Environmental Education Exchange

What Environmental Education Exchange does

Environmental Education Exchange (E3) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1991 in Tucson, Arizona, that develops and delivers environmental, energy, water, recycling, climate, and cultural-heritage education programs primarily to K-12 students and secondarily to adult utility customers across Arizona. The organization employs 6 full-time professionals supported by 25+ part-time outreach presenters and reports reaching over 90,000 Arizona students annually through approximately 1,200 classroom programs delivered in Tucson and the Phoenix metro area. Its product portfolio spans classroom outreach presentations, ADE-standards-aligned activity booklets and learning guides, web-based interactives such as eJourneys and Powering Our Future, documentary and PSA video productions, and permanent and traveling exhibits (notably for Waste Management and the National Park Service).

E3's underlying technology stack is intentionally modest and human-delivery-centric: HTML5 and Phaser-based interactive web programs for energy and recycling topics, multi-camera livestream production with drone integration that was stood up during COVID-19 school closures, digital activity booklets with embedded video links, and physical exhibit design with multi-screen visual journeys. There is no proprietary platform, no API surface, and no software-as-a-service product; the educational IP is the ADE-aligned curriculum content accumulated over 30+ years.

The business model is grant- and sponsorship-funded rather than revenue-generating. Programs are delivered free to schools and adult participants, with costs underwritten by Arizona water and power utilities (Tucson Water, TEP, SRP, UES), municipal governments (City of Tucson, Pima County, Queen Creek), the National Park Service, and conservation nonprofits. Secondary revenue comes from program development and consulting contracts with municipalities and conservation organizations. Geographic reach is concentrated in Arizona with select national exhibit projects (Waste Management facilities in four states) and one California classroom program.

Name

Environmental Education Exchange

Legal name

Environmental Education Exchange

Website

https://eeexchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Environmental Education Exchange is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and delivers free K-12 environmental, energy, water, recycling, and climate-change curricula, reaching over 90,000 Arizona students annually through sponsor-funded classroom programs, web interactives, and exhibits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• K-12 curriculum development
• Conservation outreach
• Utility-sponsored education
• Nonprofit educational services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary funding from government grants and contracts, including National Park Service, federal and state agencies. E3 receives grants for specific program development and delivery.
2. Utility Sponsorships: Sponsored programs for Tucson Water, Tucson Electric Power, UniSource Energy Services, Salt River Project, and other utilities. Programs are delivered free to schools as part of utility community engagement requirements.
3. Program Development Contracts: Consulting services to assist in planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of environmental education programs for municipal governments and conservation organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Environmental Education Exchange (E3) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that develops and delivers environmental education programs and materials on topics including water conservation, energy efficiency, recycling, climate change, renewable energy, electrical safety, and Sonoran Desert ecology. It serves K-12 schools and adult residents in Arizona through in-person classroom presentations, web-based interactives, print activity booklets, video productions, and physical/digital exhibits, all provided free of charge to schools and funded by utility sponsors, government agencies, and conservation partners.

Product overview

Environmental Education Exchange (E3) is a nonprofit organization providing environmental education programs and services since 1991. The company operates a multi-format educational content portfolio consisting of: classroom outreach programs (K-12 and adult) covering water conservation, energy efficiency, recycling, electrical safety, bicycle/pedestrian safety, and climate change; web-based interactive learning platforms including eJourneys and Powering Our Future for energy education; print materials including activity booklets, field guides, and learning guides for various grade levels and topics; video productions including PSAs, documentaries, and educational videos; and interactive exhibits for permanent and traveling installations. Programs are primarily offered free of charge to schools and communities, with sponsorship from utilities, municipal governments, and conservation organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Student Stories of Climate Change (SSCC): A two-day classroom educational program for 8th-12th graders presented by City of Tucson, Tucson Water, and Pima County Flood Control focusing on climate change education.
• Water Smart Kids
• Bright Students
• Safety Land
• Linking Southwestern Heritage Through Archaeology (LSWHTA)

Products and services

• Student Stories of Climate Change

Quantifiable outcome

• 90,000+ students reached annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• City of TucsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents Student Stories of Climate Change program along with Tucson Water and Pima County Flood Control. E3 develops and delivers climate change education for Tucson and Pima County students.
• Tucson WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of water conservation education programs including Our Water Our Future, Water Smart Kids, Watching Our Water, and Student Stories of Climate Change. Programs are free to Tucson-area schools.
• Pima County Flood Control DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presents Student Stories of Climate Change program, focusing on flood management and climate resilience education.
• Salt River Project (SRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of Powering Our Future and Renewable Students programs for Phoenix Metro area K-12 schools. SRP funds free classroom presentations, curriculum materials, and the eJourneys web interactive.
• Tucson Electric Power (TEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Bright Students energy education, Safety Land electrical safety, and Home Energizer Workshop programs. Programs are free to TEP service area schools and residents.
• UniSource Energy Services (UES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Bright Students energy education, Safety Land safety, and Home Energizer Workshop programs for UES service areas.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of Linking Southwestern Heritage Through Archaeology (LSWHTA) program and sponsor of Anza Trail educational materials and exhibits.
• University of ArizonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSWHTA program partner providing university laboratories and facilities for student experiences. Also partner in various educational material development projects.
• Waste ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE3 designed and installed recycling education centers at Waste Management facilities in Surprise AZ, Spokane WA, Tampa FL, and Reno NV.
• Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities (STORM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhoenix metro stormwater management group partnered with E3 to develop Desert Stormwater Discoveries curriculum and Best Management Practices guidebook.
• Town of Queen CreekmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors Our Water Our Future, Too Good to Throw Away, and Blue Cart Smart programs for Queen Creek schools.
• City of Tucson Environmental ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Too Good to Throw Away recycling education and Talking Trash in Tucson programs for Tucson City Limits schools.
• Arizona Department of Environmental QualityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner listed among E3's extensive network of environmental education collaborators.
• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting wildlife and biodiversity education programs.
• Western National Parks AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides additional funding for LSWHTA program connecting youth to National Parks.
• Girl Scouts of Southern ArizonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in energy education initiatives including CFL bulb distribution programs.
• Living Streets AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in bicycle and pedestrian safety education programs for Tucson schools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Arizona Project WET / Arizona Association for Environmental Education: State-level affiliate network coordinating environmental education providers and training across Arizona — directly comparable geography and K-12 environmental literacy mission.

Broad incumbents

• EarthShare: Federation of environmental nonprofits supporting workplace giving campaigns and corporate sustainability partnerships — comparable in nonprofit environmental funding infrastructure.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large national nonprofit with K-12 wildlife and environmental education programming (Eco-Schools, Ranger Rick) — same customer base and mission but much broader portfolio and geographic scope than E3.

Direct peers

• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit delivering recycling, litter-prevention, and waste-reduction education in schools and communities — closely mirrors E3's Too Good to Throw Away and Blue Cart Smart programming.
• National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project: Nonprofit providing K-12 energy education curricula sponsored by utilities and the energy industry — directly analogous to E3's Bright Students, Safety Land, Renewable Students, and Powering Our Future programs.
• Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT): Nonprofit providing hands-on STEM and environmental activity kits for K-12 teachers — comparable in hands-on, free-to-schools delivery model.
• Captain Planet Foundation: Environmental education nonprofit funding and developing K-12 environmental learning projects — comparable mission and grant-funded delivery model.
• Project WET Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to water education for K-12, publishing curricula and training educators in water conservation — directly comparable to E3's Our Water Our Future and Water Smart Kids programs.
• Project Learning Tree (PLT): National environmental education program for K-12 educators across forestry, water, and community topics — directly comparable in mission, audience (teachers and schools), and curriculum delivery model.

Emerging players

• EcoRise: Nonprofit developing K-12 sustainability curricula and teacher training, including a Youth Sustainable Design challenge — comparable audience and curriculum-content model, but younger and more digitally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/environmentaleducationexchange
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/environmental-education-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Environmental Education Exchange