Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Build and present a startup idea in this 2-week entrepreneurship program for middle school students on Georgetown University’s campus.
One of our most popular courses in 2026, based on enrollment.
Course Description
What turns an idea into a business people can understand and support? Students examine the qualities of entrepreneurs, debate whether successful founders are born or made, and study the origin stories behind startups and iconic brands. Each discussion leads into a learning lab where they test the concept for themselves.
Students create a graphic startup blueprint, use art and music to shape a business vision, and evaluate case studies about measured risk. They build a rubric for future risk decisions, explore failure and resiliency through a game, and create visual media for a dream startup using software tools. A course audio-podcast activity and final business presentation give them practice organizing ideas for an audience.
The work develops a practical view of entrepreneurship without asking students to have their future figured out. They learn to explain a vision, consider evidence, respond to questions, and see how passion, innovation, risk, and resilience affect a startup.
This two-week course takes place at Georgetown University. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what students may want to explore next. The program is developed by Georgetown University and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
What Will You Do?
• Debate whether successful entrepreneurs are born or made
• Research and record a startup founder for a course audio podcast
• Create a graphic blueprint showing how a startup works
• Shape and articulate a business vision through art and music
• Evaluate risk cases and build a decision-making rubric
• Create visual media and present a dream startup idea
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how vision, innovation, risk, and resilience influence a startup
• Evaluate an entrepreneurial decision using evidence and a risk rubric
• Organize and present a clear business idea for an audience
Students will leave with a startup blueprint, visual media, and a business presentation, plus a clearer sense of which parts of entrepreneurship they may want to explore next.
Why Entrepreneurship Skills Matter?
Entrepreneurship turns a broad idea into a sequence of decisions. Students practice defining a problem, shaping a vision, weighing risk, and explaining why a business idea could matter to others. Those habits strengthen planning, critical thinking, and communication across school projects and team activities.
Studying failure also makes the process more realistic. Instead of treating every setback as an ending, students consider what the evidence reveals and how a founder might adjust. Presentations build the ability to organize information, manage speaking nerves, and respond thoughtfully to questions.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and are curious about how ideas become businesses. It fits students who enjoy creative problem solving, brand stories, group challenges, or imagining a product, service, or organization they might build.
Participants should be ready to discuss different viewpoints, complete individual and small-group learning labs, and present their thinking. The course balances creativity with practical decisions, so it can appeal to students drawn to design and storytelling as well as those interested in business, leadership, marketing, or finance.
Why Georgetown University?
Studying on Georgetown University’s campus gives middle-school students a memorable place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Washington, D.C. The historic campus sits near embassies, institutions, and public conversations that make the wider world feel close, even when the course itself is not connected to government or policy.
The program combines active academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students navigate a new environment. Students can try unfamiliar subjects, share ideas with peers, and build confidence through a structured summer experience. For families, the program offers an engaging balance of learning and fun, with the community and guidance younger students need as they develop independence and discover what they may want to explore next.
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive