What Project STEM does

Project STEM is a New York-based, mission-driven nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers PreK-12 computer science and STEM education with an explicit equity focus on underserved schools and districts across the United States. Its product portfolio spans an elementary layer (Pre-coding Activities, STEM @Home), a middle school sequence (CS Explorations 1-3 built on Scratch, MIT AI resources, AppLab, Micro:bit, and Earsketch), and a high school catalog that includes College Board-approved AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Statistics, AP Cybersecurity (AP Career Kickstart), and CS Python Fundamentals, plus the Brightest Futures and Career Connections programs that link learning to college and career pathways including Amazon Future Engineer scholarships.

Underlying technology is a web-based learning management system with cloud-hosted curriculum, integrated third-party coding environments (Scratch, AppLab, Micro:bit Python editor, Earsketch), and native single sign-on integrations with Google, Clever, and NYC Public Schools. Curricula are co-developed with credentialed partners including MIT AI for K-12, Harvey Mudd College, San Francisco Unified School District, and College Board, and the product is anchored on College Board AP frameworks.

Revenue is generated through two named streams: recurring school and district licensing via authorized reseller partners (Project STEM School Accounts) and professional development services for educators (10-40 hour programs across each course). Distribution combines direct self-serve platform access for educators and students with an application-based enterprise motion (the Pathways Scholarship program) targeted at Title 1 schools and underserved districts. No public pricing is disclosed, and revenue figures are not reported; the Pathways Scholarship and broader equity mission imply significant philanthropic or grant-based funding alongside commercial licensing.

Name

Project STEM

Legal name

Project STEM

Website

https://projectstem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project STEM is a New York-based nonprofit (founded 2001) delivering PreK-12 computer science curricula, College Board-approved AP courses, and educator professional development to underserved K-12 schools and districts across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Computer Science Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Math & Science Interactive Learning Platforms (STEM Core) (EDAFANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Teacher Tools, Curriculum & Lesson Planning Platforms (EDAFANAK), STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) & Challenge Platforms (EDAFANAI), Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), STEM & Computer Science Curriculum (EDAGAAAB), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• K-12 computer science
• STEM education equity
• AP computer science curriculum
• Educator professional development
• School district licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School/District Licensing: Project STEM offers school accounts for purchasing selected curriculum resources through authorized reseller partners. Schools and districts can purchase access to professional development and curricular materials.
2. Professional Development Services: Educators can enroll in professional development courses (Teaching CS Fundamentals, Teaching AP CS Principles, Teaching AP CS A, Teaching CSE1, CSE2, CSE3) that provide curriculum access and ongoing implementation support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Project STEM delivers a comprehensive PreK-12 computer science and STEM education platform through web-based curricula for middle and high school students, including CS Explorations 1-3 and College Board-approved AP courses (AP CS A, AP CS Principles, AP Statistics, AP Cybersecurity). The organization pairs curriculum with educator professional development programs (10-40 hours) and dedicated implementation coaching, targeting underserved schools via the Pathways Scholarship program. Supplemental offerings include Brightest Futures (with Amazon Future Engineer scholarship integration up to $40,000), Career Connections, STEM @Home, and Pre-coding Activities.

Product overview

Project STEM offers a comprehensive PreK-12 computer science and STEM education platform consisting of middle school courses (CS Explorations 1-3), high school AP courses (AP Cybersecurity, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A), introductory CS Python Fundamentals, and professional development programs for educators. The portfolio also includes specialized programs like Your Best and Brightest Futures (connecting CS to student passions with Amazon Future Engineer scholarship pathway), Career Connections, STEM @Home activities, and Pre-coding Activities for early learners. The middle school CS Explorations sequence uses tools including Scratch, MIT AI resources, AppLab, Micro:bit, and Earsketch, while high school courses follow College Board AP frameworks. Professional development offerings provide year-long implementation support with dedicated coaches, self-paced modules, and webinars to help educators deliver the curriculum regardless of prior CS experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CS Explorations: Middle school computer science curriculum program including CSE1 (CS Fundamentals in Scratch), CSE2 (AI in Our World), and CSE3 (Creative CS) for grades 6-9+.
• Project STEM Pathways
• Brightest Futures

Products and services

• CS Explorations 1: MyCS Scratch Introductory computer science course for grades 6-9 that uses Scratch block-based programming to teach foundational CS concepts including events, loops, conditionals, operators, variables, and procedures. Based on the MyCS curriculum originally developed by Harvey Mudd College and modified by San Francisco Unified School District.
• CS Explorations 2: AI in Our World Introductory computer science course for grades 7-9 that explores artificial intelligence, machine learning, and their societal impacts using MIT AI for K-12 curricular resources. Students engage with AI concepts through Scratch programming, ethical design, and responsible use activities.
• CS Explorations 3: Creative CS Introductory CS course for middle and early high school students that supports transition from block-based to text-based Python programming through creative projects including app design with AppLab, LED art with Micro:bit, and music with EarSketch.
• AP Cybersecurity College Board AP Career Kickstart course preparing students for cybersecurity careers, covering risk analysis, layered defense strategies, physical security, networks, devices, applications, data protection, and AI-powered attack detection.
• AP Statistics College Board-approved college-level statistics course aligned with AP Statistics framework, covering data exploration, sampling, probability, simulation, inference, and regression analysis with AP Exam preparation.
• CS Python Fundamentals Introductory high school course teaching programming fundamentals and problem-solving using Python and the EarSketch music coding platform. Prepares students for AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles courses.
• AP Computer Science Principles College Board-approved introductory college-level computing curriculum covering five big ideas: Creative Development, Data, Algorithms and Programming, Computer Systems and Networks, and Impact of Computing. Equivalent to a first-semester introductory college computing course.
• AP Computer Science A College Board-approved high school course teaching Java programming language with emphasis on abstraction, algorithms, data structures, and object-oriented programming. Prepares students for advanced college coursework and careers in computer science.
• Teaching CS Explorations 1 (Professional Development) Professional development program for educators teaching CS Explorations 1, consisting of 10 hours total (7 hours of self-paced online modules plus 3 one-hour webinars) covering curriculum overview, Scratch basics, student instruction, grading, and preparation for implementation.
• Teaching CS Explorations 2 (Professional Development) Professional development program for educators teaching CS Explorations 2, consisting of 15 hours (14 hours self-paced online modules plus 1 one-hour webinar) covering AI concepts, Scratch coding with AI extensions, and instructional strategies.
• Teaching CS Explorations 3 (Professional Development) Professional development program for educators teaching CS Explorations 3, consisting of 15 hours of self-paced online modules covering creative computing concepts in AppLab, Micro:bit Python, and Earsketch environments.
• Teaching CS Python Fundamentals (Professional Development) Professional development program preparing instructors to teach CS Python Fundamentals course, covering curriculum components, self-paced coding tracks in Python, and strategies for facilitating lessons and assessments.
• Teaching AP CS Principles (Professional Development) Professional development program preparing instructors to teach AP Computer Science Principles curriculum in a blended learning environment, covering curriculum overview, coding tracks in Scratch and Python, performance tasks, and exam requirements.
• Teaching AP CS A (Professional Development) Professional development program preparing instructors to teach AP Computer Science A curriculum, consisting of 40 hours covering Java programming concepts, AP CSA curriculum features, exam requirements, and instructional implementation strategies.
• Your Best and Brightest Futures Program connecting computer science with students' personal passions and interests to encourage persistence and additional learning. Includes four lesson modules (My CS Journey, Why This Matters, It Could Be Me, Tell Your Story) with optional Amazon Future Engineer scholarship pathway.
• Career Connections High school program helping students explore career paths connected to STEM and computer science, enabling discovery of how CS backgrounds can create opportunities across various fields.
• STEM @Home Hands-on STEM activities for early learners to explore and create at home, building foundational technology and problem-solving skills.
• Pre-coding Activities Early CS learning resources for elementary school students and teachers, providing foundational pre-coding activities for young learners.
• Project STEM Pathways Scholarship Scholarship program enabling schools and districts to bring computer science courses to their students, providing curriculum access, professional development, and implementation support for Title 1 and underserved schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools implementing Project STEM curricula gain access to credit-bearing computer science courses aligned with College Board AP frameworks
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIT AI for K-12coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT AI for K-12 is a key curriculum development partner for CS Explorations 2 (CSE2): AI in Our World. This introductory computer science course integrates MIT's AI curricular resources designed for K-12 education, helping students explore AI and its far-reaching societal impacts through engaging activities and learning units that combine CS, computational thinking, and ethical design.
• GOATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOAT, a sneaker and apparel marketplace, partners with CS Explorations 3 curriculum to provide students with real-world career connections in app design. Students explore careers at GOAT through design challenges that mirror actual app functionalities, hear from the founder and CEO, product managers, and engineers, and program GOAT app screens using AppLab.
• Amazon Future EngineercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon Future Engineer is a scholarship and internship program partnership integrated into the Brightest Futures curriculum. High school seniors can receive scholarships up to $40,000 ($10,000/year) toward undergraduate degrees in engineering or computer science, plus offers for summer internships at Amazon. This connects Project STEM students to career pathways in technology.
• San Francisco Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFUSD's MyCS curriculum serves as the foundation for CS Explorations 1 (CSE1). The original MyCS curriculum was developed by Harvey Mudd College, modified by SFUSD, and portions are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
• Harvey Mudd CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvey Mudd College developed the original MyCS curriculum that serves as the foundation for CS Explorations 1. The curriculum was created to provide early computer science education for middle school students.
• College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege Board approves Project STEM curricula for AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, and other AP courses. Project STEM's AP Cybersecurity is part of AP Career Kickstart. All curricula are aligned with College Board frameworks and exam requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Code.org: Large nonprofit providing free K-12 computer science curriculum and professional development. Most directly comparable to Project STEM in mission (equity in CS access), target customers (K-12 schools and districts, especially underserved), and product (web-based CS curricula with teacher PD).
• Tynker: K-12 coding platform offering block-based and Python/JavaScript curricula, professional development, and district licensing. Comparable in K-12 CS learning platform positioning and school/district sales motion.
• CodeCombat: K-12 CS learning platform using game-based coding instruction in Python, JavaScript, and C++, with teacher tools and school licensing. Comparable in target audience (middle/high school students) and platform-based delivery model.
• CodeHS: Web-based CS curriculum platform serving middle and high schools with intro CS, Python, Java, and AP CSP/AP CSA pathways, plus teacher PD. Directly comparable in course catalog, AP focus, and school/district GTM.
• Khan Academy: Nonprofit offering free K-12 educational content including computer science programming courses (e.g., Khan Academy Computing). Comparable in nonprofit model, free curriculum ethos, and K-12 student/teacher audience, though broader in subject scope.
• Carnegie Mellon CS Academy: CMU-developed free high school CS curriculum (Python, CS0/CS1) with teacher PD and school partnerships. Comparable in university-affiliated nonprofit model, high school CS focus, and equity-oriented mission.

Others

• Clever: K-12 identity and rostering platform integrated with Project STEM. Not a curriculum competitor; relevant as an enabling infrastructure provider that distributes many K-12 edtech tools into districts.
• Amazon Future Engineer: Amazon's K-12 CS philanthropy program that funds scholarships, internships, and curriculum partnerships — including Project STEM's Brightest Futures. Comparable as a strategic ecosystem actor in K-12 CS access, not a direct curriculum competitor.

Emerging players

• Bootstrap (Brown University): Brown University-affiliated nonprofit providing CS curricula (data science, algebra-based programming) for middle and high schools with teacher PD. Comparable in nonprofit model and school-delivered CS curriculum, but narrower subject footprint.
• Edhesive (now part of Carnegie Learning): AP CS A and AP CS Principles curriculum provider acquired by Carnegie Learning, targeting high schools with full-year courses and teacher support. Comparable in AP CS curriculum focus and school-district GTM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-stem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Project STEM