LifeSmart Youth

What LifeSmart Youth does

LifeSmart Youth, founded in 1943 as the Social Health Association of Indiana and rebranded in 2018, is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that delivers evidence-based, school-based health education programs to K-8 students across 37 school districts in 15 Indiana counties. Its core product portfolio covers the full K-8 health education continuum: Human Growth & Development for grades 4-6 (gender-specific puberty education), Rights, Respect, Responsibility (3Rs) and Making A Difference! for teen pregnancy and STD prevention in middle school, CARE for teen dating violence prevention, and Step Up for Kindness! for bullying prevention across K-8. Curricula are aligned with Indiana Academic Standards for Health Education, National Sexuality Education Standards, and National Health Education Standards; the 3Rs curriculum is CDC-endorsed and CARE is adapted from Harvard University research and the Relationship SMARTS evidence base.

Programs are delivered directly in classrooms by trained professional Health Educators at no cost to schools, students, or families, with measured outcomes including 90-98% classroom teacher approval and 98% program partner approval. The organization supplements classroom delivery with a Safe Adult Portal, Virtual Safe Adult Information Nights via Zoom (in English and Spanish), and a monthly Fox59 Kids First media segment. Research and curriculum-validation partnerships are maintained with Indiana University School of Social Work, IU School of Medicine, and IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

The business model is a nonprofit donation- and grant-funded operating structure. Revenue streams include federal and state grants (over $550,000 committed for 2017, a 48% increase year-over-year), foundation and trust grants (Nina Mason Pulliam Trust, Lilly Endowment, Indianapolis Foundation, Impact 100, Kendrick Foundation, Patterson Foundation), corporate sponsorships (Pacers Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, Downtown Optimist Club), individual donations via the website and Giving Tuesday, and an annual Bubbles and Bids fundraising event ($29,375 raised in 2016). Go-to-market is field-driven, with Health Educators and program staff conducting direct outreach to school administrators, counselors, and nurses to schedule programming. Customer segments are K-8 students (primary), Indiana school districts (purchaser/partner), and parents and trusted adults (supporting engagement).

Name

LifeSmart Youth

Legal name

LifeSmart Youth

Website

https://lifesmartyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LifeSmart Youth is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit founded in 1943 that delivers evidence-based, school-based health education programs free of charge to K-8 students across 37 Indiana school districts in 15 counties, covering puberty, bullying prevention, healthy relationships, and teen pregnancy prevention.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Health Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based Mental & Behavioral Health Services (EDAJAIAB), Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL), Public Student Support & Related Services (Counseling, SEL, Health, Safety) (EDAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Youth health education
• School-based programs
• Bullying prevention curricula
• Teen pregnancy prevention
• Medically accurate education

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Federal and state government grants form a significant portion of funding. Lost federal funding in 2015 which led to staff restructuring. Over $550,000 committed in federal and state grants for 2017 (48% increase).
2. Foundation and Trust Funding: Grants from foundations including Nina Mason Pulliam Trust, Indianapolis Foundation (strategic capacity-building), Lilly Endowment, Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis ($100,000 grant), Kendrick Foundation, and The Patterson Foundation.
3. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals through website PayPal portal and annual appeals. Participation in Giving Tuesday campaigns.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate entities including Pacers Foundation, Downtown Optimist Club, and Eli Lilly and Company (through employee Jeff Wilson's board service).
5. Fundraising Events: Bubbles and Bids annual event as major fundraiser, raising $29,375 in 2016.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LifeSmart Youth delivers school-based health education programs to K-8th grade students across 37 school districts in 15 Indiana counties. Trained Health Educators deliver evidence-based curricula in classrooms covering human growth and development, bullying prevention, healthy relationships, and teen pregnancy/STD prevention at no cost to schools or families.

Product overview

LifeSmart Youth (formerly Social Health Association of Indiana) is a non-profit organization founded in 1943 that provides school-based health education programs for Indiana students. The organization offers a portfolio of age-appropriate, medically-accurate health education programs including: Human Growth & Development (for grades 4-6), Rights, Respect, Responsibility/3Rs (teen pregnancy & STD prevention for grades 7+), CARE (healthy relationships and dating violence prevention for grade 8), Step Up for Kindness! (bullying prevention for K-8), and Making A Difference! (evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention). These programs are delivered by trained Health Educators in schools, with supporting resources for parents through an online Parent Portal and Virtual Safe Adult Information Nights. The programs meet Indiana Academic Standards for Health Education and focus on human growth and development, disease prevention, pregnancy prevention, personal safety, and bullying prevention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Up for Kindness!™: Bullying prevention program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade
• Making A Difference!™
• CARE™ (Communicating with And Respecting Each other)
• 3Rs (Rights, Respect, Responsibility)®
• TrustEd Adults

Products and services

• Human Growth & Development Age-appropriate, gender-specific, medically-accurate programs teaching students how to take care of their growing bodies during puberty. Offered in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels with gender-specific classes.
• Step Up for Kindness! (Bullying Prevention) Bullying and peer violence prevention program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Teaches kindness, empathy, compassion, and skills to address bullying. Research-validated with improved metrics on bullying awareness, prevention activity, and peer reporting in IPS schools.
• CARE (Communicating with And Respecting Each other) Teen dating violence prevention program helping teens learn effective communication in romantic relationships. Adapted from evidence-based Relationship SMARTS program and Harvard University research, addressing verbal and nonverbal communication skills and emotional abuse awareness.
• 3Rs (Rights, Respect, Responsibility) Teen Pregnancy & STD Prevention Evidence-informed five-session curriculum covering human growth and development, reproduction basics, birth control, STD prevention, and communication skills for sexual decision-making for middle and high school students. Aligned with National Sexuality Education Standards and National Health Education Standards.
• Making A Difference! CDC-endorsed evidence-based teen pregnancy and STD prevention curriculum for 7th and 8th grade youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% program partner approval rating for Health Educator performance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana University School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for bullying prevention evaluation. Dr. James Brown and Dr. Isaac Karikari conducted 18-month research analysis of Step Up for Kindness! program demonstrating improved metrics on bullying awareness, prevention activity, and peer reporting in IPS schools.
• Indiana University School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3-year research partnership established 2016/17. IU School of Medicine provides teen pregnancy prevention data to adjust curricula. Director of Adolescent Medicine reviewed Human Growth & Development curriculum for medical accuracy.
• Indiana University Lilly Family School of PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's first school dedicated solely to philanthropy. Partnered with The Patterson Foundation for Fellows Initiative. LifeSmart Youth employee pursuing Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies.
• Domestic Violence NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in new kINDness collective for K-12 healthy relationships programming alongside Playworks and Irvington Community Schools.
• IU Health Strong SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Step Up for Kindness! bullying prevention programming in IU Health Strong Schools.
• Fox59 (WXIN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for 'Kids First on Fox59' monthly segment featuring LifeSmart Youth CEO and staff discussing youth health topics including HPV, teen dating violence, suicide prevention, and community programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Advocates for Youth: National nonprofit that promotes adolescent sexual and reproductive health through curricula, training, and advocacy. Comparable on evidence-based 3Rs-style curricula and K-12 delivery, but operates at a national advocacy and training scale rather than as an in-classroom service provider.
• Riley Children's Health (Indiana University Health): Indiana's largest pediatric health system that runs school and community health partnerships including bullying prevention. Comparable in delivering Step Up for Kindness-style anti-bullying programming in Indiana schools and serving overlapping audiences, though as part of a much broader health system.
• SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.): National policy and advocacy organization advancing comprehensive sexuality education. Comparable on mission and standards alignment (National Sexuality Education Standards), but operates primarily as an advocacy/curriculum resource rather than a school-delivery provider.
• ETR Associates: National nonprofit that develops and disseminates evidence-based health education curricula and training, including pregnancy/STD prevention programs. Directly comparable on the curriculum-development side (e.g., 3Rs-style materials) and K-12 audience, though ETR primarily licenses curricula rather than dispatching Health Educators.
• Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky: Regional affiliate of a national reproductive health organization that delivers school-based and community-based sex education and youth health programming in Indiana. Comparable target audience (K-12 students, parents) and overlapping curriculum topics (pregnancy/STD prevention, healthy relationships), but operates as a broader health services provider rather than a school-delivered health education specialist.

Direct peers

• Answer Inc. (RTP): Nonprofit that provides evidence-based sexuality and relationship education programs in schools and community settings. Closely comparable as a direct school-delivery health education specialist with similar age-appropriate curricula, though its primary footprint is North Carolina rather than Indiana.
• Cardea Services: National nonprofit providing training, consulting, and curriculum in sexual and reproductive health, including school-based programming. Closely comparable on evidence-based curricula, K-12 delivery model, and capacity-building for schools — primarily a peer in the sexual health education specialist category.
• Healthy Teen Network: National nonprofit focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health through training, resources, and programs for youth-serving professionals. Comparable mission and target population, with similar emphasis on evidence-based teen pregnancy/STD prevention programming.

Regional players

• Indiana Youth Institute: Indiana-based nonprofit supporting youth-serving organizations across the state through training, data, and resources. Comparable as an Indiana-headquartered youth services organization with overlapping funder relationships, though it operates more as a capacity-building intermediary than a direct program deliverer.

Emerging players

• Center for Relationship Education (Relationship SMARTS): Developer of the Relationship SMARTS curriculum, which LifeSmart's CARE program is adapted from. Comparable on healthy relationships and teen dating violence prevention content, though operates more as a curriculum licensor than a direct school-delivery provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lifesmartyouth4020
• Facebookfacebook.com/LifeSmartYouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifesmart-youth-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifesmart_youth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 LifeSmart Youth