Science Teachers' Association of Ontario

What Science Teachers' Association of Ontario does

The Science Teachers' Association of Ontario (STAO / Association des professeurs des sciences de l'Ontario, APSO) is a private nonprofit professional association serving science educators across Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1890 and headquartered in Ontario (with a mailing address in Thornhill and a fulfillment/store location in Guelph), STAO operates as a bilingual (English/French) subject-matter association for kindergarten through grade 12 science teachers, pre-service teachers, retired educators, school science departments, and Ontario school boards.

The organization's core offering is a curated digital resource library of curriculum-aligned lesson plans, lab activities, unit plans, teacher demonstrations, student activities, and worksheets organized by grade and discipline (biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science). This library is delivered through stao.ca alongside a webinar platform, a digital membership system, the STAO Blog (educator spotlights, career showcases, pedagogical discussions), an annual conference (STAO 2026: STEAM DRIVEN, November 12–13, 2026, featuring Nobel Laureate Dr. Donna Strickland), the ScienceWorks professional development workshop program (activity-based, hands-on training for Grades 1–12 keyed to curriculum expectations), and an e-commerce store for safety products and merchandise. STAO also maintains a co-developed platform, SciTechOntario, providing elementary science and technology curriculum resources including lesson plans, long-range plans, and coding resources.

STAO's revenue model is primarily subscription-recurring, anchored by individual memberships ($50/year or $100/2 years for active educators; $25/year retired; $25/2 years pre-service) and school/department memberships ($50/year elementary; $100/year small school under 1,000 students; $150/year large school over 1,000 students), with all French-language school boards receiving automatic free APSO access. Supplementary transaction revenue comes from the annual conference (member 2-day early bird at $400, non-member 2-day early bird at $500) and ScienceWorks workshop fees. Distribution is community-led: many Ontario school boards (Toronto Catholic, York Region, Peel District, Lambton Kent, plus 20+ others) maintain group memberships, and pre-service members are recruited through Ontario faculties of education. The organization has 1–10 employees, no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and is governed by a member-elected board of directors.

Name

Science Teachers' Association of Ontario

Legal name

Science Teachers' Association of Ontario / Association des professeurs des sciences de l'Ontario

Website

https://stao.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STAO is a bilingual Ontario nonprofit professional association serving K–12 science teachers through curriculum-aligned resource libraries, professional development workshops, an annual conference, and membership tiers for individuals, schools, and school boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services - K-12 Science Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAMAD

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Technology Solutions

SECONDARYEDAJAFAB

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDAJAFAD

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

Keywords

• Science teacher association
• Professional development workshops
• Curriculum-aligned resources
• K-12 science education
• Teacher membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: STAO generates primary revenue through annual and multi-year membership subscriptions. Membership tiers serve individual teachers, schools, and institutions with different pricing based on school size and teacher status (active, preservice, retired).
2. Annual Conference: STAO hosts an annual conference with registration fees for members and non-members. Conference pricing varies by membership status and includes early bird discounts.
3. ScienceWorks Workshops: Professional development workshops offered to members with reduced fees. Revenue generated through workshop participation fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

STAO is a nonprofit professional association that provides Ontario science teachers with tiered memberships granting access to a curated online library of curriculum-aligned teaching resources (lesson plans, lab activities, unit plans), hands-on professional development through the ScienceWorks workshop program, an annual bilingual STEAM conference, members-only webinars, and lab safety guidance and products. The core offering is the membership subscription bundled with the resource library and professional development access, sold to individual teachers, schools, and entire school boards.

Product overview

The Science Teachers' Association of Ontario (STAO/APSO) operates as a professional association for science educators rather than a traditional product company. The organization's offerings center around a membership-based model providing access to an online resource library containing thousands of curriculum-aligned teaching materials (lesson plans, lab activities, unit plans, assessments) across all grade levels K-12 and science disciplines. Supplementary offerings include annual conferences, professional development workshops (ScienceWorks), webinars, a blog for pedagogical exchange, and an e-commerce store for safety products. Membership tiers serve individual teachers and school institutions at various price points.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ScienceWorks: Professional development workshops - innovative, activity-based, hands-on workshops for teachers from Grade 1-12 covering literacy, assessment strategies, and safety in the science classroom
• STAO Conference
• STAO Blog

Products and services

• STAO Memberships (Individual & School) Tiered membership subscriptions providing Ontario science teachers, preservice educators, retired educators, and school science departments with access to the STAO Resource Library, STAONews newsletter, reduced conference fees, and reduced workshop fees. Tiers include Regular One-Year ($50), Regular Two-Year ($100), Pre-Service Teacher ($25 for 2 years), Retired Educator ($25/year), Elementary School Membership ($50/year), School Membership Small ($100/year for schools under 1000 students), and School Membership Large ($150/year for schools over 1000 students). French school board members receive free access through APSO.
• STAO Resource Library A comprehensive digital library of curriculum-aligned science teaching resources including lesson plans, lab activities, unit plans, teacher demonstrations, student activities, and worksheets for grades K-12 across biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science. Available to members via stao.ca.
• ScienceWorks Professional Development Workshops Innovative, activity-based hands-on professional development workshops for science teachers from Grade 1-12, developed by teams of science educators and keyed to Ontario curriculum expectations, covering literacy, assessment strategies, and classroom safety. Offered to members with reduced fees.
• STAO Annual Conference Annual bilingual (English/French) two-day conference bringing together Ontario science teachers for professional development, networking, and educational sessions, featuring keynote speakers (including Nobel laureates), sessions, and workshops. STAO 2026: STEAM DRIVEN is scheduled for November 12-13, 2026 with Dr. Donna Strickland as keynote.
• STAO Safety Products & Resources Physical safety products and resources for science classrooms including lab safety recommendations, restricted chemical information, and safety committee support materials. Sold through the STAO Store.
• STAO Webinars Online webinar presentations for professional development, available to members for continuing education in science teaching methodologies and curriculum areas.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SciTechOntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSciTechOntario is a collaborative initiative between STAO and Ontario science educators providing resources aligned with the 2022 Ontario Elementary Science and Technology Curriculum. STAO refers members to SciTechOntario.ca for curriculum resources including lesson plans, long range plans, and coding resources.
• Let's Talk ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner in STAO Blog content. Collaboration on National Day of Learning initiatives. Partnership focused on bringing STEM learning opportunities to Ontario students.
• Learning for a Sustainable FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization featured in STAO Blog content. Collaborated on Climate Change Education Survey featured in STAO communications.
• Engineers of TomorrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in STAO Blog Career Showcase series. Partnership aimed at bringing real-world STEM career inspiration to Ontario science teachers and students.
• The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in STAO Blog Career Showcase series. Partnership highlighting mathematics and research career pathways for science students.
• National Inventors Hall of Fame CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIHF Canada partnered with STAO/APSO on Invention Education Series III, offering programs to support innovation education in Ontario science classrooms.
• Maple LeafminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaple Leaf provided funding and technical support for STAO food safety lesson development resources, including Safety Issues Concerning ESL Science Classes.
• Leading With NiceminorOthersWebsite development and communications strategy partner responsible for the stao.ca website. Partnered on complete communications strategy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Let's Talk Science: Canadian STEM education organization offering teacher resources, professional learning, and student programs. A documented STAO partner (featured in STAO Blog) with overlapping teacher-PD offerings; comparable mission but broader K-12 STEM focus and stronger national reach.

Others

• Kahoot!: While not a teacher association, Kahoot! is an adjacent EdTech platform providing curriculum-aligned interactive learning content and teacher tools — an emerging competitive substitute for traditional teacher-association resource libraries like STAO's.

Direct peers

• Ontario Association for Mathematics Education (OAME): Provincial subject-specific teachers' association for mathematics educators in Ontario. Operates the same membership + conference + resource library model as STAO but for math, and is a near-perfect structural peer within the same Ontario ecosystem.
• National Science Teaching Association (NSTA): The largest US professional association for science educators, offering membership, journals, conferences, and a curated resource library. Closest international analogue to STAO in scale, structure, and member value proposition.
• Association for Science Education (ASE): The UK professional association for science educators, providing curriculum-aligned resources, CPD workshops, an annual conference, and a member publication. Functionally equivalent to STAO at a national scale, serving the English/Welsh science teaching community.
• Science Teachers' Association of Canada (STAC) / Association canadienne des professeurs de sciences: The national Canadian counterpart to STAO, serving science teachers across all provinces. Directly comparable in mission (professional association for science educators), membership model, and content library, but operates at the national level rather than Ontario-specific.

Regional players

• Science Alberta Foundation: Alberta-based science education organization offering teacher resources, professional learning, and STEM programming. Comparable in teacher-facing PD and resource offerings but with broader youth outreach beyond the K-12 classroom focus of STAO.
• Science Teachers' Association of New South Wales (STANSW): Australian state-level science teachers' association offering curriculum resources, journals, and conferences. Structurally identical to STAO in model but serving NSW teachers rather than Ontario.
• BC Association of Science Educators (BCASE): Provincial science teachers' association for British Columbia. Comparable to STAO in mission and operating model (membership, conference, resource library) but serving a different province in western Canada.

Broad incumbents

• EdCan Network (formerly Canadian Education Association): National Canadian education organization supporting K-12 educators and school leaders across all subjects. Overlaps with STAO on teacher professional development and policy advocacy, but operates at a broader cross-subject level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/staoapso
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmBC5y_8bcbRNhlFSQq6DVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/STAOAPSO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/staoapso
• Instagraminstagram.com/staoapso

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 Science Teachers' Association of Ontario