BSCS Science Learning
BSCS Science Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops K-12 science curriculum, instructional models, and teacher professional learning programs for US schools and districts across all 50 states, founded in 1958.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersColorado Springs, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BSCS Science Learning does
BSCS Science Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1958 in Boulder, Colorado, currently headquartered in Colorado Springs, with approximately 50-60 staff. The organization develops K-12 science curriculum, instructional models, and professional learning services for schools, districts, and teachers across all 50 US states. It is best known for authoring the globally-recognized 5E Instructional Model in 1987 and has since developed the Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model as its next-generation design framework. Its product portfolio includes the flagship BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life high school program (distributed through Kendall Hunt), the OpenSciEd Middle Grades Science Units (free open-source materials led by BSCS through a national consortium), and the STeLLA teacher professional learning program. Supporting products include the FieldScope citizen-science platform, NextGen TIME evaluation tools, and various thematic units on climate, COVID-19, and health equity.
BSCS Science Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BSCS Science Learning
- Legal name
- BSCS Science Learning
- Website
- https://bscs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BSCS Science Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops K-12 science curriculum, instructional models, and teacher professional learning programs for US schools and districts across all 50 states, founded in 1958.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BSCS Science Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Colorado Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BSCS Science Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BSCS relies on individual gifts and donations to sustain innovation and broaden access to programs. EIN: 84-0622557.
- Contracted Services to Districts and Schools: Schools and districts contract BSCS to provide professional learning, leadership development, instructional materials customization, and evaluation services for established fees.
- Merchandise Sales: Bonfire Store sells merchandise (shirts, hoodies, bags, mugs) featuring BSCS scientific artwork, with proceeds supporting the Innovation Fund.
- Institutional Grants: BSCS receives federal and foundation grants to fund research and development, including from National Science Foundation (NSF), US Department of Education, Carnegie Corporation, Gates Foundation, and others.
- Curriculum Sales (via Kendall Hunt): BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life is distributed through Kendall Hunt Publishing Company for district and school adoption.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Professional Development Provider Institute (PDPI) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Open Enrollment Teacher Institutes for BSCS Biology |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Elementary Science Professional Learning Institute for Multilingual Learners |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | BSCS Biology Professional Learning Pathways |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
BSCS Science Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BSCS Science Learning designs and delivers research-based K-12 science curriculum programs, professional learning for science teachers and instructional leaders, and educational research and evaluation services. It sells and licenses named curriculum programs (e.g., BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life, OpenSciEd Middle Grades), runs institutes and coaching engagements for districts, and distributes instructional materials through publishing partners.
Product overview
BSCS Science Learning is a nonprofit organization that offers a comprehensive suite of science education programs consisting of curriculum products, professional learning services, and instructional models. The core products include BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life (flagship high school biology program with four units addressing societal challenges), OpenSciEd Middle Grades Science Units (free open-source 6-8 grade program), and professional learning programs including STeLLA and NextGen TIME. Supporting products include FieldScope citizen science platform, various curriculum units (A Medical Mystery, Climate Education Pathways, Making Waves with Radio), and digital resources (Videoverse, Seminar Series). The Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model underpins the curriculum design. Services include Professional Development Provider Institutes, Leadership Institutes, Instructional Coaching, Curriculum Customization, and External Evaluation. All offerings are connected through research-driven innovation aimed at transforming K-12 science education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STeLLA (Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis): A nationally-recognized professional learning program for teacher learning that helps K-12 science teachers implement research-based curriculum and improve their teaching.
- BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life
- OpenSciEd
- NextGen TIME
Products and services
- BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life Flagship high school biology program built on BSCS's Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model, organized around four societal-challenge units (Infectious Diseases; Hereditary-Genetic Disease; Matter and Energy; Biodiversity and Humans). Designed for grade 9-12 biology classrooms and adopted by school districts.
- OpenSciEd Middle Grades Science Units Three-year NGSS-aligned middle school science program (grades 6-8) developed by the BSCS-led OpenSciEd Developers Consortium. Open-source and freely downloadable, with units covering topics such as Weather/Climate/Water Cycling, Matter Cycling & Photosynthesis, Forces at a Distance, Thermal Energy, Metabolic Reactions, and Sound Waves.
- STeLLA (Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis) Nationally recognized professional learning program for K-12 science teachers based on nearly 20 years of research, helping teachers implement research-based curriculum and improve instructional practice. Available in in-person, online, and hybrid formats.
- NextGen TIME Suite of tools and processes for curriculum-based professional learning supporting educators in evaluating, selecting, and implementing next-generation science instructional materials, co-developed with Achieve and K-12 Alliance at WestEd.
- FieldScope
Quantifiable outcome
- Students in Leander ISD outperforming state averages by up to 18% using BSCS Biology
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BSCS Science Learning
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BSCS Science Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
BSCS Science Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- OpenSciEd ConsortiumcoreBSCS leads the OpenSciEd Developers Consortium including Boston College, Dana Center at UT Austin, Digital Promise Global, and Northwestern University to create free middle school science materials. Works with state steering committee representing 10 partner states.
- Kendall Hunt Publishing CompanycoreDistribution partner for BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life high school biology program. Makes program available for district and school adoption.
- University of Colorado BouldermajorOriginal founding location of BSCS in 1958. Current partner through University of Colorado system including CU Boulder and CU Colorado Springs.
- Fresno County Superintendent of SchoolsmajorPartnership for Elementary Science Professional Learning Institute for Multilingual Learners, held July 29-30, 2026 in Fresno, CA.
- AchievemajorPartnered with Achieve and K-12 Alliance at WestEd to develop NextGen TIME suite of tools for evaluating instructional materials.
- WestEdmajorPartnered with Achieve and WestEd's K-12 Alliance to develop NextGen TIME professional learning resources.
- Maine Mathematics and Science AllianceminorWorking with Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance to support equitable access to place-based science learning opportunities in the Place-Based Learning for Elementary Science at Scale project.
- Monterey Bay AquariumminorPartnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium to host 60 leaders from 8 districts in professional development program.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BSCS Science Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes): Larger commercial publisher of NGSS-aligned K-12 STEM curricula with deeper district sales reach; competes head-to-head against BSCS Biology and OpenSciEd for district adoptions but with a fully commercial model.
- Activate Learning: Commercial STEM curriculum publisher offering NGSS-aligned science programs for middle and high school; overlaps with BSCS Biology and OpenSciEd in product category and target district buyers.
- Savvas Learning Company: Major K-12 publisher with NGSS-aligned high school biology and middle school science programs; competes for district science adoptions with far greater sales and marketing resources than BSCS.
Direct peers
- OpenSciEd Consortium: BSCS leads this national consortium (including Boston College, Dana Center at UT Austin, Digital Promise Global, and Northwestern) producing free, NGSS-aligned middle school science units; the consortium and its materials are the anchor's own flagship open-source offering.
- Education Development Center (EDC): Nonprofit that develops STEM curricula, conducts education research, and delivers professional learning for K-12 systems — directly comparable to BSCS in mission, funding model (grants/contracts), and product mix.
- TERC: Nonprofit STEM and math education R&D organization that designs instructional materials and teacher professional development; same nonprofit research-to-practice model as BSCS with overlapping federal funding sources.
- Achieve: Nonprofit that co-developed NextGen TIME with BSCS and works on science standards, assessment, and instructional materials quality; closely comparable in standards-aligned K-12 science education work.
- Concord Consortium: Nonprofit developing innovative STEM learning technologies and curricula (including citizen science platforms analogous to BSCS's FieldScope); comparable scale, federal-grant-driven revenue model, and K-12 audience.
- WestEd: Nonprofit that partners on NextGen TIME with BSCS and provides curriculum evaluation, R&D, and professional learning services; comparable in mission, federal-grant funding, and direct services to districts.
- Rivet Education: Organization that certifies curriculum-based professional learning providers and awarded BSCS its Professional Learning Partner Guide Certification; comparable in adjacent K-12 science professional learning infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BSCS Science Learning social profiles
Digital presenceBSCS Science Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BSCS Science Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
BSCS Science Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BSCS Science Learning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BSCS Science Learning
What does BSCS Science Learning do?
BSCS Science Learning designs and delivers research-based K-12 science curriculum programs, professional learning for science teachers and instructional leaders, and educational research and evaluation services. It sells and licenses named curriculum programs (e.g., BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life, OpenSciEd Middle Grades), runs institutes and coaching engagements for districts, and distributes instructional materials through publishing partners.
Is BSCS Science Learning a public or private company?
BSCS Science Learning is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BSCS Science Learning founded?
BSCS Science Learning was founded in 1958. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BSCS Science Learning based?
BSCS Science Learning is headquartered in Colorado Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does BSCS Science Learning make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are contracted Services to Districts and Schools, merchandise Sales, institutional Grants and curriculum Sales (via Kendall Hunt).
Who are BSCS Science Learning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes), Activate Learning and Savvas Learning Company. Direct peers are OpenSciEd Consortium, Education Development Center (EDC), TERC, Achieve, Concord Consortium, WestEd and Rivet Education.
Does BSCS Science Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for BSCS Science Learning.