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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

Trending Posts on the TeenLife Blog.

• Why You Should Look Beyond College Rankings

  Oct. 22, 2019, 10 a.m. by Randi Mazzella

  Choosing which colleges to attend is a big decision. Teens (and their parents) may think that the best approach is to focus their college search on the highest ranked institutions that they think they can get into based on their grades and resume. But this approach can be misguided. “Prestige is not a synonym for fit,” says Christine K. VanDeVelde, coauthor of the book College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step. “Parents and students need to get out of the mindset that prestige and selectivity are the most important criteria for choosing a college. Instead the focus should ...

• How Many Colleges Should You Apply To?

  Oct. 16, 2019, 11 a.m. by Suzanne Shaffer

  Most teens will tell you that making the college list is one of the most stressful times in their life. It’s a process that begins with a little bit of knowing what you like, what your goals are, and that intuition that every student takes to the table. Knowing yourself, your likes, and your dislikes will help you in the process. There’s a theory among teens and many parents, which says, “The more colleges you apply to, the better your chances.” In theory it makes sense, but there are other things to consider besides hedging your bets with numbers. 1. ...

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Maria Fernanda Hernandez Tort

  Oct. 1, 2019, 11 a.m. by TeenLife

  I knew I liked making art since I was young and was always going to art classes and making things in my spare time. I’ve been cross-stitching since I was 6 and have played games all of my life. I tried going to a more academic-based school for a while, but quickly transferred over. I love the feeling of being so into making the work that you lose sense of time and place. You begin to self-reflect and your body just moves on its own as it creates. I also enjoy the problem-solving that comes with digital work because it ...

• Encouraging Teen Girls in Computer Science

  Sept. 27, 2019, 10 a.m. by Tracy Morgan

  Women within the science industry in general are under-represented, despite some of the greatest scientific discoveries having been at the hands of women. There is a very tangible stigma attached to women being involved with computer science and other STEM occupations, with a media portrayal that only compounds the seemingly lack of interest girls have for the profession. In the techno-crazy world we live in, you could be forgiven for assuming that computer science is a career that would appeal to both men and women equally. However, the number of women within the computer science field is dropping dramatically, even ...

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