National Center for Youth Issues
National Center for Youth Issues is a Chattanooga-based educational publisher founded in 1981 that produces books, curricula, and professional development resources on K-12 social-emotional learning and youth mental health, serving school counselors, educators, and districts across all 50 states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersChattanooga, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What National Center for Youth Issues does
National Center for Youth Issues (NCYI) is a privately held educational publishing and professional development organization founded in 1981 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, originally as Project 714 and later known as STARS before adopting its current name. The company produces research-based books, workbooks, picture books, small-group counseling curricula, card decks, posters, games, and downloadable resources focused on K-12 social-emotional learning (SEL), mental health, behavior, grief, and youth development. Flagship product lines include the 15-Minute Focus Series of brief counseling titles and the ASCA-aligned 30-Minute Groups small-group counseling curriculum, each bundled with pre/post assessments, attendance logs, and reporting templates. NCYI works with a network of 38+ published authors, including nationally recognized experts such as Julia Cook and Allison Edwards, who also serve as presenters through the company's Speaker's Bureau.
NCYI monetizes through six revenue streams: direct e-commerce sales via its own bookstore at ncyi.org; digital distribution of eBooks and audiobooks through Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, Google Play, hoopla, OverDrive, and Baker & Taylor; a tiered distributor network offering 40-60% volume discounts for institutional bulk purchasing; direct conference sales; full-service conference management for state school counselor associations (15+ states managed annually); and professional services including training events and Speaker's Bureau engagements. Individual book prices range from $10.95 to $34.95, with curated and mix-and-match bundles providing incremental discounting. Distribution channels span the company's own storefront, major online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Bookshop), and the digital content platforms listed above.
The company is positioned as a long-tenured niche publisher with deep institutional penetration, claiming materials and training delivered to over 40,000 schools across all 50 states, 75,000+ counseling resources placed in schools in a single recent year, 100,000+ educators trained through the Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives program, and influence on over 12 million children and youth. Marketing channels include a content blog, organic social on Instagram, Facebook, X, Pinterest, and YouTube, a semi-monthly email newsletter with a 20% new-subscriber promotion, conference exhibitions, and author-led thought leadership. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, no public revenue disclosure, no outside investment, and no parent company; NCYI operates as an independent, founder-era organization.
National Center for Youth Issues firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Center for Youth Issues
- Legal name
- National Center for Youth Issues
- Website
- https://ncyi.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- National Center for Youth Issues is a Chattanooga-based educational publisher founded in 1981 that produces books, curricula, and professional development resources on K-12 social-emotional learning and youth mental health, serving school counselors, educators, and districts across all 50 states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Center for Youth Issues industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social-Emotional Learning Resources
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Life Skills Trade (EDAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF), Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Health & Wellbeing Curriculum (EDAGAAAF)
Keywords
Where National Center for Youth Issues is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chattanooga
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Center for Youth Issues business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct sales of books, workbooks, picture books, curricula, games, activities, posters, card decks, and other educational materials through their e-commerce bookstore. Also includes sale of bundles and sets at discounted rates.
- Digital Content Distribution: Sales of eBooks and audiobooks through third-party platforms including Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, Google Play, hoopla, OverDrive, and Baker & Taylor.
- Conference Management Services: Full spectrum conference management services provided to school districts, professional educator associations, and government agencies for youth development events.
- Training Events: Hosting of local, regional, statewide, and national 'Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives' educator training events with over 100,000 educators trained.
- Speaker's Bureau: Provision of expert, nationally-recognized presenters and facilitators for professional development events and conferences, customized for organizations and youth issues.
- Distributor Sales: Volume sales to distributor network with tiered discounts (40-50% for print, up to 60% for video/electronic media) enabling institutional purchasing by schools and districts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Books |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bundles and Sets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sale Items |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Distributor Print - Single Title |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Distributor Print - Mixed Titles |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Distributor Video/Electronic |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
National Center for Youth Issues product offering
Product offeringCore offering
National Center for Youth Issues publishes and sells a catalog of research-based educational books, workbooks, picture books, curricula, posters, card decks, games, and downloadable resources focused on youth social-emotional development and mental health support. The organization complements its published materials with paid professional services including the "Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives" educator training events, a Speaker's Bureau of nationally recognized presenters, and full-service conference management for school counselor associations and school districts.
Product overview
National Center for Youth Issues is a publishing and training organization providing educational resources, programs, and services for youth social-emotional development. The product portfolio consists primarily of published books and curriculum materials organized into product series (15-Minute Focus Series, 30-Minute Groups Series) and product categories (Picture Books, Workbooks, Card Decks, Posters, Resource Bundles, Sets, Games, Downloadable Resources). Core offerings include brief counseling books with downloadable resources for school counselors and educators, small group curriculum with ASCA alignment and assessment tools, and children's picture books teaching SEL concepts through story. Supplementary products include eBooks/Audio Books available through major retailers (Amazon, Audible, Apple, Google Play, hoopla, OverDrive), downloadable PDF resources accessible via book access codes, mix-and-match bundles allowing customer selection, and curated pre-set collections. Services include Speaker's Bureau with national expert presenters, conference management for counselor associations across multiple states, and professional development training events reaching over 100,000 educators annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 15-Minute Focus Series Research-based brief counseling book and workbook series covering specific mental health topics for school counselors, teachers, and educators, including anxiety, behavior interventions, depression, grief, trauma, suicide prevention, digital citizenship, diversity, executive function, growth mindset, regulation, relationships and belonging, crisis response, and behavioral threat assessment. Includes downloadable resources accessible via book access codes.
- 30-Minute Groups Series ASCA-aligned small group counseling curriculum series. Each title contains an introductory lesson, ten core topical lessons, and a completion session, with permission letters, attendance logs, pre/post assessments, and results reporting tools.
- Picture Books Children's storybooks teaching social-emotional lessons through narrative, by Julia Cook and other NCYI authors, covering behavior, emotions, anxiety, friendship, and resilience.
- Workbooks
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 40,000 schools served across all 50 states
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use National Center for Youth Issues
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
National Center for Youth Issues technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
National Center for Youth Issues partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
National Center for Youth Issues competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Social Thinking: Publisher of SEL curricula, books, and games focused on social cognition, regulation, and relationships. Comparable in target audience (counselors, SEL coordinators) and in publishing-plus-training model.
- CharacterStrong: K-12 SEL and character education provider with curriculum and professional development. Comparable buyer (school and district administrators) and overlap with NCYI's RESILIENCE-type framework offerings.
- Aperture Education: EdTech SEL platform offering curriculum, assessments, and PD to schools and districts. Overlaps NCYI's counseling-resource and ASCA-aligned assessment tools, but in a digital delivery model.
Direct peers
- Brookes Publishing: Specialty educational publisher focused on early childhood, special education, and SEL resources. Comparable product mix and K-12 institutional buyer base.
- Free Spirit Publishing: Independent publisher specializing in SEL, mental health, and character-education books for kids and teens. Closest pure-play peer to NCYI in youth SEL trade publishing and counselor-facing materials.
- Committee for Children: Nonprofit developer of widely adopted SEL curricula (e.g., Second Step). Comparable to NCYI as a K-12 SEL curriculum publisher with school counselor training and conference presence.
- Boys Town Press: Publisher of youth life-skills and behavior books used by school counselors and educators. Directly comparable to NCYI's picture-book and counseling-workbook lines targeting the same buyer personas.
Broad incumbents
- Scholastic: Largest K-12 publisher and distributor in the US. Competes with NCYI for shelf space, school book fairs, and district reading budgets across both trade and educational titles.
- Corwin Press: SAGE-owned professional learning and K-12 publisher. Comparable audience of educators and school leaders with overlapping SEL, mental health, and teacher PD content.
Others
- American School Counselor Association (ASCA): National membership and standards body whose National Model and U.S. Preferred School Counselor Curriculum guide much of NCYI's product design. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
National Center for Youth Issues social profiles
Digital presenceNational Center for Youth Issues financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Center for Youth Issues leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
National Center for Youth Issues funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Center for Youth Issues M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Center for Youth Issues
What does National Center for Youth Issues do?
National Center for Youth Issues publishes and sells a catalog of research-based educational books, workbooks, picture books, curricula, posters, card decks, games, and downloadable resources focused on youth social-emotional development and mental health support. The organization complements its published materials with paid professional services including the "Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives" educator training events, a Speaker's Bureau of nationally recognized presenters, and full-service conference management for school counselor associations and school districts.
Is National Center for Youth Issues a public or private company?
National Center for Youth Issues is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Center for Youth Issues founded?
National Center for Youth Issues was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is National Center for Youth Issues based?
National Center for Youth Issues is headquartered in Chattanooga, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Center for Youth Issues make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Content Distribution, conference Management Services, training Events, speaker's Bureau and distributor Sales.
Who are National Center for Youth Issues's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Social Thinking, CharacterStrong and Aperture Education. Direct peers are Brookes Publishing, Free Spirit Publishing, Committee for Children and Boys Town Press. Broad incumbents are Scholastic and Corwin Press. American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is listed as an others.
Does National Center for Youth Issues have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Center for Youth Issues.
What industry is National Center for Youth Issues in?
National Center for Youth Issues's product category is Social-Emotional Learning Resources. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAIAH, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Life Skills Trade, with a secondary code of MPAJAFAF, Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.