2023 AFTER-SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS FOR KIDS AND TEENS
A fun way to develop a business and build life skills.
Whether or not you set new year’s resolutions, the turn of the calendar is a great opportunity for your kids to try something new. Entrepreneurship clubs and programs can help your girls improve their critical-thinking skills, learn valuable life lessons that carry them far in life, and start to make money for themselves. To help you decide on the best program for your girls, we present our semi-annual update of some of our favorite after-school entrepreneurship programs for kids, tweens, and teens.
All BizzyGirls classes have an SEL-based (social-emotional learning) curriculum centered around self-confidence, resilience, and collaborative skills. For example, 9 to 12-year-old girls create unique products, craft marketing plans, pitch their products through role-playing exercises, and sell in pop-up stores or e-commerce shops. The 2023 co-ed after-school program in New York runs from April 19 to June 7, 2023 from 3:30 to 4:30PM. For inquiries, you can contact BizzyGirls via staff@bizzygirls.com or call them at (844) 310-0190.
Girls Crushing It (GCI), is a space of inspiration for 8 to 18-year-old girls who want to build their confidence through entrepreneurship. GCI offers different entrepreneurial workshops every season. Participants must complete Entrepreneurship 101 and Superpower Hour workshops before joining GCI’s pop-up shop. Their upcoming programs include workshops, pop-up shops, and a pitch day. You and your girls can join their mailing list, so you register ASAP for the Spring 2023 program once it opens. GCI’s Spring pop-up shop will take place on May 7, 2023 from 2-5 PM at Orinda Library Plaza in Orinda, CA.
Girls with Impact, “the only live, online entrepreneurship program made just for girls,” equips girls ages 12 to 18 with entrepreneurship skills, confidence, and business knowledge for their future success. Young girl entrepreneurs learn why entrepreneurship is the key to success for any career path and how to turn passion into impact with a business or non-profit in just 10 weeks. The Signature Business & Leadership Academy 10-week Mini-MBA has three start date options in 2023: February 13, March 13, and April 10. Each program costs $995. Your girls can register here, with a list of state-specific scholarships available here.
INCubatoredu is a free whole-year course available in select schools nationwide. The program teaches 10th to 12th graders how to create a product or service startup and pitch their idea, Shark Tank-style. It’s then followed by Acceleratoredu for the 2nd year, where participants have to launch their business in the real world and grow it further. Check online to see if your girls’ schools offer this program.
All online courses of Kid Entrepreneurship are FREE and available in four languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Farsi. Each class can be completed independently and accessed by budding entrepreneurs anytime, anywhere. Kids as young as 5 can join and learn the basics of entrepreneurship, business ideation, and what goes into a marketing pitch. Courses range from 5 to 16 days.
Loveworks Leadership’s Afterschool Leadership program helps grade schoolers in Norman, Oklahoma make “positive life choices, discover career paths, and set them on a trajectory for personal success” through entrepreneurship. Attendees are encouraged to commit to a whole semester for once or twice-per-week, in-class attendance. Cost is $99 per semester and scholarships are available. Registration is ongoing for 6th-8th grade students who live in the area.
In MoolahU, an Austin-based financial camp with virtual class offerings, kids ages 7 to 15 learn how money, business, and entrepreneurship are all connected. Plus, attendees develop a viable business project in just five days. Since all lessons are still online, kid entrepreneurs from around the world can join, too. The 2023 sessions go live from June 10 to August 11, and the program costs $375 per kid or teen. And for this year, teens up to 17 years old can join. Reserve your girls’ spot here and grab the early bird discount on or before March 15 for $50 off the tuition fee.
Project Echo has many after-school and summer-only entrepreneurship programs to choose from. Each offers activity-based lessons that teach middle and high school students to develop and market a business idea in a competitive setting. For its virtual after-school program, Silicon Beach Entrepreneurship Program, registration is ongoing and costs $650. Enrollment includes participation in Project Echo’s “High School Entrepreneurs’ Business Plan Competition.”
Rocket Club covers STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) entrepreneurship disciplines in their weekly after-school certificate program for children ages 7 to 14. Classes are weekly for 1 hour (at-home) and 2 hours (in-person). Enrollment for the 2023 cohorts is now open, and in-person locations are New York, New Jersey, and Chicago.
A DC, VA, and TX-based in-person camp, SheEO Academy empowers the next generation of female leaders and business moguls. Their weekly business school classes run for 10 weeks and provide skill badges for girls who complete skill-building activities aligned with industry career competencies. When your girl earns all three badges, she receives a SheEO Academy Certificate that she can include in her academic resume, portfolio, or college application. Fees vary by program and location. SheEO Academy also offers one-on-one coaching for those who want to take their entrepreneurial learning to the next level. This registration link has the complete line-up and details for its 2023 schedule and locations.
Spark is the trusted financial literacy partner at many schools and youth organizations, including regional Girl Scouts and Jack and Jill of America programs. Their online Youth Programs, like the Budding Entrepreneurs Club for 3rd to 6th graders, focus on financial literacy and help participants build better money habits. Program fees can go as high as $270, but group discounts are readily available. Their 2023 after-school entrepreneurship workshops start between mid-January and mid-February. This registration page lists the available programs, price points, and start dates.
All Startup Kids Club’s after-school entrepreneurship sessions are in-person in Texas (Austin, Leander, and Wimberley). Some locations offer the camps for free, while some charge $275 per kid or teen and $20 per class. Kids ages 5-18 meet once a week for 14 weeks and learn how to start a business product or service and innovate it with 3D printing technology. Startup Kids Club also runs business festivals 4x a year, where after-school club participants sell their products to the public. For more info, check out their registration information here.
Unreasonable Kids offers different after-school business and entrepreneurship classes for kids and teens. You can choose by age range (3-5, 6-9, 10-13, and 14-18) and select from five different programs ranging in cost from $10-22 per session. Their classes and programs are listed here. Since all programs are ongoing online courses, your girls can join any week. Plus, there’s no need to catch up on previous materials.
WIT, or Whatever It Takes, provides online business and leadership classes for 6th to 12th graders. Participants develop their leadership skills and strengthen their entrepreneurship mindset through WIT’s four courses that focus on specific fields: leadership, social entrepreneurship, small business scale-up, and public relations and marketing. Course fees range from $995 to $3,285. Financial aid is available, and some classes can be taken for college credit in partnership with UC San Diego. Enrollment is currently ongoing for the 2023 classes. WIT also hosts WIT Hackathons in cities around the country. These events provide teens the opportunity to “hack” their city’s greatest challenges, earn college credit, and win $$. Visit their website for more info.
With locations across the United States for 6th to 12th graders, Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) has been helping tens of thousands of kids and teens turn their talents and passions into real businesses since 2004. YEA! guides students in generating business ideas, conducting market research, pitching to a panel of investors, and launching their startups. The full 2023 schedule, locations, and applications are at www.yeausa.org. Successful YEA! kids and teens include Rachel Zietz, CEO of Gladiator Lacrosse, Taylor Ryan, CEO of Unstoppable, and Kayla Abramowitz, CKO (Chief Kid Officer) of Kayla Cares 4 Kids.
Know an after-school entrepreneurship program we missed? Let us know in the comments section below or tag us and the club or program on social media.
