivered in partnership with Antioch University, focusing on human rights, animal protection, and ecological ethics. Supporting these academic programs are professional development offerings including the Solutionary Micro-credential Course and Solutionary Workshops. The organization also provides extensive teaching resources through its Solutionary Toolkit and Lesson Plans library, alongside content platforms including the Solutionary Voices Podcast and Blog. The Solutionary Framework itself serves as the foundational methodology underpinning all programs, providing a four-phase process for identifying problems, researching root causes, evaluating solutions, and taking meaningful action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M.Ed. in Humane Education Master of Education degree program focused on humane education, offered in partnership with Antioch University, covering human rights, animal protection, and ecological ethics. Designed for educators seeking to advance their expertise in humane education.
• M.A. in Humane Education Master of Arts degree program in humane education, part of IHE's graduate program portfolio focused on creating changemakers for people, animals, and the environment. Designed for advocates and educators seeking advanced credentials.
• Graduate Certificate in Humane Education Graduate certificate program providing foundational coursework in humane education principles and practices. Designed for professionals seeking a shorter academic credential.
• Ed.D. with a Specialization in Humane Education Doctor of Education with specialization in humane education, the highest academic credential offered by IHE. Designed for education leaders seeking the most advanced qualification.
• Solutionary Micro-credential Course Continuing education micro-credential course for teachers to learn and implement solutionary teaching practices in their classrooms. Offers professional development credits for educators.
• Solutionary Workshops Interactive workshop offerings for educators and institutions to learn solutionary frameworks and teaching methods. Delivered both directly to schools and as standalone training sessions.
• Solutionary Toolkit Comprehensive teaching toolkit providing resources, frameworks, and materials for implementing solutionary teaching and learning. Designed for educators seeking ready-to-use instructional supports.
• Lesson Plans & Teaching Resources Curated collection of lesson plans, curricula, and teaching resources for K-12 educators implementing humane education. Designed as classroom-ready instructional content.
• Humane Education Residency On-campus residency experience for graduate students providing intensive, hands-on learning in humane education principles and practices. Complements online graduate program coursework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates work as educators, nonprofit leaders, and advocates at organizations including Farm Sanctuary, Humane Society of Broward County, Peace Ridge Sanctuary, and various universities

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Antioch University New EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partnership for delivering graduate programs. IHE's M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, and Ed.D. programs in Humane Education are offered through Antioch University New England. Faculty from both institutions collaborate on curriculum and program delivery.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Facing History & Ourselves: Facing History provides professional development, curriculum frameworks, and teacher resources addressing ethics, identity, and systemic issues - a directly comparable values-based education organization serving the same educator segments.
• Learning for Justice (Southern Poverty Law Center): Learning for Justice offers free K-12 lesson plans, teaching frameworks, and PD on social justice topics - closely aligned with IHE's humane education mission and teacher resource distribution model.
• The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education: Cloud Institute is a direct peer focused on education for sustainability, offering K-12 curriculum frameworks, teacher training, and PD - overlapping directly with IHE's Solutionary Framework and lesson plan offerings.
• Antioch University New England: Antioch University New England is IHE's primary academic partner delivering the M.Ed., M.A., Graduate Certificate, and Ed.D. programs - effectively co-marketing joint graduate programs in humane education and sustainability-focused degrees.
• HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers): HEART is the closest direct peer to IHE - both are nonprofit organizations focused specifically on delivering humane education programming and teacher training, and HEART appears in IHE's customer/partnership list.

Regional players

• Farm Sanctuary: Farm Sanctuary is an IHE partner/customer running its own humane education programming on farm-animal welfare - overlapping on subject matter and educator outreach but focused on animal advocacy rather than broader humane education.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Ashoka is a broader incumbent in changemaker education, operating globally with K-12 programs, educator networks, and frameworks for social entrepreneurship - adjacent to IHE's solutionary educator mission at greater scale.

Emerging players

• Jane Goodall Institute (Roots & Shoots): Roots & Shoots provides K-12 environmental and humanitarian education programs and youth-led action frameworks - overlapping with IHE's human rights, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability intersection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-humane-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/humaneeducation
• Xx.com/humaneeducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstituteforHumaneEducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Humane Education