Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach

What Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach does

The Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) is an interdisciplinary research center within Tufts University's School of Engineering, dedicated to K-12 engineering education. Founded as a research division in 2004 and now employing approximately 75 faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students, CEEO operates from its headquarters at 200 Boston Avenue in Medford, MA, and serves as the only U.S. university center focused heavily on primary-school engineering education.

CEEO's product portfolio spans educational hardware, software platforms, curricula, and professional development. Core offerings include Smart Motors (a low-cost trainable robotics tool), the ORBIT visual robot-programming environment (developed for autistic middle-school students and incorporating NLP-based assessment), the CORP collaborative online robotics platform, and curriculum programs such as Novel Engineering, Community-Based Engineering, and Biomimicry as an Authentic Anchor. Distribution occurs through multiple channels: the Outreach Learning Fellow program placing Tufts students in local K-8 classrooms; TEEP, a 100% online graduate certificate for in-service teachers; on-site professional development workshops for schools and districts; and the free Learn @ CEEO resource portal.

CEEO's business model is that of a non-profit university research center rather than a commercial entity. Funding flows from NSF research grants (5-10 active projects concurrently), Tufts University allocations, philanthropic donations, tuition from TEEP and related programs, and industry partnerships — most notably a long-standing collaboration with LEGO Education. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; pricing for professional development is custom and TEEP tuition follows standard Tufts graduate certificate rates. The center is governed by Tufts University and led by Director Merredith Portsmore.

Name

Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach

Legal name

Center for Engineering Education and Outreach at Tufts University

Website

https://ceeo.tufts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) is a non-profit interdisciplinary research center within Tufts' School of Engineering that develops K-12 engineering curricula, educational robotics tools, and professional development programs for teachers and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Engineering Education Research

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

Keywords

• K-12 engineering education
• STEM curriculum development
• Educational robotics platforms
• Teacher professional development
• Engineering outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Medford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal agencies (primarily National Science Foundation) and private foundations. CEEO typically has 5-10 active research projects at any given time, majority NSF-funded.
2. Educational Programs and Certificates: Revenue from Teacher Engineering Education Program (TEEP), a 100% online graduate certificate program for K-12 educators. Also microcredentials in Novel Engineering.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Accepts donations to support programs including funding fellows, workshops, and educational technology development. Donation tiers range from $250 to $50,000 for specific program support.
4. Industry Partnerships: Partnerships with global corporations and foundations help disseminate knowledge and tools. Includes collaboration with LEGO Education and other educational technology companies.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEEO develops K-12 engineering education programs, curricula, and educational technologies, including low-cost robotics tools (Smart Motors), online learning platforms (ORBIT, CORP), and literacy-integrated engineering curricula (Novel Engineering). The center operates the TEEP online graduate certificate program for in-service teachers, places Tufts students in local K-8 classrooms through the Outreach Learning Fellow program, and runs hands-on design and engineering workshops for K-12 students. Research activities funded primarily by the NSF produce validated curricula, assessment frameworks, and educational technologies disseminated through publications and partnerships.

Product overview

The Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) is an interdisciplinary educational research center within Tufts University's School of Engineering, dedicated to creating the next generation of problem solvers through engineering education. Rather than a single product, CEEO offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and educational technologies: core tools like Smart Motors (low-cost trainable robotics hardware), software platforms like the ORBIT visual programming tool and CORP collaborative robotics platform; curriculum programs including Novel Engineering (literacy-integrated engineering), Community-Based Engineering, and Biomimicry as an Authentic Anchor; professional development through the Teacher Engineering Education Program (TEEP) and various workshops; and outreach programs such as the Outreach Learning Fellow (OLF), STOMP, and Design and Engineering Workshops. CEEO also provides the Learn @ Tufts CEEO resource platform and publishes books including 'Introducing Engineering in K-8 Settings.' These offerings work together to bridge research and practice in engineering education from kindergarten through college.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Teacher Engineering Education Program (TEEP) A 100% online graduate certificate program for in-service teachers that delivers hands-on and interactive content and pedagogy courses to prepare educators for teaching engineering in K-12 classrooms. Tuition follows Tufts University graduate certificate tuition rates.
• Outreach Learning Fellow (OLF) Program A year-long program placing Tufts undergraduate and graduate students in local classrooms to provide engineering experiences to K-8 students from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing equitable access to hands-on engineering. Fellows work with the same classroom all year, collaborating with teachers to tailor activities.
• Design and Engineering Workshops Hands-on engineering workshops for K-12 students offered through CEEO outreach initiatives, including summer camps and after-school enrichment classes.
• Learn @ Tufts CEEO A resource platform providing educators with free engineering resources ranging from one-time activities to full curricula for K-12 engineering education.
• Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program (STOMP) A program providing undergraduate engineering students with hands-on teaching experience through weekly visits to local K-12 classrooms to facilitate hands-on engineering lessons as part of the Engineering Education minor.
• Smart Motors A low-cost trainable robotics tool developed for graduate work at Tufts that enables accessible educational robotics through programmable smart motors designed for K-12 students and educators. Designed to democratize access to technology for STEM education, particularly in underserved communities.
• Novel Engineering An integrated approach to engineering and literacy that uses existing children's literature as the basis for engineering design challenges, helping students develop engineering skills through reading and story-based problem solving.
• ORBIT (Opportunities for Robotics, Building, and Innovative Technology) A visual robot-programming tool designed to support computational thinking and executive functioning skills for autistic middle school students, integrating computational thinking with special education methodologies.
• CORP (Collaborative Online Robotics Platform) A collaborative online robotics platform developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable remote robotics education and learning activities.
• STEM Outreach Tools Tools and resources from the Role Models in Elementary Engineering Education initiative, providing educators with materials to support engineering outreach in K-12 settings.
• Community-Based Engineering Engineering curriculum that connects students to their local communities through design challenges that address real community needs and issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ teachers reached annually worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LEGO EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with LEGO Education for developing educational robotics curricula and tools. CEEO staff divide time between assisting with daily operations and coordinating LEGO Education projects.
• TERC (Technical Education Research Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner on multiple NSF-funded projects including BioRobots, Biomimicry as an Authentic Anchor, and Robotics in Science. Co-PIs from CEEO work with TERC researchers.
• MITminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on research and student projects. Faculty connections including Edgerton Center K-12 Outreach program.
• The LEGO GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Søren Thomsen serves as Global Content Director at LEGO Education. Partnership supports development of educational materials.
• Tufts Gordon InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Kevin Oye serves on CEEO Advisory Board, facilitating collaboration on entrepreneurship and innovation education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TuftsCEEO
• Facebookfacebook.com/TuftsCEEO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tuftsceeo
• Instagraminstagram.com/tuftsceeo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach