What Science is Elementary does

Science is Elementary (SiE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Mountain View, California (EIN 26-3018469) that delivers hands-on science education to preschool and elementary school children, with a stated focus on underserved communities. Its core product is the "Science is for Me!" program — turnkey kits pairing NGSS-aligned storybooks (the Jasmine and José series) with hands-on experiments, designed so that no science expertise, preparation, or expensive equipment is required to implement. The program reaches 50,000+ children annually through 75+ implementation partners including schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community organizations.

The organization operates three interconnected revenue streams: (1) Corporate Team Building events where companies pay $2,200 to $55,000 per event for employees to assemble science kits (60,000 kits annually, 120,000+ cumulative since inception), (2) Professional Development training for preschool and K-2 teachers aligned to NGSS and Common Core standards (virtual or in-person, quote-based pricing), and (3) a fundraising layer comprising individual donations ($50/$100/$250 presets, recurring options, DAF, appreciated shares) and corporate sponsorships. The team-building vertical serves as both a revenue source and a kit-production engine, with events held in 8 states (California, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, Alabama).

SiE's distribution model is direct-to-school and direct-to-corporate, supplemented by a website for online donations. The organization is led by Chief Strategy Officer Pouneh Lechner with a small disclosed team including Early Childhood Specialists, Educators, an Operations/Programs Coordinator, and a Team Building Specialist. The board includes professionals from Adobe, Google, Uber, Merck, and GSK. The organization is privately held with no parent entity, no subsidiaries, and no funding rounds disclosed; it is sustained by corporate sponsorships (including major logos such as Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, Amazon, Genentech, Moderna, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb), foundation grants (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Change Happens Foundation, Towsley Foundation), and earned revenue from corporate events.

Name

Science is Elementary

Legal name

Science is Elementary

Website

https://scienceiselementary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Science is Elementary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on, NGSS-aligned science kits and teacher training to underserved preschool and elementary students, supported by corporate sponsors, team-building events, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN)

Keywords

• Science education programs
• Elementary education services
• Nonprofit education programs
• Teacher professional development
• Corporate team building events

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Team Building Events: Science is Elementary offers corporate team building events where companies pay for their employees to assemble science kits. Events range from small Employee Resource Group activations ($2,200 for 20 participants) to large All Hands events ($55,000 for 300+ participants). Every kit assembled goes directly to children who need them most.
2. Professional Development for Teachers: Provides professional development programs for preschool and early elementary teachers to help them integrate science and play in early childhood education, aligned with NGSS standards.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time or recurring donations ($50, $100, $250, or custom amounts). Also accepts donations via Donor Advised Fund (DAF) and appreciated shares.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor the organization through financial contributions and volunteer participation, with recognition in social media, press releases, and annual reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Science is Elementary delivers turnkey, NGSS-aligned hands-on science education to preschool and elementary school children through storybook-integrated experiment kits (the "Science is for Me!" program). The organization also provides Professional Development training for preschool and K-2 teachers that integrates science with literacy and play, and hosts fee-based Corporate Team Building events in which company employees assemble the kits for distribution to underserved children.

Product overview

Science is Elementary operates as a nonprofit science education organization offering three interconnected core programs: the Science is for Me! program (delivering hands-on science kits and storybooks to preschool and elementary students), Professional Development (training teachers to deliver science education), and Corporate Team Building (facilitating volunteer events that assemble science kits while building workplace teams). The Jasmine and José book series serves as the narrative backbone of the Science is for Me! kits, with each storybook paired with experiment materials. The Learning Lab component provides in-classroom delivery of science lessons. Over 120,000 kits have been assembled through volunteer and corporate engagement efforts, reaching over 50,000 children annually through a network of more than 75 implementation partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Science is for Me!: Hands-on science program for preschool and elementary school children, providing storybook-based science kits with experiments. Suited for after school, classroom, or home settings.
• Professional Learning
• Team Building Events

Products and services

• Science is for Me!

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in children's confidence in their science abilities after just one session
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Iridescent: Iridescent runs hands-on STEM programs for underserved K-12 students and families, including the Curiosity Machine platform — directly comparable mission and beneficiary population to Science is Elementary.
• Citizen Schools: Citizen Schools operates after-school STEM and career-focused enrichment programs partnering with schools and community organizations for underserved middle-schoolers — directly comparable after-school STEM delivery model.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST delivers K-12 hands-on STEM programs (LEGO League, robotics competitions) through school and after-school channels with strong teacher training and equity mission — directly comparable hands-on STEM enrichment.
• Destination Imagination: Destination Imagination runs project-based STEM and creative problem-solving programs for K-12 students through school and community team-based challenges — closely comparable supplemental enrichment model.
• Engineering is Elementary (EiE): EiE (a program of the Museum of Science, Boston) develops hands-on STEM curriculum kits for K-12 with a similar storybook-driven, standards-aligned pedagogy targeting underserved communities — directly comparable to SiE's Science is for Me! kits.
• Science Buddies: Science Buddies provides free hands-on science project resources, lesson plans, and kits for K-12 students with strong STEM equity focus — comparable beneficiary base and content-style approach.
• Project Lead the Way: PLTW provides K-12 STEM curriculum and teacher professional development aligned to NGSS, with hands-on modules and teacher training — the closest school-delivered STEM curriculum and PD competitor to SiE's professional development program.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs is one of SiE's largest implementation partners delivering SiE kits in after-school settings — not a competitor but a critical distribution channel whose national footprint amplifies SiE's reach to underserved youth.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is a large-scale K-12 digital STEM content and curriculum provider used broadly by U.S. school districts — an incumbent competitor in the same school-delivered STEM enrichment and PD space.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy provides free K-12 educational content including science, with broad reach and major philanthropic backing — a broader education content incumbent in the same K-12 STEM access mission space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SiE_science
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScienceisElementary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-is-elementary

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 Science is Elementary