Green Education Foundation

Name

Green Education Foundation

Legal name

Green Education Foundation

Website

https://greeneducationfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), STEM & Computer Science Curriculum (EDAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• K-12 curriculum
• Environmental programs
• Online certification
• Green building education

Headquarters

HQ city

Walpole

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. GEF Core Programs (Free): All core K-12 sustainability programs and curricula are provided free of charge to registered members. Programs include National Green Week, Green Energy Challenge, Green Thumb Challenge, Waste Reduction Challenge, Sustainable Water Challenge, Green Building Program, and I Ride Green.
2. GEF Institute Online Courses and Certificates: GEF Institute, a division of GEF, offers paid online sustainability courses and certificate programs to educators, students at high school and undergraduate level, and professionals. Courses are available for professional development or academic credit through partnering universities.
3. IXG Green Pack Sales: Eco-friendly kits including t-shirts, reusable bags, water bottles, and snack containers sold to schools and youth groups. Priced at $18 for students and $20 for teachers with minimum quantity of 50.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support GEF sustainability programs enabling children and educators to participate. Sponsors receive recognition in local and national media, on GEF's website, in targeted email outreach, and in social media outlets.
5. Donations: Financial support from donors helps GEF provide meaningful, fun, hands-on activities to K-12 schools around the world, empowering a new generation of environmental stewards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Green Education Foundation provides free K-12 sustainability education programs and standards-aligned curricula to schools, educators, and youth groups through its flagship National Green Week initiative and six themed programs. It also generates revenue through GEF Institute, offering paid online sustainability courses and certificate programs for educators, students, and professionals, and sells IXG Green Packs merchandise.

Product overview

Green Education Foundation (GEF) offers a comprehensive suite of free K-12 sustainability education programs centered around its flagship National Green Week event. The core portfolio includes seven interconnected programs: Green Energy Challenge, Green Thumb Challenge, Green Building Program, Waste Reduction Challenge, I Ride Green, and Sustainable Water Challenge. These programs provide standards-based curricula, lessons, activities, audits, and contests organized by theme. GEF Institute extends the platform with paid online courses and certificate programs for professional development and academic credit, including the Sustainability 101 Certification administered through NOCTI. The K-12 Lesson Clearinghouse serves as the repository for sharing and accessing all curriculum materials. The platform operates on a free membership model with optional premium offerings through GEF Institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Green Week: Annual K-12 sustainability education movement empowering schools to engage in sustainability focused lessons, projects or activities between the first week in February and end of Earth Month (April)
• Green Energy Challenge
• Green Thumb Challenge
• Waste Reduction Challenge
• Sustainable Water Challenge
• I Ride Green
• Green Building Program
• K-12 Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse
• GEF Institute

Products and services

• National Green Week Annual event that empowers K-12 schools, classrooms, and youth groups to engage in sustainability-focused lessons, projects, and activities between the first week in February and the end of Earth Month (April). Free to all registered GEF members.
• Green Energy Challenge K-12 sustainability education program that calls on schools to improve energy efficiency through behavioral changes, including curricula, energy audits, and classroom activities. Free to registered GEF members.
• Green Thumb Challenge Youth gardening initiative connecting children with nature and the healthy benefits of gardening through free activities and standards-based lessons linking the classroom to the garden.
• Green Building Program K-12 program that educates students on green building attributes, benefits, and strategies for improving environmental inefficiencies within school buildings through lessons, audits, and activities.
• Waste Reduction Challenge Program that empowers students to be leaders of waste reduction campaigns in their schools and communities, teaching the implications of waste creation and ways to reduce and recycle more.
• I Ride Green Program that inspires families and individuals to develop lifelong habits for sustainable transportation and eco-travel that promote environmental, economic, and public health.
• Sustainable Water Challenge K-12 program that educates students on water sustainability issues and conservation methods, covering water properties, pollution, depletion, and conservation techniques.
• GEF Institute Online Courses Virtual classroom division of GEF offering affordable online sustainability courses and certificate programs to educators, high school and undergraduate students, and professionals, with options for professional development or academic credit through partnering universities.
• Sustainability 101 Certification 15-hour self-paced course and certification program that provides foundational knowledge of sustainability and the balance between environmental, social, and economic systems, administered through NOCTI's QuadNet secure online delivery system and awards the GEF Institute Sustainability Certification.
• K-12 Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse Online repository of free sustainability lessons organized by grade level, subject area, and GEF program where educators can download, share, rate, and comment on K-12 sustainability curriculum. Free access for GEF members.
• Blueprint for Sustainability Literacy Comprehensive guide for integrating sustainability into existing K-12 coursework through standards-based teaching methods and school-wide initiatives, aligned with National and Common Core standards in Science, English-Language-Arts, and Social Studies.
• Professional Development Courses Online sustainability-focused professional development courses for K-12 educators covering sustainability concepts, energy and technology, water systems, and green building, available for professional development credit.
• IXG Green Packs Eco-friendly kits including t-shirts, reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and snack containers sold to schools and youth groups to promote sustainability during National Green Week. Priced at $18 per student pack and $20 per teacher pack with a minimum order of 50 units.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5 million students reached through National Green Week programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NOCTIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2013NOCTI provides curricular and instructional improvement tools for secondary and post-secondary institutions. Through this partnership, NOCTI administers GEF Institute's Sustainability 101 Certification program using their QuadNet secure online delivery system. The collaboration enables schools to order the certification program directly through NOCTI, which consists of pre- and post-tests as well as a 15-hour self-paced course.
• Center for Green Schools at USGBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Buildings Council partnered with GEF to create the Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse. This online community enables teachers to download and share K-12 sustainability education curriculum, with lessons organized by grade and subject. The Center also collaborates on various GEF programs and resources.
• AmtrakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with Amtrak, GEF created the I Ride Green program to motivate American students and families to adopt green transportation habits. Amtrak support helps address the environmental impact of micro-trips (under 1/2 mile) that account for nearly one million gallons of gasoline burned daily.
• GEF InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF Institute is a division of Green Education Foundation established in October 2011 to meet increasing market demand for professional-level sustainability education and training. The Institute builds on GEF's expertise in K-12 sustainability education by offering online courses and certificate programs to educators, students, and professionals.
• UNESCO Education for Sustainable DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF collaborates with UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development through its Global Advisory Committee, which includes Dr. Rosalyn McKeown as Secretariat of the UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability.
• Gardener's SupplyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGardener's Supply sponsors the Green Thumb Challenge, which enlists schools and youth groups in youth gardening initiatives. Over $10,000 worth of prizes have been awarded to Green Thumb Challenge participants courtesy of program sponsors.
• LowesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLowes sponsors the Green Thumb Challenge program, supporting youth gardening initiatives and providing resources for school gardens.
• BonnieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBonnie sponsors the Green Thumb Challenge, providing support for school gardening programs and initiatives.
• IXGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIXG produces and sells Green Packs (eco-friendly kits including t-shirts, reusable bags, water bottles, snack containers) that GEF promotes through its National Green Week program. Schools can order Green Packs through IXG with a minimum quantity of 50 units.
• Partnering UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF Institute's online courses are available for academic credit through partnering universities, enabling students to earn credentials that count toward their degree programs.
• Washington State Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF collaborates with Washington State Public Schools through its Global Advisory Committee, which includes Gilda Wheeler as Sustainability Coordinator at Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• University of Florida Graduate School of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF collaborates with the University of Florida Graduate School of Education through its Global Advisory Committee, which includes Dr. Linda Jones as Associate Professor and Director of the Environmental Education and Communication Graduate Certificate program.
• Manitoba Education, CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF collaborates with Manitoba Education, Canada through its Global Advisory Committee, which includes Carolee Buckler as Sustainable Development Coordinator.
• UBLA (Ulrich Bachand Landscape Architecture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEED accredited landscape architects from UBLA worked with GEF to create sustainable garden designs for three different budgets as part of the Garden as a Teaching Tool program. Designs integrate features such as rain barrels and pollinator gardens.
• USDA MyPyramid AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEF partnered with the USDA MyPyramid Alliance to promote nutrition and well-being messages through the Nutrition In Action program, addressing childhood obesity while teaching healthy habits through gardening.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit delivering environmental education (recycling, litter prevention, sustainability) with K-12 programming and corporate sponsorship model. Overlaps GEF's Waste Reduction Challenge and I Ride Green programs through broader brand and footprint.
• Center for Green Schools at USGBC: USGBC division providing sustainability and green building education resources to schools; established GEF partner. Comparable K-12 sustainability/green building curriculum and teacher training, but sits within a larger industry/membership organization.

Direct peers

• Alliance for Climate Education (ACE): Nonprofit running climate change education programs and action campaigns in US high schools. Comparable target audience (K-12 students), climate/sustainability mission, free-to-school delivery, and donor/corporate sponsorship funding model.
• Project Learning Tree: Environmental education curriculum program of the American Forest Foundation serving K-12 schools with free/affordable standards-aligned lessons. Comparable in offering free teacher resources, professional development, and lesson clearinghouse functionality that mirrors GEF's sustainability lesson clearinghouse.
• Captain Planet Foundation: Atlanta-based K-12 environmental education nonprofit funding hands-on projects and teacher resources. Highly comparable to GEF in target audience (K-12 schools/educators), mission (sustainability/environmental literacy), and freemium + grants/sponsorships model, with overlapping curriculum offerings.
• National Wildlife Federation – Eco-Schools USA: Largest US K-12 green school program, providing curriculum pathways, school certification, and educator training on sustainability topics. Directly comparable membership/registration structure, school-level engagement model, and standards-based content positioning vs. GEF's National Green Week.
• Roots & Shoots (Jane Goodall Institute): Youth-led environmental and humanitarian service program operating globally through K-12 chapters. Comparable grassroots, youth-driven model with free membership and curriculum toolkits that draw on a globally recognized brand.
• EarthEcho International: Youth-focused environmental education nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., distributing free digital curricula and youth programs. Comparable mission, K-12 free resource model, and reliance on philanthropy plus strategic partnerships.
• Eco-Schools International (FEE): International K-12 sustainability education framework with national operators worldwide. Directly comparable student-led sustainability pathway, standards-aligned structure, and school registration model; counterpart to GEF globally.

Others

• NOCTI / Nocti Business Solutions: Established GEF partner delivering the Sustainability 101 Certification via QuadNet. Comparable as an adjacent education ecosystem participant, providing assessment and certification infrastructure that supports GEF Institute's paid credentialing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreenEduFdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenEduFoundation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/greenedufdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-education-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Green Education Foundation