OpenSciEd
OpenSciEd is a New York-based nonprofit that develops and distributes free, NGSS-aligned open-source science curriculum for K-12 teachers and districts across Elementary, Middle, and High School, monetizing through paid professional learning programs, commercial licensing, and certified distribution partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OpenSciEd does
OpenSciEd is a New York-based nonprofit organization founded in 2018 that develops free, open-source K-12 science curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The company serves U.S. science teachers and school districts across three grade bands—Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8, with select computer science-integrated units), and High School (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)—using a phenomena-based instructional model built around student sensemaking rather than memorization. The curriculum is hosted on the Google Apps for Education platform (Docs, Slides, Sheets) with native integration into Google Classroom and Canvas LMS, supplemented by a Simulation Library (PhET, Concord Consortium, ESRI StoryMaps) and a Phenomena Video Library on YouTube. Two Google Workspace add-ons, the Bulk Downloader and Google Classroom Uploader, automate distribution into teacher accounts and are GDPR compliant.
OpenSciEd operates a platform-plus-services business model. Curriculum materials are distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC) for free OER download, with a separate commercial license (v2.0 effective June 2026, including AI Tool provisions) governing for-profit redistribution. The company's monetized revenue streams are: (1) year-long Teacher Academy: Foundations professional learning programs priced at $1,000 (Elementary) and $1,250 (Middle and High School) per participant, (2) a Facilitator Event track for district coaches and leaders, and (3) commercial licensing fees plus revenue share through seven certified distribution and kit partners (Activate Learning, Kendall Hunt, Carolina OpenSciEd, PASCO, Ward's Science, AquaPhoenix Education, ECA Kit). The organization employs 1-10 staff, is governed under New York law, and shares brand/trademark oversight with The National Center for Civic Innovation (NCCI).
Go-to-market is community-led. Growth is driven by 30+ Facebook groups organized by grade level and unit, peer testimonials, and professional learning cohorts, reaching a 145,000+ teacher network. In 2025, OpenSciEd became the first organization ever to earn all-green ratings from EdReports across all three reviewed high school science courses—a significant market credential. The company's strategic posture is to remain a non-profit with free core curriculum while extracting revenue through professional services, licensing, and certified partner distribution.
OpenSciEd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenSciEd
- Legal name
- OpenSciEd
- Website
- https://openscied.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OpenSciEd is a New York-based nonprofit that develops and distributes free, NGSS-aligned open-source science curriculum for K-12 teachers and districts across Elementary, Middle, and High School, monetizing through paid professional learning programs, commercial licensing, and certified distribution partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OpenSciEd industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Science Curriculum
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG), Open Ancillaries & Instructor Resources (slides, test banks, solutions) (EDAGAJAC)
Keywords
Where OpenSciEd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenSciEd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Learning Services: Year-long Teacher Academy programs for Elementary ($1000), Middle School ($1250), and High School ($1250) teachers, including Summer Launch sessions, Quick Connect Sessions, midyear sessions, and on-demand resources. Additional facilitator training programs available.
- Commercial Licensing: As of October 2023, curriculum is licensed under CC-BY-NC for non-commercial use. Commercial uses require a separate License for Commercial Use agreement, which may include fee requirements. Updated June 2026 to version 2.0 with AI Tool provisions.
- Certified Partner Revenue Share: Revenue generated through certified distribution partners (Activate Learning, Kendall Hunt, Carolina OpenSciEd, PASCO) who sell fully packaged curriculum versions with kits and professional learning
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Curriculum Download - OER Version |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Elementary Teacher Academy: Foundations |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Middle School Teacher Academy: Foundations |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | High School Teacher Academy: Foundations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
OpenSciEd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenSciEd develops and distributes a free, NGSS-aligned K-12 science curriculum as open educational resources (OER), with separate course offerings for Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (Biology, Chemistry, Physics). The organization monetizes through paid year-long professional learning services (Teacher Academy programs), facilitator training for coaches and district leaders, and commercial licensing through certified distribution partners who sell packaged curriculum versions with kits and print materials.
Product overview
OpenSciEd is a free, standards-aligned K-12 science curriculum built on a platform-plus-professional-learning model. The core product is its open educational resource (OER) curriculum—available for Elementary School (units K.1 through 5.1), Middle School (units 6.1–8.6, including computer science-integrated variants), and High School (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics courses, each with five units)—all licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 and available at no cost to download. The product portfolio includes two Google Workspace add-ons: the Bulk Downloader and Google Classroom Uploader, which help teachers transfer and distribute curriculum materials. Supporting the curriculum are a Simulation Library of interactive computer-based tools (vehicle collision, nuclear fission, atom builder, earthquake StoryMaps, data excursions) and a Phenomena Video Library of student-facing and teacher-preparation videos on YouTube. OpenSciEd bundles professional learning as a paid service, comprising Teacher Academy: Foundations programs for Elementary, Middle, and High School teachers (each with a Summer Launch kickoff plus year-long support), Facilitator Events for coaches and district leaders, and an extensive catalog of downloadable Professional Learning Materials covering topics such as Curriculum Launch, Student Sensemaking, Equitable Discussions, Innovative Assessments, Making Thinking Visible, Universal Design for Learning, and Classroom Culture. The OpenSciEd High School courses have been independently verified by EdReports with all-green ratings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OpenSciEd Elementary School Curriculum
Quantifiable outcome
- Teacher confidence increased from 44% to 92% after Summer Launch professional learning program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenSciEd
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
OpenSciEd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
OpenSciEd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Ward's SciencecoreOpenSciEd-certified kit provider offering high quality lab kits for OER materials. Each provider's materials evaluated for quality to ensure investigations work as designed.
- AquaPhoenix EducationcoreOpenSciEd-certified kit provider offering lab kits for curriculum investigations.
- ECA KitcoreOpenSciEd-certified kit provider for curriculum materials.
- Kendall HuntcoreOpenSciEd-certified print provider and certified distribution partner offering fully packaged curriculum versions for K-12.
- Activate LearningcoreCertified distribution partner selling fully packaged OpenSciEd High School curriculum versions. Available for presentations, samples, and adoption/RFP processes.
- Carolina OpenSciEdcoreCertified distribution partner for OpenSciEd curriculum. Available for presentations, samples, and adoption processes.
- PASCO ScientificcoreCertified distribution partner for OpenSciEd curriculum with science equipment and digital tools integration.
- National Center for Civic Innovation (NCCI)coreNCCI manages OpenSciEd's brand and trademarks. OpenSciEd's name, brand, and trademarks cannot be used in conjunction with commercial marketing without prior agreement from OpenSciEd and NCCI.
- PhET Interactive Simulations (University of Colorado Boulder)corePhET simulations (nuclear fission) integrated into OpenSciEd High School Chemistry curriculum as teaching tools for student investigations.
- Concord Consortium - Interactions ProjectcoreAtom and Ion Builder simulation developed by the Interactions Project with funding from NSF (DRL-1232388) in partnership with CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University. Integrated into Chemistry curriculum.
- Google (Google Apps for Education, Google Classroom)coreOpenSciEd materials built on Google Apps platform (Docs, Slides, Sheets) with integration into Google Classroom. Bulk Downloader and Classroom Uploader tools enable seamless workflow.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OpenSciEd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- PhET Interactive Simulations: University of Colorado Boulder project providing free interactive STEM simulations integrated into OpenSciEd's High School Chemistry curriculum. Comparable as a free STEM learning resource used in OER science curricula.
Direct peers
- CK-12 Foundation: Nonprofit OER provider offering free, standards-aligned K-12 STEM curricula and adaptive practice. Directly comparable to OpenSciEd as a free, open-licensed STEM curriculum organization serving similar teacher and district segments.
- Open Up Resources: Nonprofit OER publisher of K-12 math, science, and ELA curricula, including the OpenSciEd-aligned middle school science program. Direct peer offering similar free, standards-aligned curricula and professional learning services to districts.
- Illustrative Mathematics: Nonprofit publisher of high-quality, open-license K-12 math curricula (IM 6-8 Math, IM 9-12 Math). Direct peer to OpenSciEd in the OER K-12 curriculum space, with a similar nonprofit, free-distribution, and professional learning model.
- UnboundEd: Nonprofit providing standards-aligned math and ELA curriculum, professional learning, and coaching for K-12 educators. Directly comparable to OpenSciEd in its nonprofit OER-plus-PD delivery model for district adoption.
Others
- Carolina Biological Supply Company: Major supplier of science education materials and lab kits, operating Carolina OpenSciEd as a certified distribution partner. Comparable as a science curriculum distribution and kit ecosystem player adjacent to OpenSciEd.
- Kendall Hunt Publishing: Educational publisher and OpenSciEd-certified distribution partner providing print and packaged curriculum versions. Comparable as a print/distribution partner in the K-12 OER publishing ecosystem.
- EdReports: Independent nonprofit curriculum reviewer whose all-green ratings OpenSciEd High School earned. Functions as the de facto quality validator for the K-12 OER curriculum market and shapes district procurement decisions.
Regional players
- Activate Learning: Certified distribution partner of OpenSciEd High School curriculum, providing packaged versions including kits and print materials. Functions as both a peer (in delivering packaged science curriculum) and a key go-to-market channel for OpenSciEd.
Broad incumbents
- Pearson Education: Major commercial K-12 publisher offering science curricula including NGSS-aligned programs. Broad incumbent competing with OpenSciEd for district adoption budgets, particularly where districts prefer packaged commercial offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OpenSciEd social profiles
Digital presenceOpenSciEd compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
OpenSciEd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenSciEd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
OpenSciEd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenSciEd M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenSciEd
What does OpenSciEd do?
OpenSciEd develops and distributes a free, NGSS-aligned K-12 science curriculum as open educational resources (OER), with separate course offerings for Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (Biology, Chemistry, Physics). The organization monetizes through paid year-long professional learning services (Teacher Academy programs), facilitator training for coaches and district leaders, and commercial licensing through certified distribution partners who sell packaged curriculum versions with kits and print materials.
Is OpenSciEd a public or private company?
OpenSciEd is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OpenSciEd founded?
OpenSciEd was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OpenSciEd based?
OpenSciEd is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does OpenSciEd make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Professional Learning Services are the primary driver. The others are commercial Licensing and certified Partner Revenue Share.
Who are OpenSciEd's main competitors?
PhET Interactive Simulations is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are CK-12 Foundation, Open Up Resources, Illustrative Mathematics and UnboundEd. Others are Carolina Biological Supply Company, Kendall Hunt Publishing and EdReports. Activate Learning is listed as a regional player. Pearson Education is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does OpenSciEd have an API?
No public API is recorded for OpenSciEd.
What industry is OpenSciEd in?
OpenSciEd's product category is K-12 Science Curriculum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAJ, Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories, with a secondary code of MPAJABAG, Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing. Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 2731.