Teenlife Media

What Teenlife Media does

TeenLife Media, LLC operates an advertising-supported online directory and content platform that connects middle and high school students (grades 7–12), their parents, and educators with experiential learning opportunities. The core TeenLife Platform lists 10,000+ programs across nine categories — summer programs, gap year programs, school year enrichment, volunteer opportunities, private schools, colleges and trade schools, service providers, bootcamps, and competition programs — with regional filtering across 15+ U.S. markets plus Canada and the United Kingdom. Underlying technology is a conventional web-based directory/marketplace with provider self-serve listing tools, social login (Facebook, Google), and SEO-optimized category and regional pages; no proprietary AI/ML features are disclosed.

The business model is two-sided and advertising-driven. Program providers (summer camps, gap year programs, private schools, colleges, bootcamps, service operators) list for free or purchase paid advertising and premium placements to reach TeenLife's audience of teens, parents, and school counselors. Supporting the directory is an editorial content operation comprising a blog and a portfolio of branded digital guides (Guide to Summer Programs, Guide to College Admissions, Guide to Performing & Visual Arts, Guide to Middle School, Guide to Pathways After High School, and the "Your Future in…" career-pathway series covering STEM, Healthcare, Business & Entrepreneurship, and Global Impact). The company, founded around 2007 and headquartered in Boston with a Washington, D.C. contact address, operates with 11–50 employees, is privately held with no disclosed venture funding, and has built a partnership network spanning HECA, the Gap Year Association, NSHSS, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, HOSA, EdTA, BPA, PressReader, and Yumpu to extend distribution. Marie Schwartz serves as founder and CEO.

Name

Teenlife Media

Legal name

TeenLife Media, LLC

Website

https://teenlife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TeenLife Media operates an advertising-supported online directory connecting grades 7–12 students, parents, and educators with 10,000+ experiential learning programs across summer, gap year, enrichment, college, and bootcamp categories in the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Marketplace / Experiential Learning Directory

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Teen/Young Adult Educational Nonfiction (College/Career, Health, Civics) (EDAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Experiential learning directory
• Teen enrichment programs
• Summer programs listing
• College admissions resources
• Youth education marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Provider Listings and Advertising: TeenLife generates revenue by offering paid advertising and premium listing placements to educational program providers (summer camps, gap year programs, private schools, colleges, bootcamps, etc.) who want to reach teens and their families. The platform also offers 'List on TeenLife' options for providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TeenLife Media operates an online directory and marketplace that connects middle and high school students (grades 7-12), their parents, and educators with 10,000+ academic and experiential learning opportunities across nine categories, including summer programs, gap year programs, school year enrichment, volunteer opportunities, private schools, colleges and trade schools, bootcamps, service providers, and competitions. The platform is supported by a library of free digital guides (summer programs, college admissions, performing arts, STEM, healthcare, business, global impact), an editorial blog, and an email newsletter, and is monetized through paid advertising and premium listings sold to program providers.

Product overview

TeenLife Media operates a directory and content platform connecting students, parents, and educators with experiential learning opportunities. The core TeenLife Platform serves as a searchable directory of 10,000+ programs across 9 categories (summer programs, gap year, school year enrichment, volunteer, private schools, colleges, service providers, bootcamps, and competitions). Supporting the directory are multiple digital publications including the Guide to Summer Programs, Guide to College Admissions, Guide to Performing & Visual Arts, and career-focused guides (Your Future in STEM, Healthcare, Business & Entrepreneurship, and Global Impact). The TeenLife Blog provides editorial content on teen education topics, while the Newsletter delivers curated updates. The platform also offers a free listing service for program providers to advertise their offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TeenLife Platform A directory/marketplace platform indexing 10,000+ academic and experiential learning opportunities for students in grades 7-12 across categories including summer programs, gap year programs, school year enrichment, volunteer opportunities, private schools, colleges, service providers, bootcamps, and competition programs. Targeted at students, parents, and educators seeking to discover and compare enrichment programs.
• Free Listing Service A free self-serve listing service that allows program providers (summer camps, gap year organizations, private schools, colleges, bootcamps, service providers) to add their enrichment programs to the TeenLife directory. Designed for program operators seeking visibility to the TeenLife audience without paid advertising spend.
• TeenLife Newsletter Email newsletter delivering updates on new programs, upcoming events, and educational resources to subscribers (parents, teens, and educators). Functions as a recurring engagement channel and a distribution mechanism for new provider listings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ experiential learning opportunities available

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA Science and Engineering FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to stimulate and sustain interest in STEM among youth by producing educational festival events. TeenLife connects students with STEM opportunities through this partnership.
• HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe only network of independent educational consultants focused exclusively on supporting high school students. TeenLife and HECA work together to increase visibility of opportunities among families and counselors.
• National Consortium for Health Science EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit education organization representing state education agency leaders for health science CTE programs. Partnership helps distribute TeenLife content to relevant students and educators.
• Scholastic Art and Writing AwardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNation's longest-running recognition program for creative teens. Partnership connects TeenLife users with arts opportunities and scholarships up to $10,000.
• Gap Year AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeenLife Media and the Gap Year Association joined together with the mission to increase visibility of gap year opportunities among families with high school students, as well as college counselors and independent consultants.
• SPARCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational organization supporting independent school auxiliary program leaders. Helps members grow professionally and achieve excellence. Partnership distributes TeenLife content to member professionals.
• PressReaderminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld's premier digital newsstand providing access to thousands of newspapers and magazines. Partnership brings TeenLife guides to PressReader's platform, extending reach globally.
• YumpuminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDynamic publishing service that distributes TeenLife guides, garnering over 300,000 impressions annually. SEO-friendly platform extends TeenLife's reach and visibility.
• HOSA - Future Health ProfessionalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and health industry. Partnership connects aspiring healthcare professionals with opportunities through TeenLife publications.
• Educational Theatre Association (EdTA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational nonprofit inspiring and supporting theatre educators and honoring student achievement through International Thespian Society. Partnership expands access to theatre education resources.
• NSHSS (National Society of High School Scholars)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization recognizing and supporting high-achieving students through scholarships, leadership programs, events, and career resources. Partnership connects scholars with programs and opportunities.
• BPA (Business Professionals of America)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Career and Technical Student Organization equipping students for success through business, finance, technology, competition, and service. Partnership reaches BPA members with resources.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Outschool: Outschool is a marketplace for online and in-person enrichment classes for kids and teens, including summer and after-school programs. It is comparable to TeenLife as a two-sided marketplace connecting families to enrichment providers with a self-serve listing and discovery experience.
• ActivityHero: ActivityHero is a marketplace for kids' and teens' classes, camps, and after-school activities, searchable by region and category. It directly competes with TeenLife's summer-program and enrichment categories with a similar SMB-provider monetization model.
• Cappex: Cappex is a college search and discovery platform helping students find and compare colleges. It is comparable to TeenLife's college-category directory and shares the provider-paid monetization model targeting teen and family decision-makers.
• Niche: Niche is a K-12 and college discovery platform with reviews, rankings, and searchable directories of schools and enrichment. It is comparable to TeenLife because both monetize consumer-side traffic to school and program providers, but Niche operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• CourseHorse: CourseHorse is a directory and booking marketplace for enrichment classes, bootcamps, and workshops, including teen-focused offerings. It overlaps with TeenLife's enrichment and bootcamp verticals and serves a similar provider-paid marketplace model.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Scholastic is a major children's and young-adult publisher and education company with reach into schools, families, and teens. It overlaps with TeenLife's content-publishing model for the K-12 audience and has partnered with TeenLife via the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, indicating comparable audience access.
• College Confidential: College Confidential is a long-standing college admissions community and resource hub with forums, articles, and school profiles. It overlaps with TeenLife's college-admissions content and reach to the same grades 7-12 audience, but operates more as a content/community site than a structured marketplace.
• College Board: College Board administers SAT, AP, and a college search tool serving virtually every college-bound high school student. It is comparable to TeenLife as a destination for college-discovery content for the grades 9-12 audience, with massive scale advantages in reach and brand trust.
• Naviance: Naviance is a college and career readiness platform used by schools and counselors for student planning. It is comparable to TeenLife's counselor-facing distribution and college-planning content, but is sold to schools rather than advertising-funded.

Emerging players

• Raise.me: Raise.me is a micro-scholarship platform connecting high school students to colleges based on achievements. It is comparable to TeenLife because both serve the grades 7-12 audience researching college pathways and monetize provider (college) demand, though Raise.me focuses specifically on scholarships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/teenlifemedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/teenlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/533305
• Instagraminstagram.com/teenlifemedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Teenlife Media