Montana Outdoor Science School

What Montana Outdoor Science School does

Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit outdoor science education organization founded in 1994 in Bozeman, Montana (EIN 81-0503944). It provides place-based, experiential science and ecology programming for children in kindergarten through grade 9, as well as homeschool families, K-8 schools, and adults. Core offerings include themed summer day camps held at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, weekly homeschool programs, single-day PIR (school-break) programs, K-8 school field trips, and a winter adult 'Naturalist on Skis' program, supplemented by the MOSS Field Notes educational blog and a Master Naturalist professional development course.

The underlying 'technology' is MOSS's proprietary place-based curriculum, developed over more than 30 years and tailored to the Bridger Mountain and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems, including a foundational winter ecology curriculum built over 20 years ago for the Crosscut Ski Education Program that reaches over 2,500 school children annually. Program delivery is instructor-led and outdoor, with no software platform as the primary product; the organization operates a Squarespace website, a Mailchimp newsletter, and the ACTIVE third-party registration platform for camp enrollment.

MOSS generates revenue through three streams: camp and program registration fees (summer camps priced $275-$690 per week plus a $5.20 non-refundable registration fee, homeschool sessions at $450, PIR days at $90, Fall Field Days at $25/student, and Naturalist on Skis at $20-$30), and philanthropic donations that subsidize operations and scholarships. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and ACTIVE, supplemented by partnerships with Crosscut Mountain Sports Center (permanent base camp since 2025 under a management agreement), Bozeman Parks and Recreation (After-Camp Care), and MAP Brewing (Pint Night fundraising). In 2025, MOSS integrated operationally with Crosscut Mountain Sports Center at the historic Bohart Ranch property in Bridger Canyon, while both organizations retained independent nonprofit status.

Name

Montana Outdoor Science School

Legal name

Montana Outdoor Science School

Website

https://outdoorscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Montana Outdoor Science School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Bozeman, Montana, providing place-based outdoor science education through summer camps, homeschool programs, PIR day programs, school field trips, and adult ski-naturalist experiences for children, families, and K-8 schools in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Science Education

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (61), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN), Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ)

Keywords

• Outdoor science education
• Nature summer camps
• Environmental education programs
• School field trips
• Homeschool science programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Camp Registration Fees: MOSS generates revenue primarily through camp registration fees. Summer camps range from $275-$690 plus a $5.20 registration fee. Registration is managed through the ACTIVE platform.
2. Program Fees: Revenue from homeschool programs ($450/session), PIR Day Programs ($90/session), Fall Field Days ($25/student), and Naturalist on Skis ($20-$30/session).
3. Philanthropic Donations: As a local 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization, MOSS relies on philanthropic donations to continue providing high-quality outdoor-based science education. EIN: 81-0503944.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) delivers place-based, experiential outdoor science education programs for children in grades K-9 and adults in southwestern Montana. Core offerings include themed summer day camps at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, weekly homeschool classes, single-day PIR (school break) programs, K-8 school field trips, and adult winter naturalist ski programs. All programs are built around a proprietary place-based curriculum tailored to the Bridger Mountain and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems.

Product overview

Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) is a nonprofit outdoor science education organization offering a portfolio of hands-on programs for children and families. The core offerings include Summer Camps for grades K-9 (day camps at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center with themed field trips), Homeschool Programs (weekly classes for grades K-6), PIR Day Programs (single-day school-break programs), Field Days (K-8 school field trips), and Naturalist on Skis (winter cross-country ski program for adults). Supporting educational content is provided through MOSS Field Notes, a blog series by instructors and Master Naturalist course participants. All programs are place-based, held outdoors in the Bozeman/Crosscut Mountain area, and emphasize experiential learning about local ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 school children served annually through the Ski Education Program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crosscut Mountain Sports CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center became the permanent home of MOSS, uniting two missions dedicated to place-based outdoor education. This integrated collaboration marks a significant milestone with MOSS setting up base camp on the historic Bohart Ranch property in Bridger Canyon. Both organizations remain independent 501(c)(3) nonprofits governed by a management agreement. Over 20 years ago MOSS developed the foundational winter ecology curriculum for the Crosscut Ski Education Program that brings over 2,500 school kids annually.
• Bozeman Parks and RecreationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Partnership for After-Camp Care (ACC), offered after each day of camp from 3:00-5:30pm at Story Mill Park. This partnership allows MOSS to share resources, access facilities, and offer quality after-camp programming for the community.
• MAP BrewingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025MOSS was the MAP Brewing Pint Night Partner for March 2025, with $0.50 of every beer sold from 4pm-8pm on Mondays donated to MOSS.
• Gallatin Valley Earth Day FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMOSS participates annually in the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival, engaging with the community and promoting outdoor education programs.
• Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsáalooké Nation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum co-creator for the 'Stories of the Valley' camp, exploring significant sites in the Gallatin Valley and the stories of southwest Montana's peoples and landscapes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Montana Conservation Corps: Montana-based nonprofit offering youth conservation education and service programs. Adjacent to MOSS in regional outdoor education landscape, with some overlap in mission but distinct service-learning model.

Direct peers

• The Ecology School: Maine-based nonprofit offering outdoor science school programs, summer camps, and field-based K-12 ecology education. Comparable in experiential curriculum model, nonprofit structure, and youth-focused programming portfolio.
• NatureBridge: National nonprofit operating outdoor science schools in multiple national parks (Yosemite, Olympic, etc.), offering residential field science programs for K-12. Comparable to MOSS in place-based experiential science education model and nonprofit structure.
• Crosscut Mountain Sports Center: Bozeman-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is MOSS's integrated collaboration partner and permanent venue host at Bohart Ranch. Operates complementary outdoor recreation and ski education programming, including the Ski Education Program MOSS curricularly supports.
• Teton Science Schools: Nonprofit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming offering place-based outdoor science education, summer camps, and field programs anchored to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Directly comparable to MOSS in mission, programmatic structure, and regional ecosystem focus.
• Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park offering youth camps, field seminars, and institute programs in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Closely mirrors MOSS's regional ecosystem anchoring and educational programming.
• Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center: Minnesota-based nonprofit residential environmental learning center offering K-12 field science programs and summer camps. Comparable to MOSS in school field-day programming and outdoor science curriculum model.
• Keystone Science School: Colorado-based nonprofit offering residential outdoor science schools, summer camps, and K-12 field programs in the Rocky Mountains. Closely matches MOSS's overnight field-trip model and mission-aligned nonprofit structure.
• Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES): Rocky Mountain nonprofit offering nature camps, school programs, and naturalist education in Aspen, Colorado. Closely comparable to MOSS in mountain-region outdoor science education, summer camp structure, and nonprofit delivery model.
• Hog Island Audubon Camp: National Audubon Society's residential outdoor nature camp in Maine offering wildlife and ecology field programs for youth and adults. Comparable in place-based natural science education and residential camp format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-outdoor-science-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Montana Outdoor Science School