West Morris Mendham High School

What West Morris Mendham High School does

Project U.S.E. (Urban Suburban Environments), founded in 1970 in Trenton, NJ by Phil Costello and L. Jose Gonzalez, is a private nonprofit experiential education organization headquartered at 89 Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ, with primary wilderness programming delivered from the Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center at 1575 Clinton Road, Hewitt, NJ, inside Wawayanda State Park. The organization delivers four program lines: (1) outdoor adventure at Wildcat Mountain (hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling, high and low ropes courses, canoeing, team building); (2) Pedal Farmers, an urban gardening and youth entrepreneurship program for Newark residents aged 15-21, which combines organic food production, business skills, and bike-based distribution to local farmers markets and food-access sites; (3) online/virtual experiential education programs for schools and community partners; and (4) corporate, nonprofit, and educational professional development workshops built over 40+ years. Programs are aligned to NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards in Character Education, Environmental Education, Service Learning, and Arts and Literacy.

The organization serves 3,000+ young people and adults annually across New Jersey and the Northeast, with cumulative reach in the hundreds of thousands since inception and a sub-cohort of roughly 1,000 Newark-based youth served through Pedal Farmers. Customers span public and private schools, state and municipal youth agencies (including adjudicated-youth and rehabilitation programs), colleges and universities, community groups and nonprofits (e.g., Link Community Charter School, Big Brothers Big Sisters, NJ LEEP, Communities In Schools, Wall Youth Center), and corporate clients buying professional development. Distribution is primarily direct B2B/field sales to school groups, agencies, and organizations, supplemented by event-driven fundraising via the Annual 50-Mile Hike.

Revenue mechanics combine program fees (professional-services billing for Wildcat Mountain and PD workshops), foundation and corporate grants (Community Foundation of NJ, Victoria Foundation, PSEG Foundation, Whole Cities Foundation, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Jonathan Rose Companies, Athletic Brewing Company), individual donations (one-time, recurring, stock, planned giving), event sponsorships, and modest transaction revenue from Pedal Farmers farmers market sales. Pricing is custom/quoted per engagement for PD workshops; program fees for institutional clients are not publicly disclosed. Leadership is long-tenured under Executive Director Anthony Capone (associated since 1993); the Board of Trustees includes representatives from SwissRe, the Port Authority of NY/NJ, The Sailing School, Upland Kapost, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise alumni.

Name

West Morris Mendham High School

Legal name

Project U.S.E.

Website

https://projectuse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project U.S.E. is a Newark-based nonprofit founded in 1970 that delivers outdoor experiential education, urban agriculture and youth entrepreneurship via Pedal Farmers, and corporate professional development workshops through its Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center in northern New Jersey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM), Instructor-Led Skills Academies (Climbing, Paddling, Mountaineering Schools) (THAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Experiential education programs
• Outdoor adventure education
• Professional development workshops
• Urban agriculture training
• Youth development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees charged to schools, agencies, community groups, and corporations for experiential education programs including Wildcat Mountain programming, professional development workshops, and custom training
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Community Foundation of New Jersey, Victoria Foundation, Lackland Family Foundation, PSEG Foundation, Whole Cities Foundation, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Hausler Family Foundation, and corporate sponsors
3. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters; stock donations and donor-advised funds; planned giving through trusts and wills
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsorships for Annual 50-Mile Hike event and other fundraising activities
5. Pedal Farmers Market Sales: Revenue from farmers market sales of organic produce and value-added products created by youth participants in Pedal Farmers program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Project U.S.E. provides hands-on experiential education programs through four core offerings: (1) Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center outdoor adventure programming (hiking, rock climbing, ropes courses, canoeing) for schools, youth agencies, and community groups; (2) Pedal Farmers urban agriculture and entrepreneurship program for Newark youth ages 15-21; (3) Professional Development Courses tailored to corporate, nonprofit, and educational organizations; and (4) Online and Virtual Programs delivering remote experiential education. Programs support NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards and serve 3,000+ young people and adults annually across New Jersey and the Northeast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center: Outdoor adventure programming located within a 50,000-acre natural area in northern New Jersey, offering hiking, backpacking, team-building, rock climbing, rappelling, ropes courses, and canoeing.
• Pedal Farmers

Products and services

• Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center Outdoor Adventure Programming Outdoor adventure programs delivered at the Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center in Hewitt, NJ, including hiking, backpacking, team-building, rock climbing, rappelling, high and low ropes courses, and canoeing. Programs support NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards in Character Education, Environmental Education, Service Learning, and Arts and Literacy. Targeted at schools, state and municipal youth agencies, community groups, and colleges/universities.
• Pedal Farmers Urban Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Program Urban gardening and entrepreneurship program for Newark youth ages 15-21, combining organic food production, business skills development, and bike-based transportation. Participants grow produce at urban sites in Newark's South Ward and Central Ward and sell at farmers markets. Targeted at underserved Newark youth and supported by grants from foundations including Whole Cities Foundation, Community Foundation of New Jersey, Victoria Foundation, and PSEG Foundation.
• Professional Development Workshops and Courses Experiential education and professional development workshops tailored to corporate, nonprofit, and educational organizations. Programs focus on team building, leadership development, communication improvement, and organizational culture enhancement. Pricing is custom and quote-based via [email protected], typically structured as multi-year contracts.
• Online and Virtual Experiential Education Programs Online experiential education courses incorporating team-building exercises, initiative games, small group activities, and debriefing sessions delivered via Zoom and digital platforms. Designed for remote teams, students, and partner organizations. Customers have included Our Lady of Help Christian School, Fashion Institute of Technology, The Pennington School, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and NJ LEEP.

Quantifiable outcome

• TREK program achieved best recidivism rate in the country from 1995-2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Jonathan Rose CompaniesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2022Anchor partner for Newark Healthy Food Access and Empowerment Project through community garden build-out and expansion at Grace West Manor community in Newark. Project provides $150,000 grant through Nourishing Newark Community Grants program
• Link Community Charter SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime community partner for more than 30 years providing outstanding educational opportunities through student-centered approach developing body, mind, and spirit with commitment to Core Values
• Wawayanda State ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with park staff including Park Superintendent Jessica Kruegel to coordinate trail maintenance projects and identify areas most in need of maintenance

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit providing conservation service and outdoor career exposure for youth. Comparable to Project U.S.E. in combining outdoor experiences with youth development outcomes and serving underserved populations.
• Project Adventure: Specializes in challenge course programming, ropes courses, and experiential group facilitation. Directly comparable to Project U.S.E.'s challenge course and team-building offerings, and shares board-level connections (Suzanne Horsley was a Project Adventure director).
• Outward Bound USA: National experiential education organization offering wilderness-based programs for youth and adults. Directly comparable to Project U.S.E.'s outdoor adventure, team-building, and character education model, with broader geographic coverage.
• Hurricane Island Outward Bound School: Regional Outward Bound school where Project U.S.E. co-founder Phil Costello worked as a field instructor. Directly comparable wilderness education model serving youth and schools.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Leader in wilderness education, offering outdoor skills and leadership courses. Highly comparable to Project U.S.E.'s Wildcat Mountain wilderness programming and instructor-led adventure methodology.

Others

• Whole Kids Foundation: Affiliate of Whole Foods focused on children's nutrition and garden-based learning. Comparable grant-maker profile to Project U.S.E.'s funders (e.g., Whole Cities Foundation) and overlapping urban gardening/school nutrition mission space.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties: Long-time Project U.S.E. community partner providing youth mentoring services. Comparable nonprofit youth development segment serving overlapping Newark-area populations.

Regional players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Northeast-based outdoor recreation and education organization. Comparable outdoor programming focus but serves New England rather than the Mid-Atlantic region where Project U.S.E. operates.
• New Jersey Audubon Society: New Jersey-based environmental education nonprofit offering nature programs and school field experiences. Comparable environmental education and school-program delivery focus within the same NJ region.

Emerging players

• City Year Newark: Youth development and education nonprofit serving Newark public schools. Comparable in mission focus on underserved Newark youth and educational outcomes, though focused on in-school support rather than outdoor programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ProjectUSE
• Instagraminstagram.com/project.use
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-u.s.e.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 West Morris Mendham High School