Founded in 2008 in Austin, Texas, EcoRise distributes its sustainability curriculum and trains teachers to teach it across the United States and in 54 other countries.

EcoRise’s Sustainable Intelligence Program gives teachers more than 200 free lessons designed for K-12 students on themes like water, waste, food, energy, and air. Lessons align with relevant education standards like Common Core. EcoRise also provides professional development training for teachers to ensure the quality of the curriculum’s delivery.

Students participating in the Sustainable Intelligence Program use the organization’s Eco-Audit tools to evaluate their schools’ environmental impact and identify solutions that make their schools more sustainable. Students then receive microgrants from EcoRise to fund their projects. Past projects have included upcycling used crayons and paper to reduce waste and constructing an outdoor shaded learning area to mitigate the effects of heat islands.

EcoRise also has a curriculum for high school students that focuses on preparing them for careers in environmental sustainability. The curriculum trains students to earn the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate credential, a highly sought-after professional certification.

To advance knowledge of environmental sustainability broadly across the United States, EcoRise launched Gen:Thrive, an interactive tool that maps environmental education programs across the country and the likelihood of climate disasters and environmental hazards. The tool helps policymakers and those in the nonprofit sector identify which areas are most vulnerable to environmental harm but lack relevant education. The tool also allows those looking for environmental education to find programs in their area.

In the 2023-24 academic year, 9,469 teachers across the United States and in 54 other countries integrated EcoRise’s Sustainability Innovations (SI) Curriculum into their classrooms, reaching 530,264 students through hands-on environmental sustainability lessons.

EcoRise’s student-led projects have reduced 5,223 tons of carbon and saved schools $362,053 annually in resource costs, such as electricity bills. Since 2015, these projects have diverted approximately 7 million pounds of waste, produced over 56,000 pounds of food, saved over 2,200,000 gallons of water, saved over 43,900,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, and improved 1.6 million square feet of green space.[2]

92.5% of teachers say using EcoRise’s tools has brought new energy to their teaching practice; 89.2% report that EcoRise provided new ways to address their school’s academic goals; and 86.6% say EcoRise programs had a large or moderate impact on their students’ environmental literacy and knowledge of sustainability issues.

90.9% of students who participate in the green careers program agree or strongly agree that they are more interested in pursuing a green career path and 81.8% agree or strongly agree that they are better prepared to enter the workforce in general.

EcoRise receives 55% of its funding from philanthropic contributions and grants and 42% from schools that pay for program services like their green careers curriculum. The remainder of its annual funding comes from investment income. Increased philanthropic support will allow EcoRise to expand its programs to other geographies and to support more student-led projects. Learn more: https://www.ecorise.org/

For more organizations working to protect the environment, see Pristine Seas, which works to restore the health and productivity of the ocean, and Seacology, which works to safeguard the livelihoods and food sources of residents by protecting island ecosystems.

For more policy and practice on the themes of climate action, stewardship of nature, and human prosperity, see the Penn Environmental Initiative.