The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

What The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science does

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is a tuition-free public K-8 charter school located at 2510 SW 1st Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Founded around 2007-2009 as Southwest Charter School and rebranded to its current name in 2016, the school enrolls an estimated 200-300 students and employs roughly 30+ staff. Its core methodology is place-based education, which integrates curriculum with the local Portland environment, community, and civic life through structured fieldwork, service projects, and partnerships.

The school offers a core K-8 educational program plus several adjacent products: the Bringing School to Life book (published by former Fieldwork Coordinator Sarah K. Anderson), the Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs Black history curriculum with 100+ Library of Congress primary sources, the student-produced Plant Teaching Podcast, and Place-Based Education professional development workshops for educators. Its technology is pedagogical and content-based rather than software-based — there is no app, API, or platform product. The school's distinctive operating model rests on an ecosystem of 15+ community partnerships (Portland Parks & Rec, Audubon/Bird Alliance of Oregon, Confluence Project, PSU, OHSU, Friends of Tryon Creek, Oregon Historical Society, Multnomah County 4-H, and others) that co-deliver programming and host fieldwork.

Revenue is generated primarily through Oregon state per-pupil charter funding, supplemented by foundation grants (Gray Family Foundation, RACC, SOLVE, Library of Congress) and ancillary fees from professional development services. As a nonprofit public charter school, the entity does not pursue commercial monetization and has no disclosed revenue figures. Leadership transitioned in May 2024 when Executive Director Amanda McAdoo concluded 15 years at the school; she has subsequently returned in a new role. The school has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and operates under Oregon Department of Education charter authorization.

Name

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Legal name

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Website

https://thecottonwoodschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is a tuition-free public K-8 charter school in Portland, Oregon, serving approximately 200-300 students through a place-based education model that integrates fieldwork, community partnerships, and civic engagement across science and humanities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Studies & Civics Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Place-based education
• K-8 charter school
• Experiential learning
• Civic education
• Environmental stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Funding: Public charter schools receive state per-pupil funding based on enrollment. This is the primary revenue source.
2. Grant Funding: School receives grants from foundations and organizations including Gray Family Foundation, Library of Congress, SOLVE, Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is a tuition-free public K-8 charter school in Portland, Oregon, offering place-based education that connects curriculum to the local community, natural environment, and civic responsibilities. The school delivers integrated, experiential learning through fieldwork, community service projects, overnight trips, and partner-led programming across 15+ community organizations, while also publishing curriculum materials and offering professional development workshops to other educators.

Product overview

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is a tuition-free public K-8 charter school in Portland, Oregon. Its primary offering is place-based education that connects students to their local community, environment, and civic responsibilities. The school's product portfolio includes its core K-8 educational program, the Plant Teaching Podcast for social emotional learning, professional development workshops on place-based education, and published curriculum materials including the book 'Bringing School to Life' and the 'Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs' Black history curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Charter School Education Tuition-free public K-8 charter school education in Portland, Oregon, offering place-based learning that connects curriculum to the local community, environment, and civic engagement for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
• Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education Across the Curriculum Published book illustrating how to build a place-based education program across grades, covering mapping, local history, community science, integrated curricula, and community partnerships; written by former Cottonwood Fieldwork Coordinator Sarah K. Anderson.
• Plant Teaching Podcast Podcast series created by Cottonwood students to spread awareness about plant wisdom through the Plant Teachings Program for Social Emotional Skills, with episodes covering alder, salmonberry, dandelion, willow, western red cedar, and white oak.
• Place-Based Education Professional Development Workshops Professional development programs designed to help schools and educators strengthen and organize their place-based education programs; includes workshops, one-hour presentations, and custom-tailored engagements for other schools.
• Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Teaching Portland's Black History through Primary Sources Middle school curriculum covering Portland's Black History through primary sources, with over 100 primary sources from the Library of Congress, and coaching in culturally responsive teaching practices; curriculum adopted by Portland Public Schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students have testified at Portland City Hall on policy issues (smoking ban, sanitation for homeless)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2015Arts grant partnership where 5/6 students created medicinal plant art installation on NCNM garden wall, learning botany through science, art, and natural medicine integration.
• Portland Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership where PPR educators lead fieldwork sessions, the school participates in Adopt-a-Place program with PPR natural areas (Oaks Bottom, Tryon Creek), and weekly outdoor meetups were organized during pandemic. PPR ecologists train students in bird ID and ecosystem monitoring.
• Audubon Society of PortlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for outdoor school programming at Audubon's wildlife sanctuary. Students experienced week-long outdoor school with Audubon instructors teaching soil, water, plant, and animal curriculum. Also includes bird identification training.
• Confluence (Confluence Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Indigenous studies curriculum and cultural education. Funded the Columbia River watershed mural project with Yakama artist Toma Villa. Students use Confluence's web library for Native American cultural education.
• Portland State University (PSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSU Anthropology department's Archaeology Roadshow partnership where 3rd graders run student-led exhibits at PSU. Students have participated annually since 2016, making CSCS the only pre-college exhibitors.
• Friends of Tryon CreekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the school's longest-standing community partners. Students conduct fieldwork and restoration activities at Tryon Creek Natural Area through the Adopt-a-Place program.
• Mirabella Portland (Retirement Community)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergenerational program pairing students with seniors including student-senior buddy program. Students visit and perform for residents. Mirabella provides volunteer support and community engagement for the school.
• Rice Museum of Rocks and MineralsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for geology curriculum. Students create educational materials for museum-led field trips at Mt. Tabor and visit the museum for rock and fossil education.
• Multnomah County 4-HcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for trout hatching and salmon raising programs. Students hatch trout in classrooms and release fry into local waterways. Also supports outdoor school programming.
• Portland Bureau of Environmental ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest speakers from BES provide instruction on watersheds and local water systems. Students learn about stormwater management and environmental services through hands-on programming.
• Bird Alliance of OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly Audubon Society of Oregon. Partnership for outdoor education, bird studies, and environmental education programs for middle school students.
• Classroom Law ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide program supporting Project Citizen curriculum. Students research local policy problems and compete at state level. CSCS 8th graders have won multiple 1st place awards.
• OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents visited OHSU Primate Lab for medical education unit and traveled on OHSU Aerial Tram for neighborhood study fieldwork.
• Oregon Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents tour OHS exhibits and learn about Oregon history, particularly for Black History of Portland curriculum unit.
• NW Steelhead AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest speaker for salmon and watershed studies. Students learn about fish habitat and steelhead conservation in Pacific Northwest.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Audubon Society of Portland (Bird Alliance of Oregon): Regional environmental education nonprofit that is also a core Cottonwood partner for outdoor school and bird studies. Comparable as an environmental education provider rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Portland Village School: Portland K-8 public charter school located in the same metro. Comparable in size, charter structure, and progressive education positioning; named in faculty prior-employer history.
• City View Charter School: Hillsboro, OR public charter school serving K-8 students. Comparable mission and Portland-metro catchment; named in faculty prior-employer history.
• Wildwood School: Independent K-12 school in Los Angeles founded around a place-based, experiential curriculum philosophy. Closest national analog to Cottonwood's place-based pedagogy and project-driven model.
• Trillium Public Charter School: Portland-area K-8 public charter school. Directly comparable in mission, grade span, and Portland-market enrollment dynamic; also appears in the school's own hiring history.
• Arbor School of Arts and Arts and Sciences: Portland-area K-8 charter school with an arts-and-sciences emphasis. Comparable in grade span and Portland charter market; cited in faculty background.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Schools: National K-12 charter network with a much larger footprint. Comparable as a charter-school operator target market, but operates at a vastly different scale and with a college-prep rather than place-based mission.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National K-12 charter network emphasizing rigorous STEM and liberal arts curriculum. Comparable as a charter operator serving similar mission-driven families, but with a national footprint and a different pedagogical focus.

Emerging players

• The Watershed School: Independent K-12 school in Seattle pursuing a place-based, environmental literacy curriculum. Overlaps with Cottonwood's place-based and environmental education focus, though it operates in a different metro and at a different scale.
• Friends of the Children: Portland-based nonprofit providing long-term mentoring to youth facing systemic barriers. Comparable in mission-aligned youth-development posture and Portland footprint; named in board member affiliations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCottonwoodSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecottonwoodschoolpdx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cottonwood-school-of-civics-and-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science