#HalfTheStory
#HalfTheStory is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers youth-led digital wellness curricula and policy advocacy programs to tweens, teens, schools, and nonprofit partners, funded through philanthropic donations and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersWestern Springs, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What #HalfTheStory does
#HalfTheStory is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 and headquartered in Western Springs, Illinois, that delivers digital wellness education and youth-led advocacy programs to tweens, teens, educators, and nonprofit partners. Its product portfolio centers on Social Media U, an 8-week, media-rich curriculum covering emotional resilience, algorithmic awareness, and healthy digital habits; Digital Civics Academy, a 5-day teen leadership bootcamp that trains teens in tech policy advocacy; and the Teen Advisory Board, a 27+ member cohort that co-designs programming. Complementary offerings include the CTRL Your Scroll after-school program, a Phone-Free Toolkit, an AI Literacy Guide, the co-developed 'Crash Out' curriculum with Girls Inc., the NY Teen Tech Council policy initiative with Governor Hochul, and the teen-written 'In the Loop' newsletter on Substack.
The organization operates a hybrid go-to-market: a community-led model anchored in teen ambassadors, the Teen Advisory Board, and a 110-strong alumni network of youth leaders across 56 U.S. cities and 9 countries, combined with an enterprise field-sales motion targeting schools (direct Social Media U partnerships plus 850+ schools reached via Discovery Education), nonprofits (Girls Inc. and 16 affiliates serving 1,500+ participants), and government partners. There is no proprietary technology platform; the core 'technology' is an evidence-informed, play-based curriculum validated against the Digital Flourishing Scale for Adolescents.
Revenue is exclusively philanthropic. #HalfTheStory is funded through individual donations across tiers ranging from $25K-$49K up to $1M+ and $3M+, corporate foundation grants, and an active $12M fundraising campaign. Named financial supporters include the Pinterest Impact Fund and Pivotal Ventures (Melinda French Gates), with strategic and distribution support from Girls Inc., Discovery Education, the Clinton Foundation, and New York State. Pricing is not applicable as no products or services are sold. The organization is led by Founder and Executive Director Larissa May, supported by a roughly 16-person staff (8 full-time and 8 part-time/contract) plus the Teen Advisory Board.
#HalfTheStory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- #HalfTheStory
- Legal name
- #HalfTheStory
- Website
- https://halfthestoryproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- #HalfTheStory is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers youth-led digital wellness curricula and policy advocacy programs to tweens, teens, schools, and nonprofit partners, funded through philanthropic donations and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
#HalfTheStory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Digital Wellness Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Support Hotlines & Digital Wellbeing Tools (EDAJAIAL), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where #HalfTheStory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Western Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
#HalfTheStory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by individual donors at various giving levels ($25K-49K, $50K-99K, $100K-500K, $1M+, $3M+). Accepts checks, wire transfers, and online donations through Classy platform.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Major funding from corporate partners (Pinterest Impact Fund) and foundations. $12M campaign targeting philanthropists and organizations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
#HalfTheStory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
#HalfTheStory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers play-based, youth-led digital wellness education programs to tweens and teens. Its core offerings include the 8-week Social Media U school curriculum, the 5-day Digital Civics Academy leadership bootcamp, the Teen Advisory Board, the New York Teen Tech Council policy initiative, and the CTRL Your Scroll after-school program, distributed through direct school partnerships, nonprofit affiliates (such as Girls Inc.), and Discovery Education's network of 850+ schools.
Product overview
#HalfTheStory is a youth nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of digital wellness programs for tweens, teens, and educators. The core programs include Social Media U (an 8-week school curriculum) and the Digital Civics Academy (a 5-day teen leadership bootcamp), supplemented by the Teen Advisory Board for strategic guidance and the NY Teen Tech Council for policy advocacy. Additional offerings include the CTRL Your Scroll after-school program, Phone-Free Toolkit, AI Literacy Guide, and the 'In the Loop' newsletter. The organization partners with schools, nonprofits, and enterprises to deliver evidence-informed, teen-centered interventions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Social Media U: An innovative 8-week, media-rich digital wellness curriculum designed for and by teens addressing emotional resilience, algorithmic awareness, and healthy digital habit development.
- Digital Civics Academy
- Teen Advisory Board
- New York Teen Tech Council
- CTRL Your Scroll
Products and services
- Social Media U (SMU) An innovative 8-week, media-rich digital wellness curriculum designed for and by teens. It addresses critical skills such as emotional resilience, algorithmic awareness, and healthy digital habit development, and is delivered to schools and educators.
- Digital Civics Academy (DCA) A 5-day teen leadership bootcamp that equips teens with the skills and confidence to shape digital policy, launch initiatives, and start businesses; 87% of participants take action in their communities after the program.
- Teen Advisory Board A select cohort of 27+ teen leaders who guide #HalfTheStory strategy and gain real advocacy experience through co-designing evidence-informed digital wellness programs.
- New York Teen Tech Council A teen-led policy change initiative partnering with Governor Hochul to create tech policies that work, including the Screen-Free Prom initiative.
- CTRL Your Scroll An after-school program designed to help tweens and teens develop healthier relationships with technology and social media usage.
- Crash Out Program A play-based digital wellness program developed in partnership with Girls Inc., featuring an 8-session curriculum combining emotional resilience with behavior science to help young people build healthier relationships with technology; 1,500+ participants reached across 16 Girls Inc. affiliates.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% retention of program benefits six months after completion
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use #HalfTheStory
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
#HalfTheStory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
#HalfTheStory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and moderate.
- Governor Kathy Hochul / New York StateflagshipPartnership to establish the NY Teen Tech Council, providing authentic youth perspectives on distraction-free school initiative. Governor Hochul, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and #HalfTheStory collaborate on this first-in-the-nation teen tech council.
- Girls Inc.corePartnership to create 'Crash Out' play-based digital wellness program for middle school students. Developed 8-session curriculum combining emotional resilience with behavior science. 1,500+ participants across 16 affiliates. Workshop with Melinda French Gates at Girls Inc. Nashville.
- Clinton FoundationmoderatePhoto credit attribution for Governor Hochul/Clinton event. Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton participated in NY Teen Tech Council announcement.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
#HalfTheStory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media is the largest U.S. nonprofit providing media literacy, digital citizenship, and digital wellness education for kids, families, and schools. It directly competes with #HalfTheStory in K-12 digital wellness curriculum and policy advocacy on kids' technology use.
- Discovery Education: Discovery Education is a major K-12 digital curriculum distributor that partners with #HalfTheStory (850+ schools reached) and also produces its own media literacy and digital wellness content for schools, making it both partner and adjacent competitor.
- Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national youth development nonprofit that delivers the Crash Out digital wellness program co-developed with #HalfTheStory across 16 affiliates. It is both a core distribution partner and a peer operating in the same youth development and SEL space.
- iKeepSafe: iKeepSafe is a nonprofit providing K-12 digital citizenship, safety, and privacy education, with school curriculum and educator resources that overlap with #HalfTheStory's Social Media U and AI Literacy Guide offerings.
- Center for Humane Technology: Center for Humane Technology advocates for healthier technology design and policy, runs youth-facing campaigns, and produces educational content on the harms of social media — closely mirroring #HalfTheStory's Digital Civics Academy and policy advocacy work.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NetSmartz): NetSmartz is a long-standing youth online safety education program delivering curriculum to schools, paralleling #HalfTheStory's Social Media U. Both target K-12 digital safety and wellbeing through school-based distribution.
Emerging players
- Digital Wellness Institute: Digital Wellness Institute provides digital wellbeing training, certifications, and curriculum frameworks for educators and organizations, addressing a similar problem space as #HalfTheStory's teacher professional development and digital wellbeing content.
- CyberWise: CyberWise is a smaller digital literacy and online safety education nonprofit serving educators, parents, and youth. It overlaps with #HalfTheStory in delivering digital wellness content but with a narrower school-distribution footprint.
- ParentsTogether Foundation: ParentsTogether Foundation is a national nonprofit advocating for kids' online safety and family digital wellbeing, including campaigns for phone-free schools — operating in the same digital wellness and family-tech advocacy space as #HalfTheStory's policy work.
Broad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the largest U.S. youth development nonprofit, with an extensive after-school network that increasingly incorporates digital wellness programming — competing for the same institutional partner relationships and grant dollars as #HalfTheStory.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
#HalfTheStory social profiles
Digital presence#HalfTheStory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
#HalfTheStory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
#HalfTheStory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
#HalfTheStory 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 #HalfTheStory
What does #HalfTheStory do?
#HalfTheStory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers play-based, youth-led digital wellness education programs to tweens and teens. Its core offerings include the 8-week Social Media U school curriculum, the 5-day Digital Civics Academy leadership bootcamp, the Teen Advisory Board, the New York Teen Tech Council policy initiative, and the CTRL Your Scroll after-school program, distributed through direct school partnerships, nonprofit affiliates (such as Girls Inc.), and Discovery Education's network of 850+ schools.
Is #HalfTheStory a public or private company?
#HalfTheStory is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was #HalfTheStory founded?
#HalfTheStory was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is #HalfTheStory based?
#HalfTheStory is headquartered in Western Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does #HalfTheStory make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants.
Who are #HalfTheStory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Common Sense Media, Discovery Education, Girls Inc., iKeepSafe, Center for Humane Technology and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NetSmartz). Emerging players are Digital Wellness Institute, CyberWise and ParentsTogether Foundation. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does #HalfTheStory have an API?
No public API is recorded for #HalfTheStory.
What industry is #HalfTheStory in?
#HalfTheStory's product category is Youth Digital Wellness Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAL, Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJAIAL, Student Support Hotlines & Digital Wellbeing Tools. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.