What Echo Hill Outdoor School does

Echo Hill Outdoor School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization founded in 1972 and based in Worton, Maryland on a 70-acre campus adjacent to the 350-acre Bloomingneck Farm. The organization provides immersive, experiential outdoor education programs using the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem — forests, marshes, beaches, and a fleet of historic wooden vessels — as its classroom. Core offerings include year-round K-12 school programs covering science and ecology, history and culture, and adventure course and group development; summer programs including multi-day river trips and age-segmented day camps (Little Explorers ages 4-6 through Middle Explorers ages 7-10); day and residential group programs; and professional programs for adults. The school serves more than 6,500 students and teachers annually from 12 Maryland counties, with groups of 8-12 students led by trained Teachers/Naturalists.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model. Program tuition from schools and families is the primary revenue stream, supplemented by individual, corporate, foundation, and government donations and grants channeled through workplace giving programs (United Way of Kent County, EarthShare Mid-Atlantic, Maryland Charity Campaign, Combined Federal Campaign). Additional revenue comes from merchandise sales via the EHOS online store and a boat donation and sales program managed by a dedicated Boat Donation Program Manager. The organization employs 11-50 staff including Teachers/Naturalists, Captains/Educators, a Program Director, and interns, with entry-level naturalist compensation at $340-400 per week plus housing and meals. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on relationships with Maryland school districts, an inquiry form on the website, community events (including a 50th anniversary celebration and Crab Feast), and organic social media presence.

The organization maintains a long-standing strategic partnership with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (since 2008) to run Heart Camp for pediatric transplant and pulmonary hypertension patients, with CHOP medical staff accompanying campers. The school also owns 172 acres of protected freshwater marsh ("The Big Marsh") and operates a digital engagement program (Outdoor Insiders) extending educational reach beyond the physical campus. No venture capital or private equity investment is identified; the organization is independently operated under a board-governed nonprofit structure.

Name

Echo Hill Outdoor School

Legal name

Echo Hill Outdoor School

Website

https://ehos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Echo Hill Outdoor School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that provides immersive environmental education programs on the Chesapeake Bay for K-12 students, summer campers, and adult groups from Maryland and surrounding regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Environmental Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Outdoor learning
• Chesapeake Bay ecology
• K-12 field trips
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Worton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Primary revenue source from tuition fees for school programs (K-12), summer day camps, residential programs, and river trips. Revenue comes from participating schools and families.
2. Donations and Grants: Individual, corporate, foundation, and government donations and grants supplement tuition revenue to cover operating costs not met by program fees.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of EHOS branded merchandise including t-shirts through the online store.
4. Boat Donations and Sales: Acceptance of boat donations and sale of boats and marine equipment, with proceeds supporting educational programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Echo Hill Outdoor School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental education organization founded in 1972 and located in Worton, Maryland. It delivers immersive, hands-on outdoor education programs on a 70-acre campus with 172 acres of adjacent marshland, using a fleet of historic wooden Chesapeake Bay work boats as floating classrooms for K-12 school groups, summer campers, and adult professional groups.

Product overview

Echo Hill Outdoor School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 that provides immersive environmental education programs centered on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The organization offers a unified portfolio of programs including School Programs (K-12) with curriculum areas in Science & Ecology, History & Culture, and Adventure Course & Group Development; the Explore Summer Program featuring age-specific trips (4-5 day river trips, 3-day camping trips, Middle Explorers, and Little Explorers day camps); Day and Residential Group Programs; and Professional Programs for adults. Additional offerings include the Outdoor Insiders digital program and the EHOS Store merchandise line. The school operates from a 70-acre campus on the upper Eastern Shore of Maryland and utilizes a fleet of historic wooden Chesapeake Bay vessels as floating classrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Heart Camp is a partnership between CHOP and EHOS since 2008. Designed to provide a recreational week of laughter, fun, and childhood magic for pediatric patients who have had heart/lung transplants or have pulmonary hypertension. CHOP medical and child specialists accompany campers.
• United Way of Kent CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEcho Hill Outdoor School is a local charity agency partner of United Way of Kent County. The partnership provides scholarships to Kent County public school children for Spring, Summer and Fall programs at EHOS. Kent County residents can contribute through workplace giving campaigns.
• EarthShare Mid-AtlanticcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEarthShare Mid-Atlantic connects individuals and organizations with environmental causes. EHOS is designated as recipient 83862 for donations through EarthShare workplace giving programs across public and private sector workplaces.
• United Way of Kent CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKent County residents can contribute to EHOS through United Way workplace campaigns by sending checks payable to United Way of Kent County with designation for Echo Hill Outdoor School.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Delaware Nature Society: Delaware Nature Society operates nature centers, summer camps, and school programs focused on environmental education across Delaware and nearby areas. Highly comparable programming mix and nonprofit structure, but operates in an adjacent state rather than directly competing in Maryland.
• Calvert Marine Museum: Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD provides environmental and maritime education including school programs and boat-based experiences on the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River. Comparable Maryland-based maritime/environmental education programming for school groups and families.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC): SERC is a research and education institution on the Chesapeake Bay in Edgewater, MD that runs K-12 and public environmental education programs. Comparable Chesapeake Bay environmental education focus, but backed by the Smithsonian's larger institutional reach and scientific research mission.
• Outward Bound USA: Outward Bound USA is a leading nonprofit experiential education organization offering outdoor adventure-based programs for schools, youth, and adults including school group expeditions. Comparable experiential outdoor education delivery and school/corporate group GTM, though much larger and more nationally distributed than EHOS.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a large regional nonprofit focused on restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, with substantial K-12 environmental education programming (schoolyard habitats, floating classroom vessels, teacher training). Highly comparable mission, geography, and educational delivery model to Echo Hill, but at significantly larger scale and broader policy remit.
• National Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Federation is a large national nonprofit running environmental education programs including Eco-Schools and schoolyard habitats for K-12 audiences. Comparable environmental education mission and nonprofit donor-supported funding model, but at significantly larger national scale.

Others

• Project WET Foundation: Project WET develops water-education curriculum and training for K-12 teachers worldwide, complementing EHOS's water-focused programming with shared Chesapeake Bay and watershed education themes. Acts as a curriculum/thematic peer rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD preserves and interprets the bay's maritime heritage through school programs, summer camps, and boat-based education. Shares EHOS's Chesapeake Bay educational mission and use of historic vessels, serving overlapping Maryland school audiences.
• NatureBridge: NatureBridge is a nonprofit that provides immersive, multi-day environmental science education programs for K-12 students at multiple residential campuses in national parks. Comparable field-based, residential outdoor education model and school group GTM, though operating across multiple geographies versus EHOS's single Mid-Atlantic site.
• Audubon Naturalist Society: Audubon Naturalist Society is a Mid-Atlantic nonprofit offering nature education programs for children, families, and adults including school field programs and summer camps. Comparable nonprofit outdoor/environmental education model with similar school and family segments, serving the greater DC/Maryland/Virginia region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Echo Hill Outdoor School