What Ripple Effect does

Ripple Effect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization founded in 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana, that develops water literacy curriculum and professional learning services for K-12 schools across Southeast Louisiana. Its core offering is a portfolio of NGSS-aligned, place-based programs including Invisible Rivers (art-science integration), Puddles to Floods (elementary field-based learning), Ripples to Waves (high school water literacy courses), Reenvisioning Primary Science, Water Literacy Interpretive Plan, and Water Glossary, supported by three service pillars: teacher learning, curriculum design, and field-based learning. The organization positions itself as a boundary organization bridging current science education research and K-12 classroom practice, drawing on cross-project collaborators from the University of Arizona, University of Michigan, and BSCS Science Learning.

The underlying technology is place-based curriculum development combining instructional design, environmental science education expertise, and community knowledge integration, with adaptations of the OpenSciEd instructional framework customized for local Louisiana water issues. The proprietary features include water literacy curriculum, OpenSciEd instructional model adaptations, and structured field-based investigation protocols where teachers first experience protocols as students before teaching them. Ripple Effect does not charge for its curriculum or professional development services; revenue is generated entirely through foundation grants (National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program, Pisces Foundation), government/public funding (Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans), and tax-deductible donations.

Go-to-market is direct partnership with school districts and charter management organizations, primarily through multi-year engagements focused on building internal teacher capacity rather than transactional curriculum licensing. Distribution is concentrated regionally within Southeast Louisiana through in-person professional development, teacher fellowships, and direct classroom coaching. A core team of approximately six staff (Executive Director, Director of Impact, Director of Finance & Operations, Content Strategist, Digital Design Director, Creative Director) is supported by academic collaborators and a board including researchers from RAND Corporation and senior operators from Business Insider.

Name

Ripple Effect

Legal name

Ripple Effect Water Literacy Project

Website

https://rippleeffectnola.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ripple Effect is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops NGSS-aligned, place-based water literacy curriculum and professional learning services for K-12 teachers across Southeast Louisiana, funded by foundation grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Open Lesson Plans & Teaching Units (K–12) (EDAGAJAI)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Water literacy curriculum
• K-12 science instruction
• Teacher professional development
• Place-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Primary revenue from grants awarded by foundations and organizations. Sources include National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program and Pisces Foundation.
2. Government/Public Funding: Grants from public entities such as the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting water literacy education, managed through their 501(c)(3) status.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ripple Effect develops and supports implementation of NGSS-aligned, place-based water literacy curriculum for K-12 schools in Southeast Louisiana. The organization provides teacher professional development, OpenSciEd curriculum training and coaching, field-based learning programs, and community-integrated curriculum design services at no cost to partner schools, funded by foundation grants and donations.

Product overview

Ripple Effect is a nonprofit environmental education organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services focused on water literacy for K-12 education. The core offerings include six named project programs: Invisible Rivers (art-science integration), Puddles to Floods (elementary field-based learning), Ripples to Waves (high school water literacy courses), Water Literacy Interpretive Plan (K-12 environmental education framework), Reenvisioning Primary Science (standards-aligned teaching for KIPP schools), and Water Glossary (community knowledge integration). These are supported by three service pillars: Teacher Learning (professional development and coaching including OpenSciEd training), Curriculum Design (NGSS-aligned place-based curriculum development), and Field-Based Learning (outdoor investigation programs). The organization acts as a boundary organization bridging science education research and K-12 schools through partnerships with school districts and educational researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invisible Rivers A project integrating art and science to help students understand rapid environmental change through collaborative exploration; designed for K-12 students in Southeast Louisiana.
• Puddles to Floods
• Ripples to Waves
• Water Literacy Interpretive Plan
• Reenvisioning Primary Science
• Water Glossary
• Teacher Learning Services
• Curriculum Design Services
• Field-Based Learning Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,040 students taught by Ripple Effect teachers since 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BSCS Science LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on curriculum design work resulting in highly relevant, localized learning experiences for youth in Southeast Louisiana. Lindsey Mohan, PhD serves as cross-project collaborator providing science education expertise.
• University of Arizona College of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kristin Gunckel provides expertise on supporting students in developing model-based understandings of water movement through socioecological systems of Southeast Louisiana. Informs curriculum development with environmental science literacy research.
• University of Michigan Marsal Family School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Natalie Davis's scholarship on teaching and learning, cultural ecologies, and youth development informs and deepens Ripple Effect's approach to fostering students' agency in inquiry-driven science.
• New Voices New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in pursuit of environmental justice and cultural equity. Trey Pratt notes Ripple Effect's place-based and child-centered curricula foster rich connections between students and their environment.
• Hatch Creative StrategyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJana Fredricks serves as evaluator providing program assessment and improvement analysis across multiple RE programs.
• Waggonner & BallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign firm where co-founders Claire Anderson and Aron Chang collaborated with two other designers to create the original 4th grade workshop about stormwater flooding as part of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan.
• KIPP New Orleans SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term charter management organization partner. Co-founder Claire Anderson was a teacher at KIPP Central City Primary. Partnership includes Reenvisioning Primary Science initiative and Water Literacy Courtyard development.
• RAND CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Heather Schwartz serves as Director of Pre-K to 12 Educational Systems Program and Senior Policy Researcher. Board member Vanessa Parks serves as Associate Sociologist. Provides research expertise and strategic guidance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Project WET Foundation: Project WET is a nonprofit focused specifically on water education for K-12 audiences worldwide, providing curriculum, teacher training, and community programming on water topics. It is the most direct functional peer to Ripple Effect's water-literacy mission, with a much broader geographic footprint.
• EcoRise: EcoRise is a nonprofit that develops K-12 sustainability and environmental education curricula paired with teacher professional development and grants. It is comparable to Ripple Effect in combining place-based, standards-aligned curriculum with teacher fellowships and school partnerships, though its scope is broader than water alone.
• Earth Force: Earth Force is a nonprofit that engages K-12 students in civic action around local environmental issues through teacher-supported curricula. Its combination of inquiry-driven environmental learning, teacher facilitation, and community-rooted problem-solving aligns with Ripple Effect's approach, with a broader geographic reach.
• EarthEcho International: EarthEcho International is a nonprofit environmental education organization founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr. that develops K-12 resources on ocean and water topics and supports youth action. Its water-and-ocean focus and youth/teacher engagement model directly parallel Ripple Effect's environmental literacy mission.
• Captain Planet Foundation: Captain Planet Foundation funds and supports K-12 environmental education projects and provides curriculum resources to schools. Its nonprofit, project-grant-driven model of funding place-based environmental learning in schools parallels Ripple Effect's foundation-supported approach, though Captain Planet operates as a funder/convener rather than direct curriculum provider.
• Facing the Future: Facing the Future is a nonprofit that produces interdisciplinary K-12 sustainability and global issues curriculum with teacher professional development. Like Ripple Effect, it combines standards-aligned content with teacher training and place-based learning, but operates at a national rather than regional scale.
• Ten Strands: Ten Strands is a California-based nonprofit that partners with school districts and CMOs to integrate environmental literacy into K-12 curriculum and teacher professional development. Its boundary-organization role bridging environmental NGOs and school systems closely mirrors Ripple Effect's model, though regionally focused on California.

Others

• BSCS Science Learning: BSCS Science Learning is a nonprofit that develops K-12 science curriculum materials and provides teacher professional development, including work with NGSS-aligned instructional models. It is a strategic co-development partner to Ripple Effect and an adjacent ecosystem organization in the same instructional-design space.
• OpenSciEd: OpenSciEd is a nonprofit-led initiative providing free, high-quality NGSS-aligned science curricula for K-12, including the instructional framework Ripple Effect adapts for its Louisiana water units. It is an enabling ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Society Education: National Geographic Society's education programs produce K-12 environmental and science resources at national scale, including teacher resources, lesson plans, and Explorer Classroom programming. It is a broad incumbent in K-12 environmental education, with significantly larger reach and resources than Ripple Effect.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rippleeffectnola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ripple-effect-water-literacy-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ripple Effect