National Geographic Society Education Foundation

What National Geographic Society Education Foundation does

The National Geographic Society Education Foundation is the educational arm of the National Geographic Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation was established in 1988—the Society's centennial—to fund activities that increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. It operates education.nationalgeographic.org, a free online platform hosting 2,600+ educational resources including articles, videos, maps, infographics, and interactives aligned with curriculum standards across biology, geography, environmental science, social studies, and STEM subjects. The Foundation serves K-12 and higher-education educators, students from Pre-K through grade 12+, and youth globally, with primary customer segments in formal education settings and a secondary segment of families and youth participating in flagship programs such as the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, Slingshot Challenge, Young Explorers, Photo Camp, and Virtual Externships.

The Foundation's technology stack is built around a digital education platform with several notable components. MapMaker, developed in partnership with Esri, is an interactive GIS tool that allows students to explore layered geographic data covering population, cultural landscapes, wildlife corridors, and indigenous geographies. Explorer Classroom provides live, interactive virtual events via Zoom and YouTube livestream, connecting National Geographic Explorers with students in real-time Q&A sessions. Distribution is multi-channel: direct web access, OER Commons for educator resource aggregation, and Newsela for leveled reading differentiation. The Foundation also operates the Explorer Mindset Learning Framework, a structured pedagogical approach, and supports in-person learning at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration (1600 M Street NW, Washington, DC).

The Foundation operates as a nonprofit without direct revenue from educational products; all resources are free to educators and students. Funding comes from individual donations, membership programs ("changemakers" community), corporate sponsorships (Lockheed Martin, Morgan Stanley), and ancillary revenue from Museum of Exploration tickets, National Geographic Live events, and traveling exhibitions. The Foundation is governed as part of the parent National Geographic Society, with no separate ownership, M&A activity, or independent fundraising disclosure in the source data.

Name

National Geographic Society Education Foundation

Legal name

National Geographic Society

Website

https://education.nationalgeographic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The National Geographic Society Education Foundation is the educational arm of the National Geographic Society, operating a free online platform with 2,600+ K-12 resources, MapMaker GIS tools, live Explorer Classroom events, and youth programs serving educators, students, and families globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Resources

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Device Ecosystems & 1:1 Program Solutions (Devices, MDM, Charging) (EDAJAMAL), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• K-12 education resources
• Geographic literacy
• GIS mapping tools
• STEM curriculum
• Teacher professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, National Geographic Society relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund its education programs, Explorer grants, and free educational resources.
2. Membership Programs: Membership programs provide supporters with benefits while funding educational initiatives. Join as member of changemakers community.
3. Museum and Event Revenue: Revenue from Museum of Exploration tickets, National Geographic Live events, and traveling exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Geographic Society Education Foundation delivers free, standards-aligned educational resources, interactive tools, and youth programs to K-12 educators and students through its online platform education.nationalgeographic.org. Core offerings include the Explorer Mindset Learning Framework curriculum, the MapMaker GIS tool, Explorer Classroom live virtual events, the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, and youth programs such as the Young Explorers Program, Slingshot Challenge, Photo Camp, and Virtual Externships.

Product overview

National Geographic Society Education Foundation offers a comprehensive education platform centered on exploration, science, and geographic learning. The core offering is the Education Hub (education.nationalgeographic.org), which provides searchable educational resources, lesson plans, articles, maps, and videos. Key products include Explorer Classroom for live virtual events with National Geographic Explorers, and MapMaker—a GIS mapping tool developed with Esri—enabling interactive geographic exploration. The portfolio also includes youth programs (Slingshot Challenge, Young Explorers, Photo Camp, Virtual Externships), educator programs (Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship), museum education resources, and the Explorer Mindset Learning Framework. Resources cover subjects including biology, ecology, geography, conservation, earth science, and social studies for grades Pre-K through 12+.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Explorer Classroom: Live interactive online events featuring National Geographic Explorers
• MapMaker
• Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship
• Young Explorers
• Photo Camp
• Slingshot Challenge
• Museum of Exploration
• National Geographic Live
• Explorer Mindset
• OER Commons

Products and services

• Explorer Classroom Live, interactive virtual events that connect K-12 classrooms and students with National Geographic Explorers for real-time learning sessions across science, geography, and exploration topics.
• MapMaker Interactive GIS-based mapping tool that allows K-12 students and educators to explore global data layers, build custom maps, and develop spatial thinking and geographic literacy skills.
• Explorer Mindset Learning Framework Proprietary instructional framework that structures inquiry-based learning across subjects using the Explorer Mindset, providing educators with curriculum-aligned strategies and resources for K-12 classrooms.
• Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Competitive professional development fellowship that sends K-12 educators on National Geographic-funded field expeditions, building teacher leadership in geographic literacy and classroom impact.
• Young Explorers Program Youth program empowering students ages 11-18 to develop exploration, science, and storytelling projects with mentorship from National Geographic Explorers.
• Slingshot Challenge Youth competition challenging young people globally to develop innovative, project-based solutions to real-world problems in science, exploration, and storytelling.
• Photo Camp Photography workshop program for youth that teaches visual storytelling through hands-on photography instruction led by National Geographic photographers.
• Virtual Externships Work-based learning program connecting youth with National Geographic staff and Explorers for virtual externship experiences exploring careers in science, exploration, journalism, and storytelling.
• Museum of Exploration Education Resources On-site educational resources and programming delivered at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, extending classroom learning into physical exhibit experiences for K-12 students and educators.
• Education Hub (education.nationalgeographic.org) Web platform at education.nationalgeographic.org distributing free, standards-aligned educational resources, lesson plans, activities, and multimedia content for K-12 classrooms, educators, and students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wildlife crossings in Arizona: 90% drop in wildlife-related highway accidents
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• EsricoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Esri to develop MapMaker, an interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) tool for classroom use. MapMaker allows students to explore layered geographic data including population, cultural landscapes, wildlife corridors, dams, and environmental data.
• OER CommonssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOER Commons serves as a distribution hub for National Geographic Society educational resources, making them accessible to educators through the OER Commons platform and its network of educational institutions.
• NewselasupportingTechnology or IntegrationNewsela provides leveled article versions of National Geographic content, enabling differentiated instruction across reading levels to support diverse learners.
• Lockheed MartinsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting educational content production, with Lockheed Martin branded content appearing on select educational resources.
• Morgan StanleysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting educational initiatives, with Morgan Stanley branded content appearing on select educational resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Newsela: Provides leveled nonfiction articles and instructional content for K-12, with a focus on differentiated reading instruction. Direct peer on product overlap (leveled articles, educator workflows) and is also a current distribution partner of National Geographic Education.
• Khan Academy: Provides free online educational content, lessons, and teacher tools across K-12 subjects. Comparable as a large-scale free educational platform serving educators and students globally, though with a stronger adaptive-learning orientation.
• Discovery Education: Provides standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, videos, and virtual events to K-12 classrooms globally. Closely comparable on product type (multimedia educational content + live virtual events) and target customer (educators and school districts).
• World Wildlife Fund — Education Programs: Global nonprofit offering free educational resources and youth programs centered on wildlife conservation and environmental science. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit providing standards-aligned conservation curriculum and youth engagement.
• National Wildlife Federation — Educational Programs: Conservation-focused nonprofit offering free K-12 educational resources, educator professional development, and youth programs centered on wildlife and ecology. Directly comparable mission and program mix (conservation education + youth programs + curriculum resources).
• Smithsonian Institution — Smithsonian Learning Lab: Operates a free online education platform with standards-aligned resources for K-12 educators, drawing on the Smithsonian's museums and research network. Directly comparable as a federally-chartered nonprofit providing free multimedia educational content and museum-linked programming.
• PBS LearningMedia: Free digital media repository for educators built on the PBS brand, offering videos, lesson plans, and interactive resources aligned to curriculum standards. Directly comparable as a free, brand-anchored, public-media education platform.

Broad incumbents

• Esri — ArcGIS for Schools: Esri's education division offers ArcGIS tools and curricula to schools globally, and is the technology partner behind National Geographic's MapMaker. Comparable on GIS-in-education focus but operates as a commercial vendor rather than a free nonprofit publisher.
• Scholastic Education: Large incumbent publisher with deep K-12 educator relationships and free/paid digital resources including articles and videos. Comparable product category (curriculum-aligned educational content) but operates as a commercial publisher with broader scope.

Emerging players

• Common Sense Education: Nonprofit providing free K-12 digital citizenship, media literacy, and educational technology reviews for educators. Comparable as a nonprofit offering free resources and professional development to educators, with a more focused subject area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/insidenatgeo
• Facebookfacebook.com/natgeoeducation

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 National Geographic Society Education Foundation