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  1. Home
  2. Child Services
  3. Challenge Island
Challenge Island logo
Child Services · After School Programs

Challenge Island- Parent-Paid Educational Enrichment is an 8 Billion Dollar Industry. - Parent-Paid Summer Camp is a 20 Billion Dollar Industry. - During the 2022-2023 school year, 56% of public schools are offering afterschool enrichment programs. - Challenge Island’s perfect alignment with National Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards combined with its critical emphasis on 21st Century skills, makes it an ideal recipient for National government grant funding such as Title 1. This is a massive market for our franchisees. - In 2022, Title 1 received 36.5 Billion dollars to spend on curricular programs like Challenge Island. - Mobile business, programs run onsite in schools so there is no overhead of a brick and mortar. - Demand is enormous for Challenge Island!

Home-BasedSemi-AbsenteeVetFranE-2 VisaSBA ApprovedMulti-Unit
Total Investment

$48K - $63K

Franchise Fee

$45K

Royalty

7% (minimum of $1200/12 weeks goes into effect after the first 9 months)

Ad Fund

—

Term

—

Open Units

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Overview

About Challenge Island

- Parent-Paid Educational Enrichment is an 8 Billion Dollar Industry. - Parent-Paid Summer Camp is a 20 Billion Dollar Industry. - During the 2022-2023 school year, 56% of public schools are offering afterschool enrichment programs. - Challenge Island’s perfect alignment with National Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards combined with its critical emphasis on 21st Century skills, makes it an ideal recipient for National government grant funding such as Title 1. This is a massive market for our franchisees. - In 2022, Title 1 received 36.5 Billion dollars to spend on curricular programs like Challenge Island. - Mobile business, programs run onsite in schools so there is no overhead of a brick and mortar. - Demand is enormous for Challenge Island!

With 150+ locations and a bestselling book series, Challenge Island is the World’s #1 STEM/STEAM Program. Challenge Island has served over 5 million children and has partnerships with over 15,000 schools and community organizations. During our award-winning classes, camps, field trips, and family engagement events, STEAM Teams® of elementary and middle school-aged kids tackle exciting engineering challenges using only the materials in their treasure chest and their boundless imaginations. Challenge Island’s award-winning, one-of-a-kind curriculum consists of hundreds of unique challenge lessons that are Common Core and Next Generation Science Standard aligned. We are a family-like “Ohana” with the hallmark of stellar corporate support and incredible franchisees who are always willing to lend a helping hand to our newest owners. Join us on the island - where engineering meets imagination!

Who it fits

Ideal candidate

Our 150+ owners come from diverse backgrounds with 50% being former educators and the rest running the gamut of professional backgrounds.Visionary and Passionate: Aims to Make a Difference AND an IncomeLove of Working with Children + Entrepreneurial, SpiritFun and Outgoing Personality + Strong Communication SkillsEnjoys being a Team Player and Collaborating with Our Owners OhanaCreative Thinker with Big Dreams and a Fundamental Growth Mindset.Lots of Dog Lovers!
The fine print

FDD facts

Initial franchise fee$45K
Royalty7% (minimum of $1200/12 weeks goes into effect after the first 9 months)
Total investment$48K - $63K
Liquid capital required$45K
Net worth requirement$100K
Year founded2003
Year began franchising2013
Business modelBoth
Owner-operator required (Year 1)Yes
Reported figures from public FDD disclosures and franchisor websites. Verify with the official FDD before signing.
Footprint

Territory overview

AvailableNew Jersey, Illinois, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, Tennessee, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia
UnavailableCalifornia, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, Florida, Washington, Ohio, Massachusetts
LegendAvailableLimitedUnavailable
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Quick facts
Founded
2003
Franchising since
2013
Model
Both
Liquid capital
$45K min
Net worth
$100K min
Owner-op required?
Yes
Side-by-side

See how Challenge Island stacks against another brand on every Item 19 number.

Data verified 2026
Sourced from public FDD filings & franchisor disclosures.
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