Climate and Resilience Education Task Force

What Climate and Resilience Education Task Force does

Climate and Resilience Education Task Force (CRETF) is a New York-based non-profit project of the National Wildlife Federation, launched to advance climate education and professional learning in New York's P-12 schools. The organization operates as a coalition of students, educators, NGOs, and community members, convening around three focus areas: policy advocacy (including the successful 2026 push for a statewide K-12 climate education mandate under NY section 100.2), public events and workshops, and teacher support. CRETF runs the New York State Climate Education Platform (first published in 2023) and co-operates the NY Climate Education Hub with SubjectToClimate, providing vetted curricula, professional development, and a community of practice for educators.

CRETF's core products and services include: (1) policy advocacy grounded in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, (2) the Youth Steering Committee that places high school students in intergenerational policy development, (3) teacher support resources and professional development workshops delivered at PNW Boces, Wildlife Conservation Society sites, and other partner locations with published fee tiers ($250-$330 per session), and (4) public events including Climate Week NYC programming and the Costa Rica Educator Retreat. The organization does not operate proprietary technology platforms beyond a Squarespace website, a Google Groups listserv, and partner-hosted resource hubs.

The business model is non-commercial: CRETF is funded and staffed through the National Wildlife Federation rather than via independent revenue, with membership offered free to participants. Commercial activity is limited to fee-based professional development workshops and experiential retreats. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on a partner network of 45+ organizations (including Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, STANYS, American Museum of Natural History, and UFT) for amplification rather than paid acquisition. Pricing is selectively disclosed and varies by program; some events offer free registration with optional CTLE credits.

Name

Climate and Resilience Education Task Force

Legal name

Climate & Resilience Education Task Force

Website

https://cretf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CRETF is a New York-based non-profit project of the National Wildlife Federation that convenes educators, students, NGOs, and policymakers to advance K-12 climate education across New York State through policy advocacy, teacher support, youth leadership, and partner-hosted workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD)

Keywords

• Climate education advocacy
• K-12 teacher professional development
• Youth climate leadership
• Education policy coalition
• Environmental education resources

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Community Support: CRETF operates through membership engagement with students, teachers, NGO staff, and community members. The organization mobilizes supporters for advocacy campaigns including postcard drives and public comment submissions.
2. Professional Development Services: CRETF facilitates professional development workshops and training sessions for educators, often in partnership with other organizations. Some workshops have associated registration fees (e.g., $330 for PNW Boces sessions).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CRETF is a nonprofit task force and project of the National Wildlife Federation that convenes a coalition of educators, students, NGOs, and policymakers to advance K-12 climate education in New York State. Its core offerings include policy advocacy (notably the successful March 2026 NY Board of Regents climate education mandate), a Teacher Support Program with vetted curriculum resources, a Youth Steering Committee for student advocacy, public events and professional development workshops, and the NY Climate Education Hub resource platform.

Product overview

The Climate and Resilience Education Task Force (CRETF) is a project of the National Wildlife Federation focused on advancing climate education in New York's P-12 schools. CRETF operates as a coalition offering multiple interconnected services: policy advocacy to advance climate education legislation aligned with the CLCPA, teacher support providing vetted resources and professional development opportunities, a Youth Steering Committee empowering student leadership, and public events including workshops on integrating the NY Inspires Climate Education Mandate. The organization also supports the NY Climate Education Hub for curriculum resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• On March 10, 2026, the NY Board of Regents voted to approve requiring statewide K-12 interdisciplinary climate education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Wildlife FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRETF is a project of the National Wildlife Federation. NWF provides organizational support, staff resources (including Emily Fano as Director, Climate Education, and Abby Jordan as Climate Education Manager), and hosts CRETF events. NWF has 6 million members nationally and 100,000 New Yorkers.
• United Federation of TeacherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, CRETF partnered with the United Federation of Teachers to conduct a NYC-wide survey to understand the landscape of climate education needs and resources.
• SubjectToClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRETF collaborates with SubjectToClimate to operate the New York Climate Education Hub (nyclimateeducation.org), a user-friendly resource hub categorized by grade level and content area containing lesson plans, professional learning opportunities, and teacher resources.
• Wildlife Conservation SocietymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCRETF promotes WCS Summer Climate Institute (July 20-24, 2026) and WCS Urban Ecology course (August 17-22, 2026) as professional development opportunities for educators. NWF presents workshops on nature-based climate solutions during these programs.
• American Museum of Natural HistorymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Climate Week NYC 2025 events including 'Climate Education in Action' (September 26) and 'Climate Resilience in Action' (September 25). NWF's Emily Fano participates in these events.
• STEMTeachersNYCmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Teaching Urban Climate Change course (July 6-10, 2026) offered in partnership with NYC Parks Teaching & Learning Team, NY Botanical Garden Urban Conservation Team, and City College of New York. Course offers 3 graduate credits with tuition covered for public school teachers.
• Gaia ScholasticmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRachel Arbor from Gaia Scholastic facilitates 'Integrating the NY Inspires Climate Education Mandate' workshops for grades K-12 at PNW Boces locations and Jane Bullowa Conference Center.
• Center for Climate Change Education @ PRImajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCRETF promotes PRI workshops including 'Learning & Teaching the Mathematics of Climate Change' (August 13, 2026). Facilitators include Don Haas (PhD, Director of Teacher Programming), Alexandra Moore (PhD), Rob Ross (PhD), and Ingrid Zabel (PhD).
• Sierra Club Atlantic ChaptermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting organization with 50,000 members across NYS. Contributes to climate education policy advocacy and public support campaigns.
• WE ACT for Environmental JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-manager of CRETF alongside National Wildlife Federation. Contributes environmental justice expertise and community engagement in climate education advocacy.
• Climate Mental Health NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Election Day professional development workshop on 'Navigating Challenging Emotions about Climate Change: Creating Safe Spaces in K-12 Classrooms' (November 5, 2024).
• League of Women Voters of New York StatemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubmitted letter (February 23, 2026) supporting the proposed instructional requirement for climate education and funding for implementation. Organization has chapters in all 50 states and over 700 communities.
• PNW BocesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational service agency hosting 'Integrating the NY Inspires Climate Education Mandate' professional development workshops at their Yorktown Heights, NY location (200 BOCES Drive).
• NY State Education Department (NYSED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRETF submitted 7 pages of comments to NYSED and mobilized students, educators, parents, administrators, and organizations in support of the climate education requirement. The Board of Regents voted March 10, 2026 to approve the requirement.
• ClimateMamamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarriet Shugarman, founder and Executive Director of ClimateMama, is an active member of CRETF's policy team and contributor to climate education advocacy.
• Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCRETF participates in STANYS 131st Annual Conference (November 6-9, 2026, Syracuse, NY) with pre-conference workshop on climate education 'Making Climate Science Stick: From the Classroom, Community and Beyond.' About 700 educators attend annually.
• New Jersey AudubonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNWF affiliate adapting the Resilient Schools and Communities (RiSC) program since 2021. Hosting RiSC Action Cards webinar series including 'Implementing a Community Climate Action Project' (February 18, 2025).
• Youth Steering CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRETF's Youth Steering Committee includes high school students who participate in intergenerational policy development, present at Board of Regents meetings, and deliver speeches on climate education impact. Establishes strong understanding of climate crisis and policy among NY students.
• Brooklyn Bridge ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted adult lecture 'How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change' by Harriet Shugarman (January 26, 2025) at 334 Furman St., Brooklyn.
• Latin American Service ExpeditionsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMatthew Cook of Latin American Service Expeditions facilitates the Costa Rica Educator Retreat (July 19-26, 2026), a 7-day immersion experience in collaboration with Bribri Indigenous community of Yorkín.
• NY Academy of SciencesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting organization listed in CRETF partner logos section.
• Ulster CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting organization listed in CRETF partner logos section. County hosts events at The Jane Bullowa Conference Center in New Paltz.
• MECCE ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Climate Week NYC webinar 'Case Studies of Quality Climate Education from Around the World' (September 26, 2024). Joe Henderson serves as MECCE Project Regional Hub Co-Chair.
• Yale Program on Climate Change CommunicationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Climate Week NYC 2025 'Climate Education in Action' event. Provides climate opinion data used in CRETF advocacy (83% of NYers support climate education).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network): CLEAN is a peer-reviewed collection of climate and energy educational resources for K-12 and higher education, aligned to NGSS and other standards. It is functionally similar to the NY Climate Education Hub that CRETF co-manages and serves the same teacher audience seeking vetted curriculum.
• Alliance for Climate Education (ACE): ACE is a youth-focused climate education nonprofit that runs climate assembly programs in high schools nationwide. Like CRETF, it focuses on youth climate advocacy and K-12 climate education, with a similar intergenerational approach and student leadership development.
• EarthEcho International: EarthEcho International is a nonprofit co-founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr. that equips youth with tools to address climate change and ocean health, with strong K-12 education programming. It shares CRETF's focus on youth engagement and educator support for environmental and climate literacy.
• Climate Generation: Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy is a national climate education nonprofit that empowers educators and communities to teach climate change. It directly parallels CRETF's mission of building climate literacy in K-12 schools and offers professional development, curriculum resources, and advocacy programming.
• North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE): NAAEE is the leading professional association for environmental education in North America, advancing K-12 environmental literacy through professional development, resources, and policy advocacy. Like CRETF, it focuses on building educator capacity and influencing education policy, but operates at a national scale.
• SubjectToClimate: SubjectToClimate is a direct peer and CRETF partner that operates the NY Climate Education Hub. Both organizations focus on providing vetted, grade-level-categorized climate education resources for K-12 educators and share a target audience of New York teachers implementing climate curricula.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Sierra Club is one of the largest U.S. environmental organizations with its Atlantic Chapter serving as a CRETF supporting partner (50,000 NY members). Sierra Club runs broader environmental advocacy including climate policy, while CRETF focuses narrowly on K-12 climate education, making it a broader incumbent in adjacent space.
• National Wildlife Federation: NWF is the parent organization of CRETF and a major national conservation nonprofit with 6 million members. While CRETF focuses narrowly on NY climate education, NWF runs the broader Resilient Schools and Communities (RiSC) program and related climate education initiatives across multiple states, providing institutional reach and resources.
• WE ACT for Environmental Justice: WE ACT is a co-manager of CRETF and a Harlem-based environmental justice organization. While CRETF focuses on climate education, WE ACT addresses broader environmental justice issues including air quality, climate, and community health with strong policy advocacy in New York, making it a complementary peer organization.

Emerging players

• The Wild Center: The Wild Center is a natural history museum in the Adirondacks that runs the Youth Climate Program and other K-12 climate education initiatives. While smaller and more regionally focused, it parallels CRETF's educator professional development and youth climate advocacy model in New York State.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climate-and-resilience-education-task-force

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Climate and Resilience Education Task Force