Looking Ahead to 2020
To deeply embed experiential learning in 15 of the highest need cities across the country,
Out Teach has launched a four-year Strategic Growth Plan.
The plan will leverage a one-time $6M growth capital campaign to fuel our expansion, accelerating our growth from serving 10 new schools a year in Texas and the Mid-Atlantic to serving more than 130 new schools each year across six regions and 15 cities.
2020 Growth Plan Goals
Geographic Expansion
- Launch operations for four new regions
- Expand current regions (Mid-Atlantic and Texas) and new regions to serve school districts in 12 new cities
Product Diversification and Scale-Up
- Introduce and scale professional learning program for schools with existing gardens
- Build 67 new outdoor classrooms; activate 218 existing gardens
Deepen Teacher Engagement
- Launch online Coaching Center to support professional learning program
- Expand curriculum to include 180+ new lessons on STEM, English Language Arts, environmental literacy, and nutrition education
- Deepen evaluation to align with national teacher evaluation systems
Financial Plan
By 2020, the Out Teach annual operating budget will increase 300% to $8M. While the growth plan will be fueled initially by capital investment, the financial sustainability plan includes a mix of revenue from regional philanthropy (35%) and earned income (65%) derived from school fees and corporate partners that leverage garden-building projects for employee volunteerism. Each region will reach financial sustainability by its fourth year of operation.
Progress to Date
(July 1, 2016–April 1, 2017)
Geographic Expansion
- Successfully launched first new region–The Carolinas (Region 3)
- Expanded reach to serve districts in two new markets: Charlotte and Baltimore
- Piloting school partnership in Nashville (potential Region 4)
- Preparing to launch second new region – The Southeast on July 1, 2017
- Conducting due diligence on Regions 5-6 (considering Ohio and Florida)
Product Diversification and Scale-Up
- Introduced standalone professional learning program for schools with existing gardens
- Expanded new school partners in two existing regions (Mid-Atlantic and Texas) by 100% (from FY16)
- Built 7 outdoor learning labs; Activated 20 existing gardens
- Deepen Teacher Engagement
- Hired National Director of Training & Curriculum Development to lead education program and ensure program fidelity across regions
- Created 30 new lessons aligned with Common Core and Next Gen Science Standards; filmed training videos to accompany 10 new lessons
- Constructed digital education platform and designed user interface
