The Cloud Institute For Sustainability Education

What The Cloud Institute For Sustainability Education does

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1995 (rebranded under its current name in 2002) and headquartered in New York City. Its mission is to ensure the viability of sustainable communities by leveraging changes in Pre K-12 school systems to prepare young people for a sustainable future. The organization develops the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed for economic prosperity and responsible citizenship through its proprietary Education for Sustainability (EfS) Framework, which integrates systems thinking, futures thinking, and action learning. Core intellectual property includes the EfS Standards and Performance Indicators, the 2017 EfS Benchmarks document representing consensus among 42 major scholars and practitioners, and the trademarked Mental Models of Sustainability Cards.

The Institute's commercial offerings center on professional learning services delivered directly to Pre-K-12 educators, school administrators, and community leaders, including a flagship annual Curriculum Design Studio hosted at the Omega Center in Rhinebeck, NY with hybrid online participation, supplemented by Curriculum Coaching, Leadership Consulting, an Introduction to EfS one-day workshop, and the EfS Strengths Assessment. Scalable product extensions include the Oxford International Curriculum for Sustainability (a K-8 interdisciplinary framework co-published with Oxford University Press in 2025 and winner of the 2024 GESS Education Award), International Baccalaureate Micro-Learning Modules and Micro-Credentials, the Response-Able book by founder Jaimie P. Cloud, and the EfS Collective exemplar repository. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales to schools and districts with channel partnerships (Oxford University Press, IB) and a small e-commerce storefront for books and cards.

The go-to-market is sales-led with a hybrid segmentation approach targeting US school districts and international schools (Singapore, Hong Kong, UK) alongside community and government engagements such as the National Park Service and Sustainable Jersey. Pricing is quote-based professional-services with no publicly disclosed rate cards, except for class-set book pricing (10% discount for 10+ copies). Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, the organization is privately funded through program fees, donations, and partnerships without equity capital, and there is no disclosed revenue.

Name

The Cloud Institute For Sustainability Education

Legal name

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education

Website

https://cloudinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education is a New York-based 501c3 nonprofit that provides Education for Sustainability (EfS) professional learning, curriculum, and consulting services to Pre-K-12 educators, school leaders, and community organizations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• K-12 curriculum design
• Professional learning services
• Education consulting
• Teacher training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Learning Services: Customized professional development, curriculum design support, and coaching services for Pre-K-12 educators and community leaders, delivered online and in person.
2. Curriculum Design Studio: Annual immersive professional learning experience for educators to create learning experiences aligned to EfS. Available as multi-day workshops or one-day introductions.
3. Book Sales - Response-Able: Sales of Response-Able book by Jaimie P. Cloud, with class sets available at 10% discount through the Cloud Institute website. Class set purchases include complimentary inquiry-based questions.
4. EfS Resources and Materials: Sale of educational resources including Mental Models of Sustainability Cards and other curriculum materials through the online store.
5. Consulting Services: Leadership consulting and curriculum coaching services for schools and districts implementing Education for Sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cloud Institute provides Education for Sustainability (EfS) professional learning services and curriculum frameworks to Pre-K-12 educators, school leaders, and community changemakers. Core offerings include the annual Curriculum Design Studio, customized Curriculum Coaching, Leadership Consulting, the EfS Standards and Performance Indicators, EfS Benchmarks, the Oxford International Curriculum for Sustainability, Mental Models for Sustainability Cards, and the Response-Able book by founder Jaimie P. Cloud.

Product overview

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education operates as a single integrated program centered on Education for Sustainability (EfS) methodology rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of professional learning services including the flagship Curriculum Design Studio workshop, Curriculum Coaching, and Leadership Consulting. These are complemented by standardized frameworks (EfS Standards and Performance Indicators, EfS Benchmarks) and the Oxford International Curriculum for Sustainability published with Oxford University Press. Supporting products include the Response-Able book by Jaimie P. Cloud, Mental Models for Sustainability Cards, The Fish Game simulation, and IB Micro-Learning Modules. The EfS Collective serves as the online resource repository for curriculum exemplars. Services are delivered both online and in-person to Pre-K-12 educators and community leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Learning Services Customized online and in-person professional development, curriculum design support, instructional coaching, student work analysis, and assessment services for Pre-K-12 educators and community leaders implementing Education for Sustainability.
• Curriculum Design Studio Annual immersive professional learning workshop hosted at Omega Center in Rhinebeck, NY (with hybrid online option via Zoom) bringing educators, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, and changemakers together for multi-day or one-day introductory curriculum design grounded in systems thinking and EfS.
• Curriculum Coaching Coaching services supporting the design and development of curriculum and instructional materials aligned to Education for Sustainability standards, documented and mapped to academic standards.
• Leadership Consulting Strategic leadership development and consulting services for school administrators and district leaders implementing Education for Sustainability initiatives across their institutions.
• Introduction to Education for Sustainability Workshop One-day introductory workshop immersing participants in systems thinking games and simulations, discussions about economics and quality of life, and the science of sustainability for those beginning their EfS journey.
• EfS Standards and Performance Indicators Comprehensive framework defining the knowledge, skills, attitudes and habits of mind of Education for Sustainability with corresponding performance indicators for assessment, updated standards released as featured blog content.
• EfS Benchmarks Benchmarks for Individual and Social Learning document published by The Journal of Sustainability Education on Earth Day 2017, authored by 42 major scholars and practitioners, including Big Ideas, Thinking Skills, Applied Knowledge, Dispositions, Actions, and Community Connections.
• Oxford International Curriculum for Sustainability Comprehensive K-8 (1st to 9th year) interdisciplinary curriculum published by Oxford University Press that empowers students to address challenges of sustainable living; won 2024 GESS Education Award and was nominated for BESA Sustainability and Net Zero Award 2025.
• Response-Able Book Book by Jaimie P. Cloud titled 'Response-Able: How to Live Well Over Time on Planet Earth' available to all retailers, with class set discounts (10% off 10+ copies) and complimentary inquiry-based questions for classrooms through the Cloud Institute website.
• Mental Models for Sustainability Cards Trademarked teaching tool used by educators worldwide to explore cognitive patterns that shape sustainable and unsustainable ways of thinking; 4 new cards added in May 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 638 educators from around the world joined a single IB webinar on EfS integration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEEd (Sustainability and Environmental Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based nonprofit partnering with the Cloud Institute to bridge SEEd's UK initiatives with Cloud Institute's US work. Partnership unites over two decades of shared passion, research, and practice to scale collective impact globally. Both organizations work toward SDG 4.7 with the Our Shared World coalition.
• Oxford University PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of the Oxford International Curriculum for Sustainability, a comprehensive interdisciplinary framework for students from 1st to 9th year (K-8 in the US). The curriculum has won the 2024 GESS Education Award and was presented to UNECE.
• Inspire CitizenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Empathy to Impact Podcast featuring Jaimie Cloud, and Regional Student Leadership Conferences (2026-27) bringing together students, educators, and changemakers for leadership and global citizenship.
• SubjectToClimateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree teacher-designed platform partnership providing K-12 lessons, resources, and professional learning to help all educators integrate climate change into existing curricula.
• Ten StrandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand environmental literacy and climate education for students across California, supporting Seeds to Solutions Implementation Funding and Outdoor Learning Act initiatives.
• The Alliance for Sustainable Schools (TASS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit network of schools working together to accelerate transition to sustainable future. Heads of School sign Charter expressing commitment to prioritize sustainability.
• Blue DemonstrationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit based in Heidelberg, Germany dedicated to sustainable environmental and climate art using discarded shoes. Blue 17 Circles Germany 2026 project connects students across 17 German cities to UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Ages of GlobalizationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree multidisciplinary initiative based on Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs's book, empowering students (14+) and educators to address sustainable development challenges through immersive learning about global history.
• Sustainability Institute at Sequoia Group SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration supporting Singapore Green Plan 2030, working with schools to integrate Education for Sustainability through formal and informal education programs.
• Chinese International School Hong KongcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeek-long faculty workshop as part of CIS Vision '33 Sustainability Pledge, including backwards design process, assessments, project-based learning, and parent Q&A sessions.
• National Park ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration assisting NPS educators with EfS through formal and informal education programs, spanning national park sites across the country including Alaska.
• MetanoiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to offer FREE introductory seminars on Education for Sustainability, delivered by Jaimie Cloud to expand awareness and reach.
• EcoRiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner highlight featuring EcoRise's Gen:Thrive mapping system for sustainability education and student engagement.
• Story.EarthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-time partner through WorldLink, featuring Earth system science resources inspired by Buckminster Fuller's ideas of systems thinking and ecological literacy.
• International Baccalaureate (IB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIB Micro-Learning Modules and Micro-Credentials development, expanding webinar series for PYP, MYP, and DP programs reaching 638+ educators.
• UCLA/Getty ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Embedding Education for Sustainability in Cultural Heritage Conservation Education, funded by National Endowment for the Arts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• SubjectToClimate: Free, teacher-designed K–12 climate change lesson platform. Named Cloud Institute partner; comparable audience (K–12 educators integrating climate into existing curricula) with a digital-first, low-cost distribution model.
• Project Learning Tree: Environmental education program providing PreK–12 curriculum and educator training focused on forests and sustainability. Comparable professional-development-plus-curriculum model for K–12 teachers.
• Learning for Justice: Provides free K–12 classroom resources and professional development focused on social justice, anti-bias, and equity education. Adjacent peer targeting the same educator segment with standards-aligned curriculum frameworks.
• Ashoka: Global network identifying and supporting leading social entrepreneurs, including changemaker education initiatives. Comparable in mission emphasis on education for sustainable, equitable futures and shared global network of partner schools.
• Eco-Schools / Foundation for Environmental Education: Global K–12 sustainability program with seven-step framework and Green Flag awards, operating in 70+ countries. Broad incumbent in the same EfS space with international school-district network comparable to Cloud Institute's global partners.
• Green Education Foundation (GEF): National sustainability education nonprofit offering K–12 curriculum, lesson plans, and teacher resources. Broad incumbent with overlapping sustainability-education mission and educator audience.
• Facing the Future: Designs K–12 sustainability curriculum and professional development for educators, including global issues and systems-thinking content. Highly comparable curriculum-and-coaching model targeting similar school-district buyers.
• SEEd (Sustainability and Environmental Education): UK-based nonprofit named as a core Cloud Institute partner, working on Education for Sustainable Development and Our Shared World coalition. Direct peer in mission and SDG 4.7 alignment, operating in a complementary geography.

Direct peers

• Ten Strands: California-based nonprofit advancing environmental literacy in K–12 schools and supporting implementation funding (Seeds to Solutions, Outdoor Learning Act). Direct peer working with districts on the same sustainability-education mandate as Cloud Institute.
• EcoRise: Provides K–12 sustainability curriculum, teacher professional development, and student programs (e.g., Gen:Thrive). Closest direct competitor in the US K–12 sustainability education space and explicitly named as a Cloud Institute partner highlight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Cloud Institute For Sustainability Education