American Modeling Teachers Association
The American Modeling Teachers Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers Modeling Instruction™ professional development workshops, distance learning courses, and curriculum materials to STEM teachers across physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and middle school science disciplines in the U.S. and globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSacramento, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What American Modeling Teachers Association does
The American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional development organization founded in 2005 by STEM teachers concerned about the end of NSF funding for Modeling Instruction, a guided-inquiry teaching methodology originally developed by Dr. David Hestenes beginning in 1980. AMTA's core product is the Modeling Instruction™ curriculum and workshop ecosystem, which trains teachers through 60-90 hour face-to-face workshops at partner universities (Arizona State, Cal Poly, Iowa State, Michigan State, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Weber State, University of Northern Iowa, and the University of New England), synchronous distance learning courses delivered via Zoom across global time zones, and a membership portal hosting classroom-tested storylines for Physics (Mechanics, E&M, Light, CASTLE, Waves, Physics First), Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Middle School Science. The methodology uses modeling cycles to organize instruction around conceptual models and is supported by the proprietary Force Concept Inventory (FCI) assessment, which documents 56% average score gains under expert Modeling Instruction versus 22% under traditional teaching.
AMTA generates revenue from four streams: annual membership dues ($50-$75/year, with free first-year membership for first-time workshop attendees), face-to-face workshop fees (ranging from $0 for Michigan in-state teachers with a $1,000 stipend, to $400-$2,100 depending on location and discipline), distance learning courses ($400-$1,000), and tax-deductible donations. Distribution is omnichannel: direct face-to-face workshops at universities, Zoom-based distance learning, an e-commerce storefront for printed curriculum materials through Crown Press, and custom on-site training for schools and districts. In FY2024, AMTA reported total income of $294,782.54 against $326,369.54 in expenses (a net operating loss of -$31,587), serving 194 face-to-face workshop participants and 69 distance learning participants, with 80% of spending directed to programs. The organization is governed by an elected Executive Board led by President Brenda Royce and managed by a small staff (Executive Officer, Associate Executive Officer, Director of Member Services), with no external parent, no equity funding, and no recorded acquisitions.
American Modeling Teachers Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Modeling Teachers Association
- Legal name
- American Modeling Teachers Association
- Website
- https://modelinginstruction.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The American Modeling Teachers Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers Modeling Instruction™ professional development workshops, distance learning courses, and curriculum materials to STEM teachers across physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and middle school science disciplines in the U.S. and globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Modeling Teachers Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Teacher Professional Development
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)
Keywords
Where American Modeling Teachers Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sacramento
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Modeling Teachers Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide access to instructional resources, webinars, distance learning courses, and member services. First-time workshop attendees receive free 1-year membership; returning attendees qualify for reduced rate of $50.
- Workshop Fees: Fees charged for face-to-face Modeling Workshops hosted at universities and schools. Workshop costs vary by location (e.g., Cal Poly $400-750 for one or two weeks, Nebraska $450-900, Michigan $0 for in-state teachers). Licensing fee of $100 per person for AMTA instructional resources.
- Distance Learning Courses: Online courses offered throughout the academic year. Pricing ranges from $400-$1000 depending on course length and format. Graduate credit available through University of the Pacific for additional fee.
- Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from sponsors and donors. Total income reported as $294,782.54 in 2024 Annual Report.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership for returning teachers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Summer Workshop Fees - California Polytechnic State University |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Summer Workshop Fees - Nebraska (UNO) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Michigan State University - In-state teachers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Iowa State University workshop with transportation engineering |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Distance Learning Courses - Standard |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Guidance Implementation Courses - Fall 2026 |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Printed Curriculum Materials |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Workshop Licensing Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
American Modeling Teachers Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AMTA provides professional development in Modeling Instruction, a guided-inquiry STEM teaching methodology organized around conceptual modeling cycles. Core offerings include face-to-face workshops (60–90 hours), distance learning courses, an annual membership program with access to instructional resources, and printed curriculum materials spanning Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Middle School Science.
Product overview
American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) offers a comprehensive professional development ecosystem for STEM teachers centered on Modeling InstructionTM, a guided-inquiry teaching methodology. The core offering includes face-to-face workshops (60-90 hours), distance learning courses, and a membership portal with extensive curriculum materials. The curriculum portfolio encompasses discipline-specific storylines for Physics (Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Light, CASTLE/Circuits, Waves, Physics First), Chemistry, Biology (Biology First and Biology Last), Astronomy, and Middle School Science. Additional support services include monthly webinars, Coffee Hour professional learning communities, and an annual conference. The materials are organized around conceptual model-building through modeling cycles, aligned with NGSS Science and Engineering Practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Modeling Instruction: A guided-inquiry approach to teaching science that organizes instruction around conceptual models that form the content core of scientific disciplines.
Products and services
- Professional Development Workshops Face-to-face Modeling Workshops (60–90 contact hours plus independent learning activities) hosted at partner universities across the U.S. for STEM teachers in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Middle School Science disciplines.
- Distance Learning Courses Online synchronous courses delivered via Zoom covering Introduction to Modeling, discipline-specific Modeling Instruction in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics, plus Implementation Guidance courses.
- AMTA Annual Membership Annual membership providing access to the membership portal, instructional resources, exclusive member-only content, webinars, and community resources. Standard rate $75/year; $50/year for qualifying returning workshop attendees.
- Printed Curriculum Materials Printed, three-hole-punched, shrink-wrapped workshop curriculum materials shipped by Crown Press for Mechanics, Waves, Electricity & Magnetism, CASTLE, Light, Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2, Physical Science, and Biology.
- Custom On-Site Training Custom professional development experiences developed and delivered on-site for schools and districts seeking Modeling Instruction training for their STEM teacher teams.
Companies that use American Modeling Teachers Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
American Modeling Teachers Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
American Modeling Teachers Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of the PacificcorePartnership for graduate-level credit offerings for workshop participants. Graduate credits available for $79/credit hour. A three-week workshop is eligible for up to 6 credit hours.
- Arizona State UniversitycoreASU hosts Modeling Workshops including Electricity & Magnetism and Physics-Mechanics. Jane Jackson serves as Co-Director of ASU Modeling Instruction Program. MNS program originally designed for physics teachers.
- Crown PressminorPrinting partner for curriculum materials. Located at 2450 S 24th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034. Prints, three-hole punches, shrink-wraps and ships workshop curriculum materials.
- California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)coreHosts Modeling Workshops in Biology, Chemistry I, and Physics Mechanics annually. Chance Hoellwarth serves as contact. Workshops offer one or two-week options.
- University of Nebraska-OmahacoreHosts Introduction to Modeling and Electricity & Magnetism workshops. Jason Testin serves as contact. Graduate credit available through UNO.
- Weber State UniversitycoreHosts Chemistry II Modeling Workshop annually. Brooke Jenkins serves as contact. Free for in-service Utah teachers; $675 for out-of-state teachers.
- Michigan State UniversitycoreHosts Middle School Science workshops for Michigan teachers only. $0 registration plus $1000 stipend. Matthew Oney and Nell Bielecki serve as instructors.
- University of Northern IowacoreHosts Electricity & Magnetism in Physics Education course combining Modeling Instruction with PRISMS Plus. Lawrence Escalada and Jeff Morgan serve as leaders.
- Iowa State University / Iowa DOTcorePartnership between Iowa DOT, Iowa State Transportation Institute (InTrans), and AMTA offering physical science/physics workshops with transportation-related engineering projects. $2,100 participation compensation plus free housing.
- Maine Modeling WorkshopscoreHosts Chemistry and Physics Mechanics workshops at University of New England. Tom Pfeiffer and Matt Watson serve as leaders. Free hosted housing available.
- American Association of Physics TeacherscoreCollaborative development of Computational Modeling Physics First with Bootstrap (CMPF-B), funded by NSF 2016-2022. Rebecca Vieyra, former K-12 Program Officer for AAPT, is a Modeling alum.
- BootstrapcorePartner in Computational Modeling Physics First (CMPF-B) development. Provides Pyret coding platform for student programming in physics courses.
- STEMTeachersNYCminorCollaborative partner in CMPF-B development alongside AAPT, AMTA, and Bootstrap.
- Heartland AEAminorProvides 5 license renewal credits for Iowa State workshop participants.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
American Modeling Teachers Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT): Professional association for physics educators and an active AMTA partner in the NSF-funded Computational Modeling Physics First (CMPF-B) project. Provides PD, conferences, and curriculum resources for K-12 and undergraduate physics teachers.
- National Science Teaching Association (NSTA): Largest US professional association for science educators, offering conferences, journals, and PD for K-12 science teachers. Directly comparable mission of advancing science teaching practice through community and professional development.
- TERC: STEM education research and development organization that designs innovative math and science curricula and PD programs. Comparable in combining research-based curriculum with teacher professional development.
- It's About Time: Publisher of active physics and physical science curricula (e.g., Active Physics, SEPUP) and offers teacher PD workshops. Direct peer in delivering K-12 physics curriculum and training.
- Concord Consortium: Non-profit educational technology and curriculum research organization building inquiry-based STEM materials and PD. Comparable in operating at the intersection of research, curriculum, and teacher development.
- BSCS Science Learning: Major K-12 science curriculum and PD provider with deep research base, offering coherent instructional materials and teacher professional development across biology, chemistry, and physics. Closely comparable in mission and curriculum/PD model.
- Smithsonian Science Education Center: Develops K-12 science curriculum and provides teacher PD leveraging Smithsonian research. Comparable in producing NGSS-aligned instructional materials and STEM teacher professional development.
- STEMteachersNYC: Grassroots provider of STEM teacher PD and an active AMTA partner in CMPF-B development. Offers teacher-led workshops and community-driven PD analogous to AMTA's model.
- Mystery Science: K-5 science curriculum platform with integrated PD and lesson plans aligned to NGSS. Comparable in providing coherent K-12 science curriculum and teacher training, with a stronger digital distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- National Geographic Society Education: Large incumbent producing K-12 science, geography, and STEM educational resources and teacher resources. Overlaps with AMTA in science teacher support but covers a much broader content footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Modeling Teachers Association social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Modeling Teachers Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Modeling Teachers Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
American Modeling Teachers Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Modeling Teachers Association 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 American Modeling Teachers Association
What does American Modeling Teachers Association do?
AMTA provides professional development in Modeling Instruction, a guided-inquiry STEM teaching methodology organized around conceptual modeling cycles. Core offerings include face-to-face workshops (60–90 hours), distance learning courses, an annual membership program with access to instructional resources, and printed curriculum materials spanning Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Middle School Science.
Is American Modeling Teachers Association a public or private company?
American Modeling Teachers Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Modeling Teachers Association founded?
American Modeling Teachers Association was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is American Modeling Teachers Association based?
American Modeling Teachers Association is headquartered in Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Modeling Teachers Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are workshop Fees, distance Learning Courses and donations and Fundraising.
Who are American Modeling Teachers Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), TERC, It's About Time, Concord Consortium, BSCS Science Learning, Smithsonian Science Education Center, STEMteachersNYC and Mystery Science. National Geographic Society Education is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does American Modeling Teachers Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Modeling Teachers Association.
What industry is American Modeling Teachers Association in?
American Modeling Teachers Association's product category is STEM Teacher Professional Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAF, Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.