Feel Good Friday - TeenLife

It’s Feel Good Friday, it’s technically still summer so let’s talk about an organization that connects teens of all backgrounds to out-of-school summer and gap year opportunities, TeenLife.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, TeenLife started as a resource guide. When Marie Schwartz was unable to find information on summer camps and community service programs geared towards teens, she compiled her own. The first  Guide to Overnight Summer Programs was such a success she founded TeenLife Media and has been connecting parents, students and educators to experiential learning opportunities ever since.

TeenLife provides a comprehensive online directory of STEM, gap year, pre-college, overnight summer and community service programs for students in grades 7-12. Go to the website to review flagship print guides focused on: Summer Programs, Gap Year Programs, Performing and Visual Arts Colleges, Online Learning and College Admissions. If your teen is curious about a particular profession, there are specific print guides with information on careers in healthcare, STEM, the arts and business.

You can also search through over 13,000 program options online. There are summer programs, gap year programs, after-school enrichment programs, volunteer opportunities, and information on private schools, colleges, universities and service providers. To help narrow the decisions down, you can filter by category, destination, session length, ages, cost and many more. With so many options to choose from, browsing the content at TeenLife helps teens, parents, and educators make strong enrichment-program decisions.

Some examples of the programs TeenLife connects you to include: the Sally Ride Science Academy at UC San Diego, offering STEAM workshops for students who assume the roles of space explorer, marine biologist, or computer programmer as they immerse themselves in hands-on projects; ArtsBridge Gap Year in Newton, Mass., a 15-week virtual intensive actor training program designed to be a bridge between the high school and the college experience; and the Parsons Paris Online Program, offering flexible, online courses in fashion design, business, branding, and sustainability in fashion. I’d like to apply for some of these programs myself!

By registering with TeenLife, you’ll receive news about opportunities that match your interests. If you’re not looking for a program to join but would like to support the work being done by Teen Life Media, like their Facebook page and follow them on LinkedIn and on Instagram @teenlifemedia