Cispus Learning Center

What Cispus Learning Center does

Cispus Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit outdoor education facility operating a 68-acre year-round campus in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Randle, Washington, under a lease-agreement with the US Forest Service. The center is a division of the Washington School Principals Education Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), which has managed the site since 1981. Its core offering is structured experiential programming for K-12 schools, primarily 5th and 6th graders, plus middle and high school student leaders, drawing thousands of participants annually from Washington state.

The core technology and infrastructure consist of physical experiential assets — a challenge course with low course and traveling ropes elements, an indoor rock wall with eight top rope belays, an outdoor archery range, and forest and salmon ecology trails — supported by a kitchen capable of serving 400 individuals per meal at peak. Programmatic offerings include the Outdoor School Program for elementary students, the Summer Leadership Camp coordinated through the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL), the Outdoor Recreation Health & Fitness Camp for PE credit, and the Cispus Institute, which delivers $1,500 multi-day professional development workshops to natural resource management agencies. Supporting productized offerings include certified facilitator training ($550), facilitation kits ($250-$1,250), and free downloadable activity guides.

The business model combines multiple transactional revenue streams: per-participant-per-hour program fees ($13/hour for rock wall and salmon ecology), workshop registration fees, training certification, and physical product sales. Distribution is fully destination-based — all programming is delivered on-site, with customer acquisition driven by AWSP/AWSL association referral channels and the cispus.org website. The organization has no disclosed revenue, no venture or private equity funding, and operates as a member-supported non-profit committed to affordability, which structurally limits pricing power and constrains scaling velocity.

Name

Cispus Learning Center

Legal name

Cispus Learning Center (division of Washington School Principals Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit)

Website

https://cispus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education and Experiential Learning Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Outdoor education
• Environmental education
• Leadership training
• Challenge courses
• Experiential learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Randle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: The center charges fees for various programs including rock wall, archery, salmon ecology, and forest ecology programs. Pricing is typically per participant per hour of instruction.
2. Workshop Registration: The Cispus Institute offers professional development workshops with registration fees that include lodging, meals, and workshop materials. The annual workshop costs $1,500 per participant.
3. Facilitation Kits and Accessories: Sale of facilitation kits (Starter Kit $250, Mid-Level Kit $1,250) and accessories including stickers and custom add-ons for experiential education activities.
4. Training Sessions: Low course training certification programs offered for facilitators, priced at $550 including room and board.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cispus Learning Center is a destination-based outdoor education facility that delivers on-site programming at a 68-acre campus in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Its core offering includes challenge course programs (Low Course, High Ropes, Traveling Ropes), activity programs (Rock Wall, Archery, Forest Ecology, Salmon Ecology), environmental school programs for 5th and 6th graders, the Summer Leadership Camp coordinated through AWSL, and multi-day Cispus Institute professional development workshops for natural resource professionals. Physical facilitation kits, low course facilitator training, and customized specialty workshops are sold as standalone offerings.

Product overview

Cispus Learning Center offers a diverse portfolio of outdoor education programs and services centered around its 68-acre campus in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The core programs include the Challenge Course (with Low Course and Traveling Ropes elements), Cispus Institute (professional development workshops), Outdoor School Programs for 5th-6th graders, and Summer Leadership Camp. Activity programs include Archery, Rock Wall, Forest Ecology, and Salmon Ecology programs available as 90-minute to 3-hour educational sessions. Supporting offerings include P.E. Credit Classes through the ORHF Camp, facilitation kits and accessories sold as physical products, and training services such as Low Course Training and Specialty Workshops. The center operates year-round and serves both youth and adult groups through its non-profit affiliation with the Association of Washington School Principals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cispus Institute: Professional development programs for natural resource professionals focusing on facilitation, collaboration, and leadership skills
• Cispus Challenge Course
• Summer Leadership Camp
• Outdoor Recreation Health & Fitness Camp

Products and services

• Challenge Course Adventure-based program featuring Low Course and Traveling Ropes elements designed for team-building, social-emotional learning, and personal development through experiential activities. Used by school groups, youth organizations, and adult retreats booking on-site at the Cispus campus.
• Cispus Institute Workshops Multi-day residential professional development program for natural resource professionals covering facilitation, collaboration, leadership, strategic meeting management, and public involvement skills. Registration is $1,500 per participant and includes lodging, meals, and workshop materials.
• Outdoor School Program Hands-on environmental and outdoor learning program for 5th and 6th graders from Washington schools, delivered as multi-day residential visits at the Cispus campus covering forest ecology, salmon ecology, and other place-based learning modules.
• Summer Leadership Camp Premier multi-day leadership development and team-building camp for middle and high school student leaders organized in partnership with AWSL. Registration is coordinated through AWSL at (360) 497-5323.
• P.E. Credit Classes (ORHF Camp) Outdoor Recreation Health & Fitness Camp offering semester P.E. credit through an intensive outdoor curriculum that includes hiking, backpacking, wilderness first aid, and Leave No Trace training.
• Archery Program Instructional archery program teaching proper form, safe shooting techniques, and National Archery in the Schools Program standards at the on-site outdoor range, offered to school and youth groups.
• Rock Wall Program Indoor rock climbing facility with four walls and eight top rope belays ranging from beginner to advanced. Programs are priced at $13.00 per participant per hour and accommodate up to six participants per facilitator for participants age 5 and up, focused on social-emotional learning and team-building.
• Forest Ecology Program Educational program exploring forest ecosystems through hiking, journaling, tree-ring counting, and outdoor learning activities in the tall forests surrounding the Cispus campus.
• Salmon Ecology Program Educational program teaching salmon as a keystone species, salmon lifecycle, regional species identification, and the cultural significance of salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Priced at $13 per participant per hour with a minimum of four participants required.
• Facilitation Kits Physical facilitation toolkits sold to schools and facilitators in Starter ($250) and Mid-Level ($1,250) configurations, containing props, activity guides, ropes, cones, debrief tools, pool noodles, professional books, and an included 2-hour consultation; plus shipping and handling. Stickers and custom add-ons are sold as accessories.
• Low Course Training Three-day experiential training program for facilitators of low course initiatives and elements at Cispus. Priced at $550 including room and board, with certification valid for one year upon completion.
• Specialty Workshops Customized workshops including the Kit-Specific Workshop (offered at a discount when bundled with a Mid-Level Facilitation Kit purchase) and the Reflective Debriefing Workshop for skill development in facilitation and participant reflection.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCispus is a division of AWSP through its non-profit foundation, the Washington School Principals' Education Foundation. AWSP has managed the facility since 1981 under a lease-agreement with the US Forest Service. AWSP members provide generous support and enthusiasm that helps the Learning Centers thrive.
• Washington School Principals' Education Foundation (WSPEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that formally administers Cispus Learning Center as a division of the Association of Washington School Principals.
• Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAWSL is a division of AWSP that organizes registration for Summer Leadership Camp and other student leadership programs at Cispus. They work with middle and high schools throughout Washington state to coordinate student participation.
• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCispus operates under a lease-agreement with the US Forest Service. The center is located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and is operated in partnership with the forest service.
• AmeriCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCispus accepts AmeriCorps members who serve in youth development programs by facilitating outdoor and environmental education, experiential learning, and academic enrichment activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit engaging youth in conservation service and outdoor leadership programming with public land partners; comparable in outdoor youth development and partnership with US federal land agencies.
• NatureBridge: National nonprofit operating residential outdoor science and environmental education programs at multiple sites; directly comparable in mission, K-12 school customer base, and field-based learning model.
• Avid4 Adventure: Outdoor adventure education provider running multi-activity youth programs (climbing, hiking, kayaking) with curriculum-based outcomes; comparable in activity mix and youth customer segment.
• Outward Bound USA: Provider of experiential outdoor education programs for youth and adults, including challenge courses and leadership development; directly comparable in adventure-based experiential learning offerings.
• Project Adventure: Nonprofit specializing in adventure-based experiential learning, challenge course programming, and facilitator training/certification; closely comparable in challenge course curriculum and training revenue model.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Long-established nonprofit wilderness education school offering field-based courses in leadership, outdoor skills, and environmental stewardship; comparable in outdoor education curriculum and youth/adult programming.
• IslandWood: Pacific Northwest-based nonprofit outdoor learning center providing residential environmental education primarily for K-12 schools; directly comparable in mission, region, and school-customer focus.

Broad incumbents

• Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire USA): National youth development nonprofit with residential camps and outdoor programming; broadly comparable in mission-driven youth outdoor programming though broader in scope than Cispus.
• YMCA Camping & Outdoor Education: Large established nonprofit operating residential camps and outdoor education programs nationwide; broadly comparable in residential outdoor education for schools and youth groups at larger scale.

Others

• REI Co-op Experiences: Outdoor retailer with growing outdoor education and guided experiences business; relevant as an adjacent ecosystem participant that also invests in outdoor skills education and could partner or compete for school group business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cispus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cispus-learning-center-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cispus Learning Center