Choose To Be Nice

What Choose To Be Nice does

Choose To Be Nice, LLC is a privately held, bootstrapped social and emotional learning (SEL) company founded in 2013 by Dina Creiger in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings and headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts. The company provides a turnkey SEL curriculum for PreK-8 schools, camps, and families, built around nine core values (respect, kindness, acceptance, teamwork, honesty, responsibility, friendship, patience, and courage) that schools introduce one per month. The core product surface includes a School Program with classroom curriculum and school-wide activities, a Camp Program, free Home & Community Resources, and grade-specific Learning Activity Guides (e.g., Nine Nice Mice K-2, third-grade Respect and Kindness guides) featuring proprietary characters and supporting materials such as audio recordings, reward tickets, and certificates. A visible commitment system using a Promise Banner anchors the curriculum, and merchandise (t-shirts, sweatshirts, accessories) sold through an e-commerce storefront doubles as both a revenue stream and a brand ambassador program.

The company monetizes through three streams: recurring school program licensing (annual, with pricing handled via inquiry rather than publicly disclosed), one-time merchandise sales, and school fundraiser transactions. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct outreach to principals, counselors, and administrators, supplemented by the NAESP partnership, an ambassador volunteer program, content marketing via a blog, and an annual Choose To Be Nice Week event with social media challenges. Customer evidence spans schools across at least seven states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and others), with documented district-wide adoption at Somerville (six elementary schools and two middle schools) and a 2016 Good Morning America Deals and Steals feature that drove merchandise sales from all 50 US states. The company has no external funding, no disclosed headcount, and operates as a founder-led Massachusetts LLC.

Name

Choose To Be Nice

Legal name

Choose To Be Nice, LLC

Website

https://choosetobenice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Choose To Be Nice is a bootstrapped, founder-led Massachusetts LLC that provides a turnkey K-8 social and emotional learning curriculum built around nine core values, serving schools, camps, and families through licensing, merchandise, and a volunteer ambassador program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

School-Based SEL Curriculum & Instructional Programs (EDAKAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family/Parent-Focused SEL & Home Practice Programs (EDACAOAG), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Positive Discipline & Behavior Support Programs (EDACALAD)

Keywords

• Social emotional learning
• Character education curriculum
• School kindness program
• SEL program licensing
• Classroom SEL resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Needham

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. School SEL Program Licensing: Schools purchase turnkey social and emotional learning programs that include curriculum, resources, and activities. Programs are sold as annual licensing with supporting materials.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, bracelets, and other items. Merchandise reinforces the message and supporters become ambassadors. Featured on Good Morning America's Deals and Steals segment.
3. School Fundraisers: Schools using CTBN merchandise to raise funds for their programs and community initiatives, with a portion supporting CTBN programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Choose To Be Nice provides turnkey social and emotional learning (SEL) programs and curriculum for PreK-8 schools, summer camps, and families, built around nine core values (respect, kindness, acceptance, teamwork, honesty, responsibility, friendship, patience, courage) taught one per month. Schools license annual programs that include lesson plans, activities, assemblies, character materials, and the Nine Nice Mice characters, with companion family resources that extend the lessons from school to home.

Product overview

Choose To Be Nice offers a unified suite of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for schools (PreK-8), camps, and families/communities. The core offerings include the School Program (turnkey curriculum with monthly value themes), Camp Program, and Home & Community Resources. Supporting materials include grade-specific Learning Activity Guides (such as the Nine Nice Mice K-2 Guide and third-grade guides for Respect and Kindness) with audio recordings, reward tickets, and certificates. The company also sells branded merchandise (apparel and accessories) that both funds the programs and serves as ambassadors for the kindness movement. All offerings are centered on nine core values: respect, kindness, acceptance, teamwork, honesty, responsibility, friendship, patience, and courage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTBN School Program Turnkey social and emotional learning program for PreK-8 schools, organized around nine monthly core values (respect, kindness, acceptance, teamwork, honesty, responsibility, friendship, patience, courage) with curriculum, activities, and school-wide assemblies.
• CTBN Camp Program SEL program tailored for summer camps and out-of-school programs, helping campers develop confidence, independence, leadership, and a culture of kindness.
• Home & Community Resources Free family and community resources based on the nine core values, including activities, conversation guides, posters, and printables for use at home and in the community.
• Nine Nice Mice K-2 Learning Activity Guide Learning activity guide featuring the Nine Nice Mice characters to teach Kindergarten through 2nd grade students the nine Choose To Be Nice values through stories and activities.
• Third Grade Respect Learning Activity Guide Grade-specific learning activity guide with audio recordings, reward tickets, and award certificates that help third grade students understand and embrace the value of respect.
• Third Grade Kindness Learning Activity Guide Grade-specific learning activity guide with audio recordings, reward tickets, and award certificates that help third grade students understand and embrace the value of kindness.
• CTBN Merchandise (Apparel & Accessories) Branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories that reinforce and spread the Choose To Be Nice message, sold directly via the company's e-commerce storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23% reduction in negative behavior referrals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoose To Be Nice entered a partnership with NAESP to provide SEL programming visibility through the principal organization. This partnership helps reach school administrators directly through NAESP channels and conferences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sanford Harmony: Sanford Harmony is a national SEL program for PreK-6 classrooms focused on building healthy relationships and community. It directly competes with CTBN's PreK-8 school SEL offering with a similar relationship- and community-building focus.
• CharacterStrong: CharacterStrong provides character education and SEL curriculum for K-12 schools, including character-based programs, leadership, and school culture resources. It is a direct competitor to CTBN in the K-8 character/SEL curriculum market.
• Committee for Children (Second Step): Committee for Children is a leading nonprofit provider of SEL curricula for PreK-8, with Second Step being one of the most widely adopted SEL programs in US schools. It directly competes with Choose To Be Nice in classroom-based SEL curriculum for elementary schools.

Peers

• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChooseToBeNice
• Facebookfacebook.com/Choosetobenice
• Instagraminstagram.com/choosetobenice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/choose-to-be-nice-llc

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 Choose To Be Nice