Launchpad Juniors is ideal for middle and high school students who are curious, creative, or eager to try something new. No prior business or coding experience is required—just a willingness to learn and participate.

Every student chooses a problem they care about and develops a real product or service around it. Past projects have included physical products, accessories, and simple services. By the end of the 8 weeks, your teen will have a tangible MVP (minimum viable product) and a business pitch.

Most students spend 1–2 hours per week outside of class doing light homework such as customer interviews, simple research, or refining their product or pitch. The workload is designed to be manageable alongside school and activities.

Absolutely. Many of our students start out quiet or nervous about speaking in front of others. Through weekly low-pressure pitch practice, they gradually build confidence, learn how to communicate their ideas clearly, and often surprise themselves with how much they grow.

Students primarily work on their own business ideas, but they frequently collaborate—sharing feedback, testing each other’s pitches, and brainstorming solutions together. This balance helps them develop both independent thinking and teamwork skills.

Students leave with real-world experience: they’ve identified a problem, built an MVP, talked to customers, and pitched their business. This makes for powerful stories in interviews, essays, and applications, and gives them leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills that stand out.