ECHO Education

What ECHO Education does

ECHO Education Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Mansfield, Texas. It delivers TEKS-aligned, experiential educational field trips (branded as TEXcursions) to K-12 students across North Texas and select Texas cities including Austin, Waco, Georgetown, and Seagoville. The organization runs five grade-specific programs (Ice Age: Texas for 3rd grade, Digging Up History for 3rd/5th grade, Texas History & Science Alive for 4th grade, Texas History Alive for 4th/7th grade, and Making Waves with Water for 5th/6th grade) that combine curriculum materials with on-site visits to venues such as the Waco Mammoth National Monument, Mayborn Museum, Inner Space Cavern, Texas State Capitol, Bullock Texas State History Museum, and John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center.

The core offering is fully-hosted, turnkey program delivery. ECHO handles venue scheduling, first-class charter bus transportation, meals, materials, t-shirts, souvenirs, and day-of facilitation through trained staff (DFW and Austin facilitators). There is no proprietary technology platform; the product is fundamentally a service delivery operation supported by a curriculum library and an online registration workflow (Jotform). Pricing is per-participant, ranging from $95 to $123 depending on the program, with one Lead Teacher and one Administrator traveling free per school group. An optional Texas State Cemetery tour add-on is offered at $10 per participant.

The business model combines program fees with donations (one-time, sustaining, and the '$12 for 12th Season' campaign) and corporate sponsorships from local businesses. ECHO sells directly to school districts and individual schools through established relationships, referrals, and district partnerships, serving over 20 North Texas ISDs including Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Arlington ISD, Allen ISD, Mansfield ISD, and McKinney ISD. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Wesley Sharp, with Ashley Rountree as Executive Director and Stacy Rountree as Founder and Director of Operations.

Name

ECHO Education

Legal name

Echo Education Services

Website

https://echoeducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ECHO Education Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that delivers TEKS-aligned, fully-hosted experiential field trip programs (TEXcursions) for K-12 students in North Texas school districts, charging $95-$123 per participant across five grade-specific programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Education / K-12 Field Trip Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Experiential education
• School field trips
• TEKS-aligned programs
• Educational travel
• K-12 enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Mansfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Program Fees (Per Participant): Schools pay per participant fees for students attending educational field trip programs. Fees range from $95 to $123 per student depending on the program. One Lead Teacher and one Administrator travel for free with each group.
2. Donations and Fundraising: ECHO Education accepts one-time and sustaining donations, including corporate sponsorships and individual contributions. The '$12 for 12th Season' campaign encourages recurring donations.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses sponsor the organization through corporate sponsorship programs, with various sponsorship levels available. Sponsors receive visibility throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ECHO Education Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and delivers fully-hosted, TEKS-aligned experiential field trip programs (branded as TEXcursions) for K-12 school groups. Programs are delivered on charter buses and at Texas venues and museums, with ECHO Education handling all logistics including transportation, venue scheduling, meals, materials, and day-of facilitation.

Product overview

ECHO Education Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing TEKS-aligned, experiential education programs for students across North Texas and beyond. The core offering is the TEXcursions program suite—a collection of travel-based educational programs that bring the classroom on the road, with activities, lessons, and games aboard first-class charter buses and at premier Texas venues. The product portfolio includes five distinct field trip programs: Ice Age: Texas (3rd Grade), Digging Up History (3rd & 5th Grade), Texas History & Science Alive (4th Grade), Texas History Alive (4th & 7th Grade), and Making Waves with Water (5th & 6th Grade). Each program is fully-hosted, including transportation, venue entry, meals, materials, and day-of facilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEXcursions: Travel-based programs that place the classroom on wheels, bringing textbooks to life with lessons, games, and activities on first-class charter buses and in premier venues and museums across Texas.

Products and services

• TEXcursions Travel-based experiential learning programs that place the classroom on wheels, with lessons, games, and activities delivered on first-class charter buses and at premier venues and museums across Texas. Sold to K-12 school groups in North Texas.
• Ice Age: Texas 3rd Grade program visiting Waco Mammoth National Monument to examine mammoth remains and the Mayborn Museum for Texas natural history. Priced at $115 per participant.
• Digging Up History 3rd and 5th Grade program traveling to Georgetown to tour Inner Space Cavern and Waco Mammoth National Monument, with rock detective activities. Priced at $122 per participant.
• Texas History & Science Alive 4th Grade cross-curricular program touring the State Capitol of Texas and exploring a natural solution cave in Georgetown with mineral mining and fossil activities. Priced at $122 per participant.
• Texas History Alive 4th and 7th Grade program featuring guided tours at the State Capitol, Capitol Visitors Center, and Bullock Texas State History Museum covering Texas history and state government. Priced at $123 per participant, with optional Texas State Cemetery tour add-on for $10 per participant.
• Making Waves with Water 5th and 6th Grade ecology program exploring wetlands at John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center, focusing on macroinvertebrate data collection, water cycles, and sustainable development. Priced at $95 per participant.

Quantifiable outcome

• One Lead Teacher and one Administrator travel for free per school group
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered community_partner and minor.

• Frost Bankcommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal financial institution supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner. Frost Bank provides community sponsorship and visibility throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Venus Constructioncommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal construction company supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner, providing visibility and community connections.
• Mission Supplycommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner, helping expand company exposure in Dallas-Fort Worth.
• Royal T-Inkcommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner.
• Accurate Signscommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner.
• CNPcommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner.
• GTLcommunity_partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business supporting Echo Education as a 2025/2026 community partner.
• Walmart Spark GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWalmart Spark Good campaign allows donors to contribute to Echo Education's program materials for student trips. Helps combat rising costs without raising program fees for students and families.
• DonorsChooseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party platform connecting teachers' and schools' donation requests with donors. Referenced as a grant opportunity for schools to fund student participation in Echo Education programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WorldStrides: Largest U.S. provider of K-12 educational travel and student trips; competes for the same school district travel budgets as ECHO but at a much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Road Scholar: Large nonprofit educational travel organization that, while primarily adult-focused, competes indirectly for school and educator group travel programs in Texas venues.

Others

• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that ECHO explicitly directs schools to for funding field trip participation; an ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but a relevant comparable as a nonprofit education funding channel.

Emerging players

• Varsity Tutors: Diversified K-12 supplemental education provider with both virtual and in-person experiential offerings; an emerging player in the broader K-12 enrichment space where ECHO competes for district enrichment dollars.
• National Geographic Student Expeditions: Premium student travel programs with curriculum enrichment; competes for the same school district enrichment dollars as ECHO at a higher price point and broader geography.

Direct peers

• Education in Action: Texas-based 501(c)(3) that provides TEKS-aligned, fully-hosted Capitol and field trip programs for Texas elementary students, mirroring ECHO's TEXcursions model and customer base.
• Close Up Foundation: Nonprofit that delivers civic-education field trip programs in Washington, D.C. and state capitals, including Texas — directly overlapping with ECHO's Texas History Alive and Texas government curricula.

Regional players

• The Bullock Texas State History Museum: Operates its own K-12 field trip programming at the museum, including guided tours that overlap with ECHO's Texas History Alive program, which is itself built around visits to this museum.
• Capitol Tours (Texas State Capitol): Free state-operated guided tours of the Texas State Capitol that ECHO bundles into its programs; while not a direct competitor, it is a substitute option for districts considering self-organized field trips.
• Waco Mammoth National Monument: National Park Service site whose educational programming for school groups (paleontology tours) directly overlaps with ECHO's Ice Age: Texas and Digging Up History programs that anchor on this venue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EchoEducation
• Instagraminstagram.com/echoeducation
• Xx.com/EchoEducationTX

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ECHO Education