TED-Ed
New York and Vancouver
What it is
TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative, available free on the web since 2012. Its lesson library organizes video-based learning by subject and age. Educators can build lessons around TED-Ed Animations, TED Talks, or YouTube videos, then add multiple-choice and open-ended questions, extra resources, and guided or open discussions. Creators can monitor student progress and review answers. Users can arrange lessons in themed collections, while TED-Ed Explorations provide interactive experiences made with other organizations. The Student Talks program offers customizable activities for educators working with ages 6–18; approved educators receive its virtual platform for 12 months and must reapply. Students must be at least 13 to create accounts. YouTube selections are not filtered or vetted by TED-Ed. Offline access is available through Endless Key and Kolibri.
For and against
For
- Free lesson creation and consumption
- Lessons support questions and discussions
- Creators can monitor student progress
- Themed collections organize lessons
- Offline access through partner offerings
Against
- Students must be at least 13 for accounts
- YouTube videos are not vetted by TED-Ed
- Published lessons stay out of site search
- Student Talks access requires reapplication yearly
The verdict
TED-Ed provides a free way to turn videos into structured lessons with questions, discussion, and progress views. Educators should review unfamiliar YouTube selections and note the account-age and Student Talks conditions.
Who it suits
It suits K–12 educators and students using video-centered lessons, discussion, and progress tracking. Educators working with ages 6–18 can also apply for Student Talks activities.
Plans and prices
Free
Free access to lesson creation and lesson consumption tools
Read 30 Sep 2026 · ed.ted.com
On the record
- Account age limit
- Only students aged 13 or older can create a TED-Ed account.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Collections
- Users can organize video-based lessons into themed collections and create their own collections.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Custom lessons
- Educators can create lessons around TED-Ed Animations, TED Talks, or YouTube videos.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Interactive learning
- TED-Ed Explorations are interactive experiences created with other organizations.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Lesson activities
- Lessons can include multiple-choice and open-ended questions, additional resources, and guided or open discussion forums.help.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Lesson library
- The site offers video-based lessons organized by subject and age.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Lesson sharing
- Published lessons receive a unique URL that is not listed in TED-Ed site search or indexed by search engines.help.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Offline access
- TED-Ed lessons can be accessed offline through partner offerings Endless Key and Kolibri.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Privacy
- The site states that newsletter sign-up is protected by Google reCAPTCHA and links to TED’s privacy policy.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Progress tracking
- Lesson creators can monitor students’ progress and view their answers.help.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative, created to spark and celebrate ideas from teachers and students.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Student program
- The Student Talks program provides free customizable activities for educators working with students ages 6–18.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Student program access
- Approved Student Talks educators receive access to its virtual learning platform for 12 months and must reapply to renew access.ed.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- TED-Ed support is available through a help center and a request form for contacting the team.help.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- YouTube video caveat
- Videos selected for custom lessons have not been filtered or vetted by TED-Ed, so users are advised to review unfamiliar videos.help.ted.com · read 30 Sep 2026
