Pine Jog Environmental Education Center

What Pine Jog Environmental Education Center does

FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center is a self-funded division of Florida Atlantic University's College of Education, operating continuously since 1960 from a 135-acre nature preserve at 6301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, Florida. Its mission is to develop, research, and disseminate educational programs that cultivate environmentally literate communities. Pine Jog delivers a continuum of programming from pre-K through graduate level — Summer Day Camp (ages 5-12, up to 150 campers per week), Afterschool Program (using the proprietary 'Eco Heroes' curriculum), H2O to Go residential research institutes (Connections, Restorations, Innovations, Global), Climate READY Ambassadors (a NOAA-funded dual-enrollment program using Science On a Sphere), the OrKIDS in-classroom orchid propagation labs, E-CORP faculty-research linkage curricula, the M.Ed. in Environmental Education, and the Pine Jog Fellowship. Underlying technical content assets include the Everglades Literacy K-12 curriculum (three lessons per grade level, trained nearly 3,000 teachers across 20 counties), the OrKIDS mini-botany lab kit, and 3+ miles of public interpretive trails on-site.

The business model is a hybrid of program-fee tuition, corporate and foundation grants, donations routed through the FAU Foundation, facility rentals, and university-shared staffing. Visible pricing: Summer Day Camp $175/week early registration to $195/week standard, with a non-refundable $50 enrollment fee and $42 participant fee for sponsored programs; H2O to Go Global $4,200 per student; graduate assistants receive a ~$10,000 yearly stipend plus tuition waiver; Pine Jog Fellowship is $150 plus semester transportation fees. GTM combines school-district partnerships (Palm Beach County, Martin County, Green Schools Recognition Program serving 134 schools), FAU institutional channels, direct-to-consumer online registration (MyProcare, FAU epay), community events such as the annual Wild Orchid 5K and 'Pine Jog at Night' fundraiser, and unpaid volunteer labor averaging 1,500 hours annually. Customer segments span K-12 families, high school students seeking dual-enrollment credit, graduate students, K-12 teachers (professional development), and the general public using trails and the Nature Playscape; geographic concentration is Southeast Florida with a Costa Rica international cohort. Pine Jog is not a standalone legal entity and is not an investment target in the conventional PE/VC sense — it is a self-funded university division whose competitive position rests on institutional co-location, 60+ years of brand equity, and sticky embedded curriculum contracts.

Name

Pine Jog Environmental Education Center

Legal name

FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center

Website

https://pinejog.fau.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pine Jog Environmental Education Center is a self-funded FAU division delivering K-12 through graduate environmental programming from a 135-acre West Palm Beach preserve, serving Palm Beach County families, high school students, educators, graduate students, and the general public through summer camp, afterschool, residential research institutes, and teacher training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB), Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG), Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Nature preserve programs
• School field trips
• Summer camp programs
• Teacher professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from summer camp registration fees ($175-$195/week), afterschool program fees, H2O to Go and Climate READY program fees, and graduate assistantship program. Summer camp charges $50 non-refundable registration fee plus weekly tuition.
2. Facility Rentals: Rental of Pine Jog facility spaces including one large classroom (divisible), gallery/large event space, and catering kitchen to outside groups for meetings and compatible use activities.
3. Donations and Fundraising: As a self-supported division of FAU, Pine Jog raises every dollar of its annual budget through donations. Annual fundraiser 'Pine Jog at Night' generated nearly $40,000. Donations accepted by mail and online through FAU Foundation.
4. Graduate Assistantships with Tuition Waivers: Graduate assistants receive approximately $10,000 yearly stipend for 20 hours/week work during academic year. Students also receive tuition waivers covering tuition credit fees, though students must pay FAU fees.
5. International Program Fees: H2O to Go Global (Costa Rica) program charged $4,200 per student, covering flights, accommodation, meals, destination fees, supervision, transportation, and medical insurance.
6. Pine Jog Fellowship Fees: $150 non-refundable program fee plus $10 OWL card fee and FAU transportation fees per semester ($76.90 Fall/Spring, $32.04 Summer) for the two-semester fellowship program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center delivers environmental education programs for K-12 students, families, educators, and graduate students on a 135-acre nature preserve in West Palm Beach, Florida. Core offerings include summer day camp, afterschool programming, residential research institutes (H2O to Go), Climate READY dual enrollment, graduate assistantships with tuition waivers, a Master's in Environmental Education, teacher professional development, and access to nature trails and a Nature Playscape.

Product overview

FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center offers a comprehensive suite of environmental education programs and services as a unified portfolio under the FAU College of Education. The core offerings include residential summer programs (Summer Day Camp, H2O to Go research institutes, Climate READY Ambassadors), school-based programs (Afterschool Program, OrKIDS orchid propagation), graduate education (Master's Degree, Graduate Assistantships, Fellowship), and community access facilities (Nature Playscape, Land/Nature Trails, Native Plant Demonstration Garden, Facility Rentals). Teacher development is provided through Professional Development and Everglades Literacy programs. Programs serve students from Pre-K through graduate level, with emphasis on Palm Beach and Broward County schools, and are delivered at the 135-acre nature preserve in West Palm Beach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pine Jog: Environmental Education Center operated by Florida Atlantic University
• Pine Jog Elementary School
• H2O to Go!
• Climate READY
• OrKIDS
• Pine Jog Fellowship
• Graduate Teaching Assistantship Program

Products and services

• Summer Day Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 teachers trained across 20 Florida counties through Everglades Literacy program
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Climate READY program was originally created through the Environmental Literacy Program of NOAA. NOAA Science On a Sphere (SOS) technology is used in Climate READY programming. NOAA provided grant funding for the program through award NA20SEC0080016.
• EARTH University (Costa Rica)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016H2O to Go Global program is hosted at EARTH University in Costa Rica. EARTH is a non-profit international university dedicated to sustainable development. The 8,342-acre campus includes classrooms, laboratories, sustainable farms, and protected rainforest reserve.
• Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) - Vester Field StationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016H2O Restorations program partners with FGCU's Vester Field Station on Florida's West Coast. Students are accommodated at the field station and supported by FGCU professors and staff. Partnership expanded from initial retreat at Vester Marine Field Station in 2016.
• Palm Beach County School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014In 2008, Palm Beach County School District partnered with FAU Pine Jog to build an environmentally themed elementary school (Pine Jog Elementary) on the Pine Jog property. Pine Jog administers the afterschool program at the school. The school was the first Gold LEED elementary school built in Florida and is a National Green Ribbon School.
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014FAU Pine Jog partners with HBOI for H2O to Go residential research programs. HBOI provides cutting-edge research and discovery while Pine Jog provides the educational interface. Together they connect students to environmental work at FAU through engaging field learning experiences. A Planning Charrette in 2016 established a framework for connecting students to HBOI's research.
• FAU College of Education - Department of Teaching and LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014FAU Pine Jog collaborates with the Department of Teaching and Learning to offer the Master's Degree in Environmental Education (M.Ed.) and Graduate Assistantship program. Pine Jog provides practical work experience that enhances the academic program.
• The Everglades FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014In 2014, Pine Jog partnered with the Everglades Foundation to develop the Everglades Literacy program. The program includes a K-12 conceptual framework and three lessons per grade level. Nearly 3,000 teachers have been trained across 20 Florida counties.
• Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram sponsor for Green Schools Recognition Program and other environmental initiatives.
• Florida Power & Light (FPL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of EnergyWhiz competition and Green Schools Recognition Program. Funded start-up of EnergyWhiz South Florida Expo.
• Prime Time Palm Beach CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for afterschool program (Prime Time Quality Improvement System) and 'Teaching Empathy through Nature' program. Receives significant funding from Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County.
• Garden Club of Palm BeachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing sponsor and partner since 1968. Sponsored Pine Jog for the Founder's Fund award from The Garden Club of America. Continues to support Pine Jog and co-presents events with Pine Jog (e.g., Doug Tallamy event).
• The Conservancy of Southwest FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerH2O Restorations program partners with The Conservancy's Science and Research Department to enhance student understanding of ecosystems and wildlife in Southwest Florida.
• Audubon EvergladesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor and partner, co-presenting environmental events including the Doug Tallamy 'Bringing Nature Home' evening event.
• City of West Palm Beach Office of SustainabilityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor supporting Pine Jog's sustainability and environmental education initiatives.
• Riverwoods Field LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerH2O to Go Connections partners with Riverwoods Field Laboratory as one of the research sites for the residential summer institute.
• Palm Beach County Environmental Resource ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in native orchid re-introduction efforts. Together with Pine Jog, established 4,871 orchids at seven conservation sites.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Sarasota-based botanical garden operating K-12 environmental education, summer camps, teacher professional development, and graduate-level research partnerships. Comparable in size, programming mix, and university-affiliated research model, though operating in a different Florida region.
• Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society: West Palm Beach zoo operating school field trip programming, summer camps, conservation education, and teacher training. Competes for the same Palm Beach County family and school market and offers similar tiered summer camp pricing in the same metro area.
• Gumbo Limbo Nature Center: Gumbo Limbo is a Boca Raton-based coastal nature center offering K-12 field programs, summer camps, teacher workshops, and FAU-affiliated research. Its geographic proximity to Pine Jog (also in Palm Beach County) and overlapping programming (school outreach, sea turtle and ecosystem education, summer camps) make it the closest direct competitor.
• Bok Tower Gardens: Lake Wales, Florida nature preserve offering K-12 outreach, summer programs, and a major horticultural research/education operation on a comparable scale (~250 acres). Similar preserve-based experiential learning model and school district partnership approach.
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Juno Beach-based ocean conservation center offering K-12 environmental education, summer camps, teacher workshops, and FAU research collaborations. Its focus on Florida coastal ecosystems, hands-on school programs, and Juno Beach proximity to Pine Jog's service area makes it a strong comparable.
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Fairchild is a major South Florida botanical garden operating extensive K-12 environmental education programs, summer camps, teacher training, and graduate-level partnerships (e.g., with Florida International University). It mirrors Pine Jog's combination of preserve-based learning, curriculum publishing, and university affiliation, and serves a comparable Palm Beach-to-Miami audience.
• Cox Science Center and Aquarium: West Palm Beach-based science center offering K-12 STEM programming, summer camps, field trips, and teacher professional development. While not preserve-based, it competes directly with Pine Jog for the same Palm Beach County school district field trip and family weekend visitation budgets.
• Mounts Botanical Garden: Palm Beach County botanical garden offering school field trips, summer programs, and native plant education on a comparable scale. Its community education programming, Native Plant Demonstration Garden, and Palm Beach County public funding model closely parallel Pine Jog's operations.

Regional players

• Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge: Federal wildlife refuge in Palm Beach County offering Everglades education programs, school field trips, and teacher training. While government-operated, it competes for the same school district environmental education contracts and family visitation in the immediate Pine Jog service area.
• Everglades National Park (Education Program): National park operating ranger-led environmental education, K-12 field trips, and teacher workshops focused on Everglades ecosystems. While federally operated and free to schools, its program scope and target audience overlap substantially with Pine Jog's Everglades Literacy and H2O to Go programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FAUPineJog
• Instagraminstagram.com/pinejog
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pine-jog-environmental-education-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Pine Jog Environmental Education Center