How It Works Roadmap Dues FAQ Apply Now
Now accepting founding members

Their 4.0 won't get them in.
Your spike will.

Run your city's media company. Land real sponsors. Build a college resume that admissions officers actually remember. Lil City Leaders gives you the playbook.

Lil City Reach
500+
Local families, weekly
Launch Timeline
12 wks
To portfolio-ready
The Problem

Colleges don't reward participation. They reward founders.

Every applicant has a 4.0 and a club list. What they don't have is proof they built something real. That's the gap Lil City Leaders fills.

Most StudentsLil City Leader
"Member of 5 clubs" Founded a media company
"Volunteer hours" 500+ subscribers, real sponsors
"Student council" Revenue-generating business
"NHS member" Measurable community impact
Forgettable application The story they remember
89%
of applicants look the same
12
weeks to stand out
1
spike changes everything
$0
startup cost for your chapter
What You Get

Not another club. A real media company with your name on it.

You get the brand, the tools, the templates, and the support. You bring the hustle.

Your Own Newsletter
Beehiiv account, templates, and training. Publish weekly to your city's audience. HQ handles the tech.
Sponsor Scripts
Proven outreach scripts for local businesses. Land your first sponsor using the same playbook EDH uses.
Instagram Playbook
Content calendar, caption templates, hashtag strategy. Post daily, grow followers, build your city's audience.
College Portfolio
At week 12, you have screenshots, metrics, stories, and proof of impact. A portfolio admissions officers won't forget.
HQ Support
You're never alone. Training videos, weekly office hours, and a team that's already done it in 3 cities.
Founding Member Status
Early members get recognized. Founding Member badge, priority city selection, and leadership roles as the network grows.
12-Week Roadmap

From zero to portfolio-ready in 12 weeks.

Every step is mapped. Every template is built. You just follow the playbook.

Weeks 1-2
Setup & Launch
Goal: 25+ subscribers
  • Beehiiv account setup
  • Training videos
  • First intro newsletter
  • Instagram account live
Weeks 3-4
Grow Readership
Goal: 50-100 subscribers
  • FB groups, Nextdoor
  • Personal invites
  • Daily IG posting
  • Recruit 1-2 peers
Weeks 5-8
First Sponsors
Goal: 1 sponsor or partner
  • HQ outreach scripts
  • Local business DMs
  • $2-5/day Meta ads
  • Content expansion
Weeks 9-12
Portfolio Ready
Goal: 100-250 subs, 1 sponsor
  • Impact documentation
  • Screenshot evidence
  • Metrics compilation
  • College-ready portfolio
Growth Pathway

This isn't a one-semester thing.

Start as a member. Grow into a leader. The further you go, the stronger your application.

1
Member
Run your newsletter & IG
2
Role Leader
Lead content, sales, or growth
3
Ambassador
Mentor new chapters
4
National Lead
Shape the entire network
Already Growing

Lil City is already live.

The flagship EDH chapter proves the model works. Now we're expanding.

500+
Newsletter subscribers
30K+
Monthly IG impressions
3
Cities and growing
Simple Dues

Invest in yourself, not your parents' wallet.

50% goes to local ads to grow your chapter. 50% goes to HQ support, tools, and training.

Limited Spots
Founding Member
$10/mo
Locked rate. Never increases.
  • Full newsletter + IG toolkit
  • Sponsor outreach scripts
  • 12-week roadmap
  • Weekly office hours
  • Founding Member badge
  • Priority city selection
50% funds your chapter's growth ads
Standard Member
$20/mo
After founding spots fill.
  • Full newsletter + IG toolkit
  • Sponsor outreach scripts
  • 12-week roadmap
  • Weekly office hours
  • Community access
50% funds your chapter's growth ads
FAQ

Questions parents and students ask.

No. We provide templates, training videos, and a 12-week roadmap. If you can write an email and post on Instagram, you can run a Lil City chapter.

Clubs don't have subscribers, sponsors, or revenue. Lil City Leaders is a real media business with measurable outcomes. You're not a "member" — you're a founder. That's what admissions officers notice.

Yes. We give you proven scripts and templates that work. Local businesses want to reach local families — you're offering them exactly that. Our EDH chapter does it every month.

Half goes directly to local ads that grow YOUR chapter's subscriber base. Half goes to HQ for the tools, training, and support that make the program work. Your sponsor revenue is 100% yours.

We're expanding city by city. Founding members get priority city selection. If your city isn't taken, you can claim it. Currently live: El Dorado Hills. Next: Folsom, Palo Alto.

Plan for 3-5 hours per week: writing your weekly newsletter, posting to Instagram daily (10 min/day), and occasional sponsor outreach. It's real work, but it's work that builds something real.

Colleges remember founders.
Not participants.

Founding member spots are limited. Claim your city, start your chapter, and build the spike that sets you apart.

Apply to Join

Or DM @lilcityleaders on Instagram