The Leading Directory for Teen Academic and Enrichment Opportunities:
Summer Programs, Gap Year Programs, Community Service and more.

13,000+ Experiences for Students in Grades 7-12.

Discover how spending time in the world outside the classroom can help teens do better in school, during the college admissions process and in their adult lives. Our mission is to connect students, parents and educators with the best experiential learning opportunities for middle- and high-school students.

• 

  Summer Programs

  Spend the summer expanding your horizons at one of thousands of summer programs for students entering 7th grade to college. Whether you're interested in rocket science, theater, or hiking up mountains, you'll find it here.

• 

  Gap Year Programs

  A gap year or semester before college can contribute to personal growth and build the life skills you need to succeed. Program offerings include big-city internships, foreign language immersion, outdoor adventure trips, and more.

• 

  Volunteer Opportunities

  Students who help others develop important life skills, such as empathy, cultural awareness, and a lifelong passion for service. There are hundreds of non-profits who welcome students under the age of 18 as volunteers.

• 

  STEM Summer Programs

  Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers are on the rise. Get a head start on STEM studies with summer programs that teach coding, immerse students in forensic science, explore stem cell science, and more.

• 

  Arts Summer Programs

  Whether you want to dance, draw, sing, design, or direct, a performing or visual arts summer program can help you pursue your dream. With hundreds of programs to choose from, it is easy to find one tailored to your passion.

• 

  Academic Summer Programs

  Participate in an academic summer program to experience campus life, gain confidence, and boost your college applications. Explore hundreds of programs focused on subjects from economics to creative writing.

• 

  STEM Colleges

  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers are on the rise, and students who major in these subjects are are more likely to be hired in their field after graduation and earn higher incomes in their lifetime.

• 

  Performing & Visual Arts Colleges

  For students who want to pursue a career in the visual or performing arts, finding a school that nurtures their passions is essential. Explore colleges that will help you advance your art.

• 

  Colleges & Universities

  Begin your college search with our comprehensive college & university database. Find out which summer programs they offer! College is a big investment. We can help you try before you buy.

• 

  Boarding Schools

  Ready to combine learning and independence? With more than 400 listings for boarding schools in the U.S. and abroad, we can help you discover a learning community that will spark your success.

• 

  Private Day Schools

  Explore our more than 1,000 listings and discover the advantages of private school, from small classes to specialized approaches to learning. Find the school that offers the classes, extracurriculars, and philosophy you want.

• 

  Independent Advisors

  Choosing the right school, college or program can be overwhelming. A local independent advisor can help you navigate these important decisions. Find the best path for you and your personal goals, with their help.

• 

  Therapeutic Schools

  Students who are experiencing a high level of stress, anxiety or depression may have needs that can't be met by a traditional school. Therapeutic day or boarding schools could be the solution.

• 

  Residential Treatment Centers

  Are you a teen or parent of a teen who is struggling with mental illness or substance abuse? Check out our listings of residential treatment centers that serve students under 18 to find the right path to a healthy and successful life.

• 

  Therapeutic Programs

  When your family is dealing with behavioral issues, mental health problems, or eating disorders, a specialized program can help you overcome the challenges you’re facing. Our program offerings will help you find the right experience for your teen.

Trending Posts on the TeenLife Blog.

• 

  Build Your Resume With Volunteer Work

  June 14, 2019, 10 a.m. by Sarah Good

  Community service is an essential part of the learning experience. It offers the satisfaction of helping improve the world in which you live, helps you gain new perspective, and teaches you about people and places you might never have known about otherwise. Volunteering can also offer some practical advantages in addition to the social and emotional benefits. Service work looks great a college application and is a great resume builder, especially when you have little paid work to list. Community service is particularly good at developing and demonstrating your soft skills, the behaviors, attitudes, and aptitudes that can help you ...

• 

  A Passion for the Law: Jasmine Heyward

  June 13, 2019, 9 a.m. by Jasmine Heyward

  This post is part of our new series, in which students and young adults tell their own stories of discovering, nurturing, and pursuing their passions. By my third semester as a journalism major at Northeastern University, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t end up working in the field. It was my third shot at deciding what I wanted to do with my life, and at first, it seemed like the right path. I had decided on a journalism major because I wanted to change the world with my writing. In my introductory courses, I wrote long pieces on student mental ...

• 

  How and Why to Learn a New Language on Your Gap Year

  June 11, 2019, 10 a.m. by Sarah Good

  So you’ve decided to take a gap year to explore the world a bit and figure out what you really want to do when you head to college. Now it’s time to plan what you’re going to do with all that time. Let us humbly suggest using a portion of your gap year to learn a new language. Why? If we’re being practical about it, knowing more than one language is an incredible resume-booster and can open lots of professional doors for you in the future. Foreign languages can help you out in less direct ways as well: Studying a ...

• 

  Finding the Right College For A Student With ASD

  June 7, 2019, 10 a.m. by Hannah Grieco

  For students on the autism spectrum, college can be a time of social anxiety and overwhelming choices. All colleges and universities are required by law to follow established 504 plans — a plan of accommodations that support a person with a disability — but sometimes that is where the school stops. Extended testing time and flexible assignment schedules might not be enough support for a teen who is living or learning independently for the first time. Luckily, more and more schools are offering programs specifically tailored to people with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. These specialized offerings go above and ...

Check Out TeenLife's Digital Publications.