irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $439KCivic ScienceCivic Science is a semester- or year-long program that engages educators and students in project-based STEAM learning outside of the classroom. Using our Inquiry-to-Action framework, this program trains teachers to engage students in hands-on learning to identify, analyze, and solve real-world environmental issues that impact their school communities. Exploring cross-curricular inquiry pathways such as air and water quality, biodiversity, waste, and infrastructure, students visit local green spaces to collect data, develop action plans, and share findings and solutions with field experts and decision-makers during our culminating annual Student Symposium events.
- #2 $141KProfessional development and TrainingThe concepts of sustainability are universal, but every district and school starts from a different place in implementing sustainability education. CELF customized professional development (PD) helps schools infuse curriculum and school culture with education for a sustainable future. PD services include: gap analyses of curriculum; on-site Education for Sustainability training and resources (specific to grade level and school or district needs and interests); and review of facilities green infrastructure improvements to help infuse projects into curriculum. Through half-day workshops to multi-year engagements, we provide a framework for integrating sustainability concepts into curricula, community, and culture, helping teachers connect students to place-based learning opportunities in the community, create whole-school action plans, and activate student civic engagement.Green Careers Speaker SeriesAs student interest in sustainability grows, CELF helps students see how their interests and community concerns can be channeled into potential career pathways by connecting them with professionals working in a wide array of sustainability focused careers. CELF connects classrooms directly with industry professionals across sectors to explore opportunities for applying sustainability and systems thinking in their career planning and aspiration.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Civic Science: Inquiry to Action
Semester- or year-long program that trains K-12 teachers to guide students in project-based STEAM learning focused on real-world environmental issues such as air and water quality, biodiversity, and waste. Includes field data collection, development of action plans, and presentation at an annual Student Symposium.
Green Careers Speaker Series
Connects students with sustainability professionals across sectors to explore career pathways and apply systems thinking to future aspirations.
Professional Development and Training
Customized training for educators and administrators to integrate sustainability into curriculum and school culture. Includes gap analyses, on-site workshops, and support for place-based learning and whole-school action plans.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Teacher Professional Development 2 activities
- Deliver professional development for K-12 educators in sustainability educationProvides customized professional development for K-12 educators and administrators, including curriculum gap analyses, on-site training, and integration of sustainability concepts into school culture and curriculum. Offers flagship programs such as the CELF Summer Institute and the Citizen Science School and Community program, including virtual and hybrid formats introduced in 2020.
- Expand access to place-based and data-driven sustainability learningEquips educators with tools for place-based learning and data-driven discovery around sustainability, having supported over 15,000 educators and reaching over 1.5 million students through its programs since 2003.
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Agricultural Training and Education Programs 1 activity
- Collaborate on development of sustainable agriculture education programsCo-developing a new Program of Study on Controlled Environment Agriculture for Texas schools in collaboration with Columbia University to prepare students for leadership in sustainable agriculture, including providing testimony on related curriculum revisions to the Texas Education Agency and State Board of Education.
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Program Evaluation and Impact Research 1 activity
- Conduct participant feedback research to inform programmingConducts periodic surveys of participants to gather feedback and inform future program development, supporting continuous improvement of educational offerings.
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Student Career Readiness and Internship Placement 1 activity
- Connect students with sustainability career pathwaysOperates a Green Careers Speaker Series and other career exposure initiatives to connect students with professionals in sustainability-focused fields, supporting exploration of career pathways using sustainability and systems thinking.
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Project-Based Learning Programs 1 activity
- Implement project-based STEAM learning programs for K-12 studentsImplements semester- or year-long project-based STEAM learning programs for K-12 students and educators focused on real-world environmental issues such as air and water quality, biodiversity, waste, and infrastructure. Programs include experiential initiatives like student-led food waste to composting projects and the creation of educational materials such as children's books on climate change.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Develop and disseminate sustainability-focused curriculaDeveloped the Civic Science framework starting in 2016, including pathways in air quality, water, waste, and biodiversity, and created specific curricula such as the Three Rivers of Yonkers for elementary grades and climate change resiliency programs for high school students.
- Host student research symposia on environmental topicsHosted a virtual student symposium in 2023 where students from New York, Texas, and Ghana presented research projects on environmental topics including endangered species, microplastics, water contamination, air quality, and food access.
- Support systemic integration of sustainability in schoolsImplements the Whole School Change program to support systemic integration of sustainability across curriculum, school culture, campus operations, and community engagement. Has supported transformations in school districts such as Warwick Valley and Putnam Valley, with demonstrated recognition including the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Award.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$787K
Contributions & grants$775K99%
Program service revenue$11K1%
Investment income$360%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$805K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$639K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$320K
Cash$270K
Investments$12K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$320K
Liquid reserves4.2 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +14.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tara Stafford Ocansey | Executive Director | 40 | $128K |
board members · 8
- Alex Krueger — Director
- Alexandra Goldstein — Director
- Cassandra Clark — Director
- Daniel Metzger — Chairperson
- David Stubbs — Treasurer
- Maureen Brady Atinsky — Secretary
- Tim Clare — Director
- William Davis — Vice Chair
relationships · 42
Who they work with
- Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University’s Earth Institute Partner — Tara Stafford Ocansey previously facilitated global sustainability and education initiatives at this organization before joining CELF.
- Clinton Global Initiative Partner — Partnered through the Summer Institutes to advance sustainability education.
- Columbia University Partner — Collaborating with CELF staff to develop a new Program of Study on Controlled Environment Agriculture for Texas schools.
- Constant Contact Partner — Email platform used for distributing the newsletter.
- GOALS program Partner — Certain CELF staff serve as super mentors for future agriculture educators at Penn State University and Colorado State University through this program.
- Ghana Partner — Collaborates with students in Ghana on environmental education initiatives and symposium participation.
- Government Partners Government — Collaborates with government entities to support program delivery.
- GrowNYC Partner — Former staff experience includes managing a farmers market stand at GrowNYC markets, indicating a professional connection.
- HabitatMap Partner — Collaborates with HabitatMap to use its crowd-sourced data sharing platform for air quality monitoring in student-led civic science projects.
- Higher Education Partners Partner — Collaborates with higher education institutions to support CELF programs.
- Houston Independent School District Partner — Collaborated with CELF staff on a program empowering high school students to address food security and climate change through experiential learning.
- Houston Independent School District Partner — One of the large U.S. school districts with which CELF has built a long-term strategic partnership.
- Houston Independent School District Partner — Partnering with CELF to pilot a zero-waste initiative.
- Institute for Sustainable Schools at Shelburne Farms Partner — Tim Clare facilitates professional learning experiences for educators through this organization.
- Los Angeles Unified School District Partner — One of the large U.S. school districts with which CELF has built a long-term strategic partnership.
- MS 447 Math & Science Preparatory School Partner — Implementing hands-on sustainability practices such as gardening and oyster counting with support from CELF.
- Moonflower Farms Partner — Partner providing hydroponic grow kits as raffle prizes for survey participation.
- Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Unit Partner — Collaborated to develop the Civic Science framework and its initial air quality pathway.
- National Geographic Society Partner — Supported the expansion of the Civic Science framework into water, waste, and biodiversity inquiry pathways.
- New York City Department of Education’s Office of Sustainability Partner — Partnered through the Summer Institutes to implement sustainability education.
- Nonprofit Partners Partner — Partners with nonprofit organizations to advance environmental education goals.
- Plush for the Planet Partner — Partner providing stuffed animals as raffle prizes for survey participation.
- Prager Metis Government — Independent financial review conducted by accounting firm Prager Metis.
- Public Education Partners Partner — Works with public education agencies to implement environmental literacy initiatives.
- Putnam Valley Central School District Partner — Completed a Whole School Transformation with support from CELF.
- Regional Environmental Educators Forum Coalition — Certain CELF staff serve on the advisory board of this forum, contributing to regional environmental education efforts.
- Scarsdale Public Schools Partner — Collaborating with CELF on integrating sustainability into curriculum and teaching practices.
- Scarsdale School District Partner — Collaborates with CELF on integrating sustainability into curriculum and school practices.
- Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) Coalition — Certain CELF staff serve on the board of this organization, supporting science education in New York.
- Sleepy Hollow Middle School Partner — Teachers implementing education for sustainability in classrooms following CELF training.
+ 12 more
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.
- Civic Science Integration in STEM Educationmethodology: civic_scienceBy integrating civic science with STEM education, the organization empowers students to generate data-driven solutions to local environmental issues, because combining scientific inquiry with civic engagement increases relevance, ownership, and community impact.
- Education for Sustainability as Cross-Curricular Frameworkmethodology: education_for_sustainabilityBy using sustainability as a unifying, cross-curricular framework, the organization integrates environmental, economic, and social dimensions into K-12 education, because it enables students to understand systemic interdependence and develop responsible decision-making skills through real-world, place-based applications.
- Inquiry-to-Action Framework for Educator and Student Empowermentmethodology: inquiry-to-actionBy training educators to guide students through an Inquiry-to-Action process, the organization enables students to identify and solve real-world environmental problems, because this cyclical model links critical thinking with civic agency and measurable community impact.
- Place-Based and Project-Based Learning for Civic Engagementmethodology: place_and_project_based_learningBy grounding education in local ecosystems and community challenges through place-based and project-based learning, the organization fosters student motivation and agency, because direct, experiential engagement strengthens connections to place and increases the relevance and impact of learning.
- Whole School Transformation to Institutionalize Sustainabilitymethodology: whole_school_transformationBy implementing a Whole School Transformation model, the organization embeds sustainability across curriculum, culture, campus, and community, because systemic change in educational institutions enables lasting integration of environmental literacy and stewardship into daily practice.