Welcome to the World's #1 STEAM Program

Where Engineering Meets Imagination©

Challenge Island® is the Official Home of STEAMbuilding® and STEAM Teams®

The Challenge Island Difference

Our Results Show in Our Awards

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Palm Tree Pillars

The Foundational Pillars of our Program that Make Challenge Island the Go-To Choice for Millions of Parents and Educators

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STEM + ART = STEAM

"To develop a complete mind, study the science of art; study the art of science; realize that everything connects to everything else." - Leonardo DaVinci

21st Century Skills

We foster the fundamental skills kids need to thrive today and tomorrow including creativity, collaboration, communication, flexibility and leadership.

Higher Level Thinking Skills

Our programs promote deep, critical, analytical and creative thinking abilities in kids which help ensure their long-term academic and professional success.

Project Based Learning

Our STEAM Teams® engage in collaborative, inquiry-based, student-driven learning grounded in real world connections and meaningful problem-solving.

Island Destinations

Whimsical island ambience combined with cross-curricular themes make the Challenge Island experience an unforgettable adventure.

Social-Emotional Learning

We foster the social and emotional intelligence children need to form healthy relationships, make positive choices and find fulfillment in life.

Resilience

Research shows that a Challenge-Island-palm-tree-like ability to be flexible and strong through life’s ”storms” is far more essential to future success than IQ.

Steam Teams

No child is an island which is why kids tackle our hundreds of proprietary challenges by combining their strengths with those of a STEAM Team of friends.

Screen Free Fun

Our programs provide digital native kids the precious opportunity to connect with their peers face-to-face and discover the wonders of the world, undeterred by devices.

"One thing that makes Challenge Island a standout is what it lacks. You’ll find no screens or digital devices in a Challenge Island after-school class, camp or family night. Instead, kids working together in STEAM Teams, are encouraged to use imagination, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to come up with creative solutions to challenges using a treasure-chest full of low-tech supplies."

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Award-Winning STEAM Programs

Award-Winning Onsite Field Trips

Our standard-aligned, cross-curricular K-12 field trips take students on a STEAMtastic island adventure without ever leaving school grounds.

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Award-Winning Camps

When school is out, STEAM is in! Our outrageously exciting camps feel like vacations in their own right!

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After School Enrichment

Our STEAM teams visit different island destinations each week and tackle challenges using only materials in their treasure chests and their boundless imaginations.

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Girl Scout Workshops

Our wide array of badge and journey workshops for Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes come with a Challenge Island Fun Patch for every girl!

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Birthday Parties

Don’t just have a party, have an ISLAND party! Choose from our epic STEAM themes or design one of your very own.

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Family Engagement & Parental Involvement Programs

Our multi-generational family engagement and parental involvement events turn families into STEAM Teams as they work together to take on family-size challenges and fun.

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STEAMbuilding® & Bullying Prevention Programs

Our signature team-building experiences inspire collaboration, critical thinking and creativity in all kinds of teams – from kid to corporate!

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Challenge Island Book Series Programs

STEAM + Reading = STREAM! Our book series field trips bring the bestselling Challenge Island stories to life in your classroom!

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Hi, I’m Rachel!

Creating awareness and opening doors to the fun in STEAM so anyone can have a seat at the table

I spent the first 20 years of my career working in the corporate world as an engineer and a leader. I love all things math, science, engineering and human growth and development.

My introduction to working with kids was in 2018 when I started a Girl Scout troop for my oldest daughter, Josie. The first year was tough, with a group of 12 kindergarteners and 2 engineers running the troop. But we found our feet and I realized that empowering girls is something that I'm passionate about. And seeing the growth of the kids as they have gotten older has been such a rewarding experience.

When I was laid off at the beginning of the pandemic I decided to make a 180° turn and focus on impacting kids. I spent a year working for our local Girl Scout Council, learning about marketing, recruiting, managing a classroom and teaching kids STEM lessons. The work was incredibly satisfying. But it lacked life balance as I live life with my husband, Corey, and my 2 girls, Josie and Lucy. I ached for the autonomous environment I had as an engineer and leader in the corporate world. And wanted to be able to tie all of my best skills together to fulfil my purpose.

After a suggestion from a franchise broker I ran across on Facebook, I started looking at different options for purchasing a franchise. After talking to a half dozen or so I hadn't really found what I was looking for. Then I started Googling. As I did that I ran across Challenge Island and remembered that Josie had taken a virtual badge workshop during the pandemic... and she LOVED it. So I had the broker contact Challenge Island, and the rest is history!

I love the programming the we offer though Challenge Island, and especially how it ties all of life together in a single program. No where else have I seen learning happen in a way that not only develops academic skills (math, science, engineering, art) but also ties that across curriculums and into life skills. The best people I hired were able to work collaboratively, speak confidently and problem solve outside of their expertise. And Challenge Island gives kids the chance to experience it, and build their skills. I'm so excited to bring this to West Michigan!

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