Project Look Sharp
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative, founded in 1996 at Ithaca College, that develops and freely distributes 900+ standards-aligned lessons and professional development built on its proprietary Constructivist Media Decoding methodology, serving K-16 educators, school librarians, and districts in the U.S. and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Project Look Sharp does
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative founded in 1996 and operated as an outreach program of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. Its core offering is the Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD) methodology — a question-based, student-centered, curriculum-driven pedagogical framework that teaches K-16 educators how to integrate critical analysis of media messages into existing subject-area instruction. PLS distributes 900+ free, standards-aligned lessons and 100+ professional development resources through a freemium website model, and monetizes via paid professional development (workshops at $1,950, keynotes at $1,150, hybrid CMD courses, and ED-2-ED teacher education programs) plus foundation and government grants (Park Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, IMLS historically, and the U.S. Department of State).
PLS's core technology is the CMD methodology itself, codified over nearly 30 years, alongside a searchable, filterable content library of media decoding lessons spanning social sciences, STEM, ELA, health, arts, and library/information literacy. The organization extends its reach through two flagship programs: ML3 (Librarians as Leaders for Media Literacy), which has trained 1,500+ New York State school librarians and scaled nationally with AASL/NAMLE partnerships, and ACT (Awareness and Critical Thinking), a K-5 misinformation-detection curriculum launched in 2023.
PLS serves four primary customer segments: K-16 educators, school librarians, preservice teacher education faculty, and school administrators/districts. Its go-to-market combines product-led growth (free resources, bottom-up educator adoption, word-of-mouth, conference presence at NYLA/NYSCATE/BOCES), event-driven distribution, and a community-led train-the-trainer model through hybrid CMD courses. The organization's small staff (approximately 5 full-time employees plus interns) and grant-dependent funding model present scalability constraints, particularly after the loss of IMLS federal support in April 2025.
Project Look Sharp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Look Sharp
- Legal name
- Project Look Sharp
- Website
- https://projectlooksharp.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative, founded in 1996 at Ithaca College, that develops and freely distributes 900+ standards-aligned lessons and professional development built on its proprietary Constructivist Media Decoding methodology, serving K-16 educators, school librarians, and districts in the U.S. and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Look Sharp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Literacy Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Information & Media Literacy (Evaluate Sources, Misinformation) (EDAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where Project Look Sharp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Project Look Sharp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Government Grants: Primary funding from foundations including Park Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, and government grants from IMLS, U.S. Department of State, and National Council for the Social Studies. As a nonprofit outreach of Ithaca College, relies heavily on grant funding.
- Professional Development Services: Revenue from workshops ($1,950 full day), keynotes ($1,150), and multi-semester ED-2-ED teacher education programs ($950 for two semesters). Courses customized for districts, BOCES, and educational organizations.
- Free Educational Resources (Freemium Model): Core curriculum materials are provided free to educators. Free account registration allows unlimited downloads. Revenue model relies on grants rather than resource sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free educator resources |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Full Day Workshop |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Keynote Presentations |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | ED-2-ED Teacher Education PD |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Online CMD Course |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Project Look Sharp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative that provides K-16 educators with free, standards-aligned curriculum resources (900+ lessons, kits, handouts) built around their proprietary Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD) methodology. They also deliver paid professional development services—including online courses, hybrid courses, full-day workshops, keynotes, and the multi-semester Ed-2-Ed program—to schools, districts, BOCES, and educational organizations. Specialized initiatives include ML3 (training school librarians as media literacy leaders) and ACT (K-5 misinformation curriculum).
Product overview
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative offering a comprehensive platform consisting of free curriculum resources (500+ lessons and subject-specific kits), professional development (online courses, hybrid courses, workshops, and keynotes), and specialized programs. The core methodology is Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD), which is integrated across all offerings including the ML3 initiative for school librarians, the ACT program for K-5 misinformation education, and featured topic collections on AI, sustainability, social justice, and media bias. All materials are free and aligned to educational standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ML3: Librarians as Leaders for Media Literacy A nationwide initiative providing school librarians with free resources and professional development to lead media literacy integration in their schools, districts, and regions through Constructivist Media Decoding. Launched in 2021 with NY State funding and expanded nationally in 2023.
- ACT: Awareness and Critical Thinking K-5 lessons and activities for teaching students to detect, avoid, and resist online misinformation, focusing on seven areas including habits of inquiry, facts and frames, and news evaluation.
- CMD Online Course A 15-20 hour self-paced online course on Constructivist Media Decoding, including 4 modules with videos, readings, activities, live 90-minute sessions, and individual coaching for educators.
- CMD Hybrid Course
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of educators rated overall PD quality as excellent
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Look Sharp
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Project Look Sharp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Project Look Sharp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.
- Ithaca CollegecoreProject Look Sharp is a nonprofit, mission-driven outreach program of Ithaca College. The organization is headquartered at Ithaca College with Cyndy Scheibe serving as Dana Professor at the college. The partnership provides institutional infrastructure and academic credibility.
- American Association of School Librarians (AASL)flagshipNational partnership for ML3 initiative to scale librarian-led media literacy across the country. AASL is collaborating with PLS and NAMLE on professional development for school librarians.
- National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)flagshipPartnership on ML3 national initiative and ongoing media literacy advocacy. NAMLE's executive director describes PLS as 'the absolute gold standard for media literacy professional development.'
- New York State School Library Systems Association (SLSA)majorInitial partner in launching ML3 initiative in 2021, providing access to school librarians across New York State.
- Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell UniversityminorSupporting organization providing international studies resources and connections.
- New York State BOCESminorEducational organization that hosts and delivers PLS professional development to schools in New York State.
- Library of CongressminorSupporting organization providing resources and credibility for media literacy education.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Project Look Sharp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Project Look Sharp social profiles
Digital presenceProject Look Sharp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Look Sharp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Project Look Sharp subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Project Look Sharp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Look Sharp M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Project Look Sharp
What does Project Look Sharp do?
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit media literacy education initiative that provides K-16 educators with free, standards-aligned curriculum resources (900+ lessons, kits, handouts) built around their proprietary Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD) methodology. They also deliver paid professional development services—including online courses, hybrid courses, full-day workshops, keynotes, and the multi-semester Ed-2-Ed program—to schools, districts, BOCES, and educational organizations. Specialized initiatives include ML3 (training school librarians as media literacy leaders) and ACT (K-5 misinformation curriculum).
Is Project Look Sharp a public or private company?
Project Look Sharp is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Look Sharp founded?
Project Look Sharp was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project Look Sharp based?
Project Look Sharp is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Look Sharp make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are professional Development Services and free Educational Resources (Freemium Model).
Does Project Look Sharp have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Look Sharp.
What industry is Project Look Sharp in?
Project Look Sharp's product category is Media Literacy Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAAAI, Information & Media Literacy (Evaluate Sources, Misinformation). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.