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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 helps 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 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
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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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 Programs
Our multi-generational family engagement events turn families into STEAM Teams as they work together to take on family-size challenges and fun.
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STEAMbuilding® & Special Events
Our signature team-building experiences inspire collaboration, critical thinking and creativity in all kinds of teams – from kid to corporate!
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Virtual Programs
Anything we can do in person we can do virtually! In fact, we were voted a TOP 3 virtual program in the USA by Business Insider.
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Hi, I’m Jill!
Jill is a former award-winning K-8 elementary school teacher and owner of Challenge Island South Charlotte
Jill is the owner of the Challenge Island™ South Charlotte program. She is a former award-winning K-8 elementary school teacher with public and private school experience. A “real” S.T.E.A.M. Queen, she spent nearly 20 years in the Pharmaceutical Sciences industry employed by Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Abbvie in a variety of leadership roles.
An avid reader and science geek, Jill is passionate about equity in education. Her mantra is “elite educational experiences should not be reserved just for the elite.” Jill received her undergraduate degree in English Language Arts/Teacher Certification Program from Virginia Union University. She received her MBA from Syracuse University-Whitman School of Business. Jill runs her local Challenge Island business in Charlotte, NC where she lives with her husband, daughter and 2 pups.
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STEAM + Reading = STREAM!
Combine the Magic of Challenge Island Programs with the Magic of Reading with our Bestselling Book Series!
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HIGHLIGHT
Challenge Island Ranked #115 on Entrepreneur’s Fastest Growing Franchises, Featured in Full Page Spotlight in Entrepreneur Magazine’s March 2022 Issue
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"Challenge Island camps and programs are valuable to the Town of Matthews and they provide fun and engaging STEAM activities for children. They foster teamwork, problem-solving, and imagination through different activities each day and the participants and their parents have nothing but great things to say about these programs."
Melissa Johnson, Cultural Recreation Manager, Town of Matthews
“In Challenge Island, we learned how to creatively approach problems, rather than using the rote methods that are often emphasized in elementary school. When I started college, I found myself using the skills I learned at Challenge Island far more than anything I learned in high school. Today, in my quantitative work on disease, I still constantly use the problem solving strategies I learned through Challenge Island.”
Former Challenge Island Student
“One thing that makes Challenge Island stand out from the competition is what it lacks. You’ll find no screens or digital devices in a Challenge Island program. 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.”
Entrepreneur Magazine