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WHALE TALE FOUNDATION DBA THINKERING COLLECTIVE INC

BELLMORE, NY · EIN 992436575 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE B12 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · thinkeringcollective.org
revenue
$41K
expenses
$40K
net assets
$2K
employees
mission · from form 990

TO ELEVATE A CHILD'S CREATIVITY AND INTERESTS ALONGSIDE TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC METRICS, FOSTERING PASSION-DRIVEN LEARNING WITH REAL COMMUNITY IMPACT.

profile · synthesized from sources

Thinkering Collective is a nonprofit education impact incubator that empowers educators to design and implement passion-driven learning projects. Through its fellowship programs, the organization supports educators in developing capstone projects that address local challenges while fostering creativity and community impact. It amplifies these efforts through media storytelling and a global network of partners.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Thinkering Community
Network of educators, organizations, and thought leaders collaborating to drive scalable solutions and shape the future of education through collective action.
Thinkering Fellowship
A 10-week launchpad where educators and community leaders design capstone impact projects addressing locally rooted challenges, supported by mentors and peer networks.
Thinkering Media
Storytelling and publishing platform producing articles, podcasts, and videos that share educator-led innovations and human-centered learning approaches.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Teacher Professional Development 3 activities
    • Design and implementation of educator-led capstone projects
      Supports educators in developing and publicly presenting capstone projects that address community and educational challenges through human-centered, passion-driven learning. The organization collaborates with over 30 partner organizations and a network of more than 150 mentors to advance these projects, which integrate students' creativity and interests with academic development to generate community impact.
    • Funding and mentorship for scalable educator projects
      Provides ongoing funding, mentorship, and support to help educator fellows scale their locally rooted Capstone Impact Projects into broader educational innovations. This includes a 10-week fellowship program where educators and community leaders design and test projects with peer and mentor guidance.
    • Scaling educator innovation through networked collaboration
      Engages 10,000 educators with a goal of impacting 20 million learners over five years by leveraging partnerships and collaborative platforms to scale passion-driven, community-rooted educational practices.
  • Project-Based Learning Programs 2 activities
    • Development of passion-driven learning programs for underserved learners
      Designs and implements targeted learning initiatives such as a career exploration project for blind learners, an after-school science club model, and projects engaging gifted students through real-world learning. These programs emphasize accessibility, student voice, and experiential engagement.
    • Facilitation of experiential learning partnerships with school districts
      Collaborates with school districts such as Loudoun County Public Schools on initiatives like the Outdoor Learning Fellowship to advance hands-on, experiential education models that deepen student engagement.
  • Educator Conferences & Professional Development Events 1 activity
    • Hosting events and webinars to promote educational innovation
      Organizes events such as open mic nights in Aurora, Colorado, webinars with partners like NYSCATE, and multi-day gatherings during Mental Health Awareness Month to convene educators, practitioners, and community members around key themes in education.
  • Mental Health Education and Awareness 1 activity
    • Launch and support of mental health and well-being initiatives in education
      Launched the Healthy Minds in Education program and hosted events focused on mental health awareness, aiming to support the emotional well-being of both learners and educators through community engagement and professional collaboration.
  • Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
    • Production and distribution of educational media content
      Produces and shares accessible media including articles, podcasts such as 'Thinkering Minds', 'InnovateHer with Yaritzza', and 'What Is Smart', and monthly features on student projects through its storytelling platform, Thinkering Media, to highlight innovation and human-centered learning.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$41K
Contributions & grants
Program service revenue$41K100%
Investment income
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$40K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits
Grants paid out
balance sheet
Total assets$2K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$2K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +36.9%
relationships · 11

Who they work with

  • 150+ Partner Orgs Network — Network of over 150 global organizations, subject-matter experts, and community leaders co-designing solutions and supporting fellows.
  • BePodcast Partner — Collaborates with BePodcast for media production and storytelling in education.
  • ClearTouch Partner — Partners with ClearTouch to bring innovative classroom technology into educational practice.
  • Edmentum Partner — Engages with Edmentum through partnership discussions on educational innovation and impact.
  • Jim McGuire Partner — Key collaborator with extensive nonprofit experience who helped shape the mission and continues to provide leadership.
  • Loudoun County Public Schools Partner — Partners with Loudoun County Public Schools on the Outdoor Learning Fellowship.
  • Meow Wolf Partner — Hosted a Thinkering Fellowship event at Meow Wolf in Denver.
  • NYSCATE Partner — Collaborates with NYSCATE to deliver a statewide educator fellowship and host joint webinars.
  • Roadtrip Nation Partner — Collaborates with Roadtrip Nation to explore future pathways in education and workforce development.
  • Thinkering Collective Network — Nonprofit community where educators, innovators, and leaders co-create projects to humanize education.
  • Thinkering Media Network — Storytelling hub that documents and amplifies the work of Thinkering Fellows.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Alternative Success Metrics for Education
    methodology: alternative success metrics
    By measuring educational success through creativity, curiosity, and community impact rather than traditional metrics, we shift incentives toward holistic development because what gets measured gets valued and cultivated.
  • Curiosity-Driven Learning
    methodology: curiosity-driven_learning
    By using curiosity as the foundational driver of learning, we foster deeper intellectual engagement and sustained inquiry because curiosity activates intrinsic motivation and exploratory behavior.
  • Human-Centered, Community-Empowered Design
    methodology: community-driven_design
    By empowering educators and communities to design learning solutions rooted in local context and human values, we produce more relevant and sustainable innovations because locally owned, human-centered design increases adoption and impact.
  • Passion-Driven Learning
    methodology: passion-driven_learning
    By integrating students' personal interests and creativity with academic development, we increase engagement and produce community impact because intrinsic motivation enhances learning outcomes and ownership.
  • Thinkering: Learning Through Intellectual and Hands-On Engagement
    methodology: thinkering
    By combining thinking and tinkering, we promote meaningful learning because integrating intellectual curiosity with hands-on experimentation deepens understanding and fosters creative problem-solving.