Camp: Build, Brand & Sell: Kid-Centric Business Incubator

Think. Plan. Build. Launch.

This immersive, real-world business incubator places students in the role of entrepreneurs, challenging them to create a viable, age-appropriate business built around an actual product or service they design and produce. Working in small teams, students move from idea to execution while developing a practical, grounded understanding of how real businesses operate.

Each day follows a structured rhythm designed to mirror authentic startup workflows. Students arrive and begin a focused morning work cycle with short lessons, guided discussions, and real examples covering business fundamentals such as product viability, pricing, budgeting, and customer needs. These concepts are immediately applied through hands-on team work as students design products, plan production, and make decisions that affect the direction of their business.

After a supervised lunch and outdoor break, students return for an afternoon work cycle focused on execution—building products, refining pricing models, creating marketing materials, and developing a functional website to support and showcase their business. Students learn basic web structure and content planning, gaining experience with the digital tools modern businesses rely on.

Throughout the week, students test assumptions, revise plans, and adapt as new constraints and opportunities arise. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving, collaboration, ethical decision-making, and responsible use of technology. Students also hear from an industry professional working in business, entrepreneurship, or technology, offering insight into real-world pathways and lessons learned beyond the classroom.

• Small-team, startup-style collaboration
• Product design, production planning & cost awareness
• Pricing, budgeting & basic financial planning
• Marketing strategy & customer communication
• Build and launch a real website
• Industry guest speaker
• Lunch, snacks & daily outdoor break time included

Daily Focus & Progression

• Day 1: Ideas, Products & Feasibility
  Teams explore problems worth solving, brainstorm product or service ideas, and evaluate feasibility based on materials, time, and cost.
• Day 2: Design, Pricing & Production Planning
  Students refine their product design, determine pricing, and plan how their product will be produced, packaged, and delivered.
• Day 3: Branding, Marketing & Web Foundations
  Teams develop messaging and visual identity, then begin building a functional website to present their product and business clearly.
• Day 4: Operations, Revision & Website Build-Out
  Students test assumptions, revise plans, improve their website, and prepare for launch by addressing challenges and refining details.
• Day 5: Launch, Pitch & Final Showcase
  The week culminates in a showcase where teams present their product, demonstrate their website, and explain how their business operates.

This camp is welcoming to students with a wide range of experience levels and is designed to be challenging without being overwhelming. By the end of the week, students don’t just understand business concepts—they’ve experienced what it takes to build something real, make informed decisions, and bring an idea to life.

Guardians are required to complete our waiver before the first club meeting--if they haven't already done so for a different SPARKGROUNDS event. All events are led by professionally trained and insured staff who have passed a Level 2 background check. Students can withdraw from a class series at any time simply by emailing us and prorated refunds are always provided automatically.

This SPARKGROUNDS event is available for direct pay through Florida's Step Up FES-EO, UA, and PEP scholarships. Find events in the Marketplace by selecting 'find providers' and searching for 'SPARKGROUNDS.'