Project Learning Tree Canada

What Project Learning Tree Canada does

Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada; French brand Apprendre par les arbres Canada / APLA Canada) is an Ottawa-based nonprofit educational organization operating under license from SFI Inc. (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), which owns its trademarks. It provides environmental education resources, forest literacy tools, and a workforce development platform connecting Canadian youth aged 15-30 with green jobs in the forest and conservation sector. Core programs include the Green Jobs initiative (short-term placements of 4-16 weeks and long-term internships of 16-48 weeks, operational since 2018), the Youth Delegate leadership program launched in 2023, the Green Mentor mentorship program, K-8 curriculum products such as the Explore Your Environment Activity Guide (50 lesson plans), the Forest Literacy Framework, Forest Quest, and the multi-language Guide to Green Jobs in Canada publication. According to the input data, since 2018 the program has placed over 8,700 youth in green jobs, maintained roughly 50% women and 15% Indigenous participation, and built a network of more than 470 employer partners.

The organization's revenue model is overwhelmingly grant-driven rather than commercial. Primary funding flows from the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada's Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP), the Ontario Skills Development Fund, and contributions from the Forest Products Association of Canada and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. Secondary revenue comes from e-commerce sales of educational materials and select foundation grants (de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, Consecon Foundation). Programs and webinars are free for youth participants, and employers receive subsidized wages. Distribution is concentrated in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec, with a national footprint across Canada. Partnerships with Indigenous organizations (BC First Nations Forestry Council, Outland Youth Employment Program, Indigenous Forestry Leaders Network) and educational institutions (Lakehead University, Sault College, Collège Boréal) anchor community-led GTM motion alongside government partnership distribution.

Name

Project Learning Tree Canada

Legal name

Project Learning Tree Canada

Website

https://pltcanada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Learning Tree Canada is a nonprofit, operating under SFI Inc., that delivers environmental education, mentorship, and green jobs placement for Canadian youth aged 15-30 in the forest and conservation sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Green jobs program
• Youth workforce development
• Forest literacy
• Mentorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary revenue derived from government funding agreements including Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada's Science and Technology Internship Program, Ontario Skills Development Fund, and Forest Products Association of Canada contributions.
2. Product Sales: E-commerce sales of educational materials including the Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide and Guide to Green Jobs in Canada publications through the PLT Canada shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Project Learning Tree Canada delivers environmental education resources and youth workforce development programming for Canada's forest and conservation sector. The organization offers curriculum-aligned K-8 activity guides, the Green Jobs Program placing youth aged 15-30 with 470+ employer partners, the Youth Delegate leadership program, the Green Mentor mentorship program, and supplemental educational content (Forest Literacy Framework, Forest Quest, career fact sheets, webinars, and video series). Programming is largely government-funded and offered free to youth participants.

Product overview

Project Learning Tree Canada is an educational nonprofit organization operating as a single unified program focused on growing future forest and conservation leaders in Canada. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected educational resources and career development services including the Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide (a curriculum-aligned resource with 50 lesson plans), the Green Jobs Program (connecting youth aged 15-30 with employment and internship opportunities), the Youth Delegate Program (leadership development for Indigenous youth), the Green Mentor Program (career mentorship), Forest Literacy Framework and Forest Quest (educational tools), Career Fact Sheets and Career Personality Quiz (career guidance resources), Workforce-Ready and Essential Skills Webinar Series (professional development), and the A Day in the Life video series (career exploration content). The organization primarily serves educators, students, job seekers, and employers in Canada's forest and conservation sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide A collection of 50 lesson plans that integrate environmental education into grades K-8 curriculum through hands-on classroom activities and outdoor field investigations. Sold via the PLT Canada online shop.
• Green Jobs Program A workforce development program providing subsidized placements connecting youth aged 15-30 with employers in Canada's forest and conservation sector, offering both short-term job placements (4-16 weeks) and long-term internships (16-48 weeks).
• Youth Delegate Program A leadership development program designed to advance young people's career pathways in the forest sector, bringing together youth delegates for professional development, networking, and participation in events such as the SFI Annual Conference.
• Green Mentor Program A mentorship program that connects mentees with mentors in SFI/PLT Canada's green jobs network to provide career guidance and professional support.
• Forest Literacy Framework An educational framework designed to help educators teach forest literacy concepts to students.
• Forest Quest An educational resource designed for students to learn about forests and conservation.
• Career Fact Sheets Career information sheets providing details about various green careers including average salary, education paths, and job descriptions for forestry and conservation professions.
• Indigenous Rights and Relationship Building in the Forest Sector Courses Professional development courses focused on Indigenous rights and relationship building specifically for the forest sector, targeting employers and industry participants.
• Workforce-Ready Webinar Series A six-part webinar series helping students, job seekers, and professionals learn tools needed to land jobs in forestry, covering resume building, interview skills, and career pathway guidance. Available in English and French.
• A Guide to Green Jobs in Canada: Voices of Indigenous Professionals A publication featuring Indigenous professionals in the forestry sector, available in English, French, Anishinaabemowin, and Plains Cree languages.
• Essential Skills for Job Seekers Webinar Series A four-part webinar series delivered in partnership with ECO Canada to help young people develop essential career skills including job searching, networking, resume writing, and interview preparation. A joint Essential Skills Certificate is offered upon completion.
• A Day in the Life Video Series A video series featuring professionals in green jobs showcasing typical workday activities in various forestry and conservation careers.
• Career Personality Quiz An online quiz tool to help youth discover which green job career path may be right for them.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,700+ youth placed in green jobs since 2018
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner supporting Youth Delegate program, particularly Indigenous youth participation at the SFI Annual Conference. FPAC provides funding and strategic support for youth career development initiatives.
• Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting Youth Delegate program and Indigenous youth participation, working to advance young people's career pathways in the forest sector.
• BC First Nations Forestry CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous organization collaborating with PLT Canada to recognize and support Indigenous youth participation in the Youth Delegate program from British Columbia.
• Outland Youth Employment ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of land-based education and work opportunities for high school-aged Indigenous youth, collaborating with PLT Canada on Indigenous youth employment.
• ECO CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ECO Canada for Essential Skills Webinar Series helping youth become career advocates. Joint Essential Skills Certificate offered upon completion.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFI Inc. is the parent organization and exclusive owner of PLT Canada trademarks. SFI and PLT Canada jointly operate Youth Delegate program, career pathways programming, and collaborate on annual conference events.
• Indigenous Forestry Leaders NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Indigenous forestry leaders from SFI-certified organizations who mentor Youth Delegates and participate in intergenerational knowledge transfer events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indspire: Indspire is an Indigenous-led nonprofit that funds and delivers Indigenous education and career development programs across Canada. It is a direct peer in target audience (Indigenous youth), outcomes model (bursaries, mentorship, career programming), and nonprofit funding structure.
• Outland Youth Employment Program: Outland is a direct peer and explicit PLT Canada partner—it delivers land-based education and work opportunities for high school-aged Indigenous youth, the same priority population PLT Canada targets. It is comparable in mission, target segment (Indigenous youth), and operating model (employer-network-based placements).
• Skills Canada: Skills Canada promotes skilled trades and technology careers among Canadian youth through competitions, programs, and outreach. It is a direct peer in workforce-development mission, target segment (Canadian youth aged 15-30), and reliance on federal/provincial skills funding.
• ECO Canada: Environmental Careers Organization Canada is a direct peer: it also runs workforce development, training, and certification programs for the Canadian environmental sector, including the Essential Skills Webinar Series co-delivered with PLT Canada. Its mission, target audience (environment-sector job seekers and employers), and revenue model (government grants plus training fees) closely mirror PLT Canada's.
• Tree Canada: Tree Canada is a national nonprofit focused on tree planting, urban forestry, and forestry education in Canada. It is a direct peer in mission (forest-focused education and community greening), funding model (corporate and government grants), and target audience (Canadian youth, educators, and communities).
• Forests Ontario: Forests Ontario is an Ontario-based nonprofit focused on forest restoration, tree planting, and education. It is a direct peer: similar nonprofit status, overlapping Ontario employer network, comparable environmental education programming, and shared forestry-sector employer relationships.

Emerging players

• Canada Service Corps: Canada Service Corps is a federal government initiative providing service and work opportunities for Canadian youth aged 15-30. It is an emerging/public-sector peer with overlapping target population and program model (subsidized youth placements), making it a potential substitute or partner for PLT Canada's Green Jobs program.

Broad incumbents

• Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC): NCC is Canada's largest land conservation organization. It is a broad incumbent in the same environmental/forestry ecosystem as PLT Canada, with overlapping employer relationships, Indigenous partnership work, and conservation-education programming—but its primary mission is land acquisition, not youth workforce development.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national environmental education nonprofit with programs reaching K-12 students and the general public. It is a broad incumbent peer: comparable educational mission and audience, but focused on wildlife/habitat rather than forest-sector workforce development.
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS): CPAWS is Canada's largest nationwide charity dedicated to protecting public lands and wilderness. It is a broad peer—overlapping in environmental advocacy, conservation education, and engagement with Indigenous partners, but operating at a broader conservation-policy level rather than PLT Canada's narrow youth-workforce focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PLT_Canada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKxYa9d8SYTDz0RwaSi45cw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLTCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plt-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/pltcanada.official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Project Learning Tree Canada