What Studenttelevisionnetwork does

Student Television Network (STN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1999 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California (incorporated in Delaware, EIN 26-3084041). It operates as a national community for scholastic media programs serving middle and high school students in grades 6-12, providing contests judged by industry professionals, supplemental curriculum, professional development workshops, and an annual national convention that draws over 3,000 attendees. The core technology is the STN Dashboard, a web-based member portal at dashboard.studenttelevision.com that handles membership registration, contest registration, video uploads, judging results, payment tracking, and curriculum access; STN also operates a ChatGPT-powered AI Help Desk for general inquiries.

The core commercial products are (1) annual school memberships at $125 per campus (unlimited teachers and students, running July 1 to June 30), (2) six major contest programs — HorrorFest, STN Challenge, Broadcast Excellence, Film Excellence, STN Nationals, and Honor Society — at $25 per entry, (3) the annual Summer Adviser Workshop with day passes at $175, and (4) supporting programs including the Student Leadership Council, Regional Ambassadors, Alumni Association, Lesson Plan Exchange, and CTE/CTSO support. Revenue is supplemented by tax-deductible donations and a multi-tiered sponsorship program with Platinum sponsors (Sony, Hofstra University School of Communication, IST Educational Tours, Elon University), Premier sponsors (Canon USA, B&H Photo Video, Syracuse Newhouse, ASU Cronkite, Blackmagic Design, UF College of Journalism, Sigma Photo, Panasonic Lumix, PopUpWiFi), and Gold sponsors (GoPro, Hollyland, Kondor Blue). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with acquisition running through teacher word-of-mouth, Regional Ambassadors (Central, East, West), and the annual convention rotating between East and West Coast locations through 2028. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Josh Bishop (Clark Magnet High School) and Executive Director Sheri Stilson, with a small staff of fewer than 10 people.

Name

Studenttelevisionnetwork

Legal name

Student Television Network, Inc.

Website

https://studenttelevision.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Student Television Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs national contests, an annual convention, curriculum, and workshops for middle and high school broadcast and film programs, delivered through a $125-per-campus membership model and the STN Dashboard web platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education - Student Media Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Scholastic broadcasting contests
• Student media education
• School broadcast programs
• Filmmaking competitions
• Educational media resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

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. School Membership Fees: Annual school membership at $125 per campus provides unlimited teacher and student access to curriculum, contests, and member resources. Membership runs July 1 through June 30 of each school year.
2. Contest Entry Fees: Individual contest entries priced at $25 per entry. Schools may submit multiple entries per category. Nationals, HorrorFest, Film Excellence, Broadcast Excellence, and STN Challenge all charge per-entry fees.
3. Donations and Scholarship Contributions: STN accepts tax-deductible donations to support the Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance for students and teachers to attend events. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 26-3084041).
4. Summer Adviser Workshop Fees: Professional development workshop held in Long Island, NY (July 7-10, 2026) with day passes available for $175. Workshop offers broadcast and film tracks for educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Student Television Network (STN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports middle and high school media programs through annual school memberships, seasonal student media contests (broadcast and film), an annual national convention, professional development workshops, and supplemental curriculum resources. The organization sells $125-per-campus school memberships and $25-per-entry contest submissions, delivered through its web-based STN Dashboard for contest registration, video uploads, judging results, and curriculum access.

Product overview

Student Television Network (STN) operates a platform centered on educational contests, events, and resources for middle and high school media programs. The core product is the STN Dashboard, a member portal managing contest registrations, video submissions, judging results, and curriculum access, paired with an annual school membership. STN's contest portfolio includes six major programs: HorrorFest (60-second horror films), STN Challenge (six-day prompt-driven projects), Broadcast Excellence (program quality awards), Film Excellence (film category awards), STN Nationals (curriculum-based project showcase), and STN Honor Society (student recognition). Supporting offerings include the annual STN National Convention, Summer Adviser Workshop for professional development, STN Curriculum and Lesson Plan Exchange for teacher resources, Student Leadership Council for student ambassadors, Regional Ambassadors for regional support, Alumni Association for former members, and CTE/CTSO support for career and technical education integration. STN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999, serving schools worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STN School Membership Annual membership program priced at $125 per school campus that grants unlimited teachers and students access to STN contests, curriculum, lesson plans, and member resources for the school year (July 1 to June 30).
• HorrorFest (Sixty Second HorrorFest)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 attendees at annual conventions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered platinum sponsor, premier sponsor, general sponsor and gold sponsor.

• Hofstra University School of Communicationplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum level sponsor providing support for student storytelling and media education programs.
• Sonyplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum level sponsor providing professional equipment support for student media programs.
• IST Educational Toursplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum level sponsor supporting educational experiences and tours for STN members.
• Canon USApremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor providing imaging and video equipment support.
• B&H Photo Videopremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor and education partner providing equipment resources.
• PopUpWiFipremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor providing connectivity solutions for STN events.
• Syracuse University Newhouse Schoolpremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor from higher education supporting media education.
• ASU Cronkite Schoolpremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor from Arizona State University's journalism school.
• Elon University School of Communicationsplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum level sponsor from Elon University's communications program.
• Blackmagic Designpremier sponsorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor providing video production software and hardware solutions.
• Kondor Bluegeneral sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Sponsor for HorrorFest competition providing support for the micro film challenge.
• University of Florida College of Journalismpremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor from the University of Florida supporting media education.
• Sigma Photopremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor providing camera equipment support.
• Panasonic Lumixpremier sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Premier level sponsor providing camera equipment support.
• GoProgold sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold level sponsor providing action camera equipment.
• Hollylandgold sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold level sponsor for video transmission equipment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle and high school career and technical education students. Like STN, it is a CTSO with annual membership, contests, leadership events, and a national convention that brings together students, teachers, and industry partners.
• Journalism Education Association (JEA): National nonprofit supporting scholastic journalism and media education. JEA runs contests, conventions, and curriculum resources for middle and high school journalism advisers, directly competing with STN for broadcast journalism educators and programs.
• DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America): International CTSO preparing students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Comparable to STN in providing school-based membership, competitive events, and a national conference for career and technical education students.
• Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA): Columbia University-based organization that evaluates and recognizes student media including broadcast and film. CSPA offers contests, critiques, and conventions for student media programs, overlapping directly with STN's broadcast journalism and film contest portfolio.
• Technology Student Association (TSA): National CTSO for students interested in STEM, technology, and design. TSA shares STN's membership-and-contest model with annual conferences, competitive events, and curriculum support for middle and high school programs.
• All American High School Film Festival: Annual student film festival hosted in New York City. Directly comparable to STN's Film Excellence and HorrorFest contests as a destination for student-produced film work and industry recognition for high school filmmakers.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): National CTSO for middle and high school students focused on business, leadership, and career skills. Similar to STN, FBLA operates on school membership, competitive events, and a national leadership conference with sponsor support.

Regional players

• HOSA-Future Health Professionals: National CTSO for students pursuing health careers. While operating in a different CTE vertical, HOSA shares STN's membership, competitive event, and national conference model for middle and high school career and technical education.

Emerging players

• National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA): National honor society and competition organization for middle and high school speech and debate. While focused on forensics rather than media, NSDA shares STN's school-membership model, contest infrastructure, and national tournament format.
• National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY): Film festival for young filmmakers under 24. Overlaps with STN's Film Excellence and STN Nationals categories in showcasing student film work and connecting emerging filmmakers with industry mentors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stnnow
• Instagraminstagram.com/stnnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stnnow

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Studenttelevisionnetwork