The Walking Classroom

What The Walking Classroom does

The Walking Classroom is a nonprofit educational program of Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2011 by educator Laura Fenn, M.S. Ed, the program delivers standards-aligned content to K-8 students (grades 3-8) through a screen-free, internet-free audio device called the WalkKit, paired with structured walking routines. It serves U.S. classroom teachers, out-of-school time programs, and homeschool families as a supplemental instructional tool intended to combine physical activity with academic learning without consuming instructional time.

The core technology is a customized Playaway audio player preloaded with 190 podcasts (15-20 minutes each) covering science, social studies, and language arts aligned to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); each episode embeds a health-literacy message and a character value for social-emotional learning. The WalkKit is certified for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ships with lanyard, earbuds, and battery, and is reusable across school years. Adjacent products include a print Program Guide, a free Digital Program Guide, an Out-of-School Time Discussion Guide, a HomeKit for homeschool use, a STEM-focused sub-brand, a subscription Mobile App, and a free Science Career Podcast Series recorded with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales — $200 per individual WalkKit and $5,550 per Class Set of 30 — with bulk pricing for 2+ Class Sets. All paid transactions are processed through the American Heart Association's ShopCPR marketplace, supported by a dedicated sales team for school and district quotes, purchase orders, and tax-exempt processing. A parallel donated-sets program, funded by grants and outside contributions, distributes free WalkKit equipment to high-need schools prioritized by socioeconomic and academic criteria; demand currently exceeds supply, with a waitlist of more than 250 teachers and out-of-school time professionals. Go-to-market relies on a teacher ambassador network, education conferences, content marketing, and webinars, supplemented by earned media including a February 2026 feature on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Name

The Walking Classroom

Legal name

Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Website

https://thewalkingclassroom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Walking Classroom is a nonprofit program of Alliance for a Healthier Generation that provides K-8 students with WalkKit audio devices preloaded with 190 standards-aligned educational podcasts for use while walking, serving schools, out-of-school time programs, and homeschool families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Active Learning Educational Devices

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Instructional Video & Multimedia (EDAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital/Blended K–12 Courseware & Interactive Textbooks (EDAGAAAJ)

Keywords

• Educational podcasts
• Active learning devices
• K-8 audio learning
• Classroom walking program
• Physical activity curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (WalkKit Devices): Sale of WalkKit audio devices — individually ($200 each) or in Class Sets of 30 ($5,550). WalkKits are purchased through the American Heart Association's ShopCPR marketplace. Schools and districts may also receive donated sets funded by grants and outside funding.
2. Program Guide Sales: Sale of printed and electronic Program Guides containing lesson plans, discussion questions, vocabulary, and quizzes for each podcast. Class Sets include free digital program guide; additional print guides can be purchased separately.
3. Donated Materials Program: The Walking Classroom operates as a nonprofit program of Alliance for a Healthier Generation, relying on outside funding and grants to provide donated WalkKit sets to qualifying schools with socioeconomic and academic need, at no cost to recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Walking Classroom produces and distributes WalkKit audio devices preloaded with standards-aligned educational podcasts for K-8 students. Students use the WalkKit during walks to combine physical activity with academic instruction across ELA, math, science, and social studies. The program is sold as a complete classroom implementation kit and is supported by independent research.

Product overview

The Walking Classroom is an educational nonprofit program organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is the WalkKit—a purpose-built, screen-free audio device preloaded with 190 standards-aligned educational podcasts (Complete Program) or STEM-focused content (STEM Program). The Complete Program and STEM Program represent distinct sub-brands, each available as WalkKits with digital/print Teacher's Guides or as HomeKit bundles. Supporting modules include the Out-of-School Time Discussion Guide, the Science Career Podcast Series, a Mobile App, and the free Teacher Toolbox (checklists, logs, puzzles, and guides). A free Digital Program Guide is bundled with all WalkKit purchases. The Class Set (30 WalkKits) serves school/district bulk purchases at $5,550.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WalkKit A portable audio playback device preloaded with standards-aligned educational podcasts for K-8 students, designed for use during walking sessions to combine physical activity with academic instruction. Sold individually for $200.
• Class Set of 30 WalkKits A bundled classroom-sized set of 30 WalkKit devices sold for $5,550, targeted at schools and teachers implementing the program schoolwide or at classroom level.
• STEM Program Add-On
• HomeKit

Quantifiable outcome

• Students demonstrated significantly higher learning retention while walking and listening vs. sitting and listening, both short-term and long-term (10-question comprehension quiz, Spring 2018, 319 students at 4 NC public schools)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• National Park FoundationnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Walking Classroom partnered with the National Park Foundation to create two new podcast episodes featuring Mammoth Cave National Park. Episodes 187 and 189 guide students through the park's history and cave weathering and erosion, featuring two Park Rangers and two students. The podcasts were created with grant funding from the National Park Foundation.
• North Carolina Museum of Natural SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience Career Series podcasts were recorded with scientists at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. These freely available podcasts introduce students to various science careers including paleontology, mammalogy, entomology, geology, astronomy, and more. Each podcast includes a downloadable lesson plan. 16+ scientists participated including Dr. Paul Brinkman, Ben Hess, Dr. Julie Horvath, and Dr. Roland Kays.
• Alliance for a Healthier GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Walking Classroom is a program of Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Healthier Generation provides organizational infrastructure, funding management, and access to its America's Healthiest Schools program network. The Walking Classroom is listed as 'Alliance for a Healthier Generation dba The Walking Classroom'.
• American Heart Association (ShopCPR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Walking Classroom products are sold exclusively through the American Heart Association's ShopCPR marketplace. AHA/ShopCPR handles transaction processing, invoicing for schools/districts, tax exemption processing, and customer service for orders. The Walking Classroom's ShopCPR Product IDs are AHG-0001 (WalkKit) and AHG-0002 (Class Set).
• PlayawaycoreTechnology or IntegrationThe WalkKit is a customized Playaway device. Playaway provides the hardware platform for The Walking Classroom's preloaded audio content. The WalkKit is certified for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by Playaway/CAST.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GoNoodle: GoNoodle delivers movement-based, video-driven content to K-5 classrooms to promote physical activity and mindfulness. It is the closest direct competitor to The Walking Classroom's combine-movement-with-academic-content model, targeting the same teacher buyer with a similar wellness-meets-instruction pitch.
• BrainPOP: BrainPOP offers animated, standards-aligned educational videos and quizzes across science, social studies, ELA, and health for K-8. It competes with The Walking Classroom for the supplemental curriculum budget at the same grade levels (3-8) and across overlapping subject areas.
• Mystery Science: Mystery Science provides standards-aligned (NGSS) science lessons for K-5 classrooms. It overlaps with The Walking Classroom on the science-content side of the WalkKit, competing for the same elementary curriculum-adjacent budget and serving a similar teacher persona.
• Studies Weekly: Studies Weekly publishes standards-aligned K-8 social studies and science curriculum in a weekly format. It targets the same elementary classroom teacher buyer with standards-aligned supplemental content, overlapping significantly with The Walking Classroom's social studies and science podcast coverage.
• Newsela: Newsela provides leveled, standards-aligned instructional content (primarily reading) for K-12. It competes with The Walking Classroom for the supplemental ELA/social-studies content budget and offers differentiated reading materials — an alternative for auditory and kinesthetic learning supports.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic Education: Scholastic provides K-12 books, instructional content, and classroom magazines aligned to standards. It competes with The Walking Classroom for ELA/social-studies instructional budget and offers a broad portfolio of supplemental materials trusted by school librarians and teachers.
• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is a major K-12 digital content provider with standards-aligned videos, lesson plans, and STEM resources. It competes broadly with The Walking Classroom for district-level supplemental curriculum spend, offering a much wider portfolio but without the active-walking differentiation.

Emerging players

• Khan Academy Kids: Khan Academy Kids is a free educational app for early learners (preK-3) covering literacy, math, and SEL. It overlaps with The Walking Classroom at the lower end of the grade range and competes for early-elementary instructional time, though its free, app-based delivery differs from the WalkKit hardware model.
• ABCmouse: ABCmouse (Age of Learning) provides standards-aligned curriculum for preK-2 with a subscription model. It overlaps with The Walking Classroom at the lower elementary grade range and competes for early-grade instructional budget, especially in homeschool and OST settings.

Others

• Playaway: Playaway is the hardware partner and OEM for the WalkKit device, providing the customized preloaded audio player platform. It is a key technology/infrastructure partner rather than a competitor, but represents adjacent enabling technology for the same screen-free audio learning category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/walkingclassrm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWXRpjQ69iP1gEKvV1WkNAw
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewalkingclassroom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-walking-classroom-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/thewalkingclassroom
• Pinterestpinterest.com/walkingclassrm

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 The Walking Classroom