Challenge Island

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Challenge Island

Challenge Island Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Challenge Island is an educational franchise that offers STEAM-focused programs through hands-on, creative challenges for children.

Challenge Island is a leading STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education franchise that offers a unique, hands-on learning experience for children. Founded in 2002 by Sharon Duke Estroff, a former educator in Atlanta, Georgia, Challenge Island began as a classroom initiative designed to spark creativity and collaboration among students.

Recognizing the growing demand for engaging educational programs, Estroff expanded Challenge Island into an afterschool business, eventually franchising the concept in 2013 to reach a broader audience.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Challenge Island has grown rapidly across 36 states and four countries. The franchise is known for its innovative approach to education, where children work together in "STEAM Teams" to tackle imaginative challenges using low-tech supplies.

This emphasis on teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving, combined with the program's commitment to being screen-free, sets Challenge Island apart from its competitors.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Type of Expenditure	Amount
Initial Franchise Fee	$49,900
Equipment	$0 - $1,500
Product/Supplies	$500 - $1,000
Insurance Premium	$1,040 - $2,125
Office & Printing Supplies	$200 - $800
Professional Fees	$1,000 - $5,000
Training Expenses	$800 - $1,250
Marketing Materials	$0 - $500
Business License	$50 - $500
Additional Funds (3 months)	$4,000 - $10,000
Initial Marketing Plan	$500 - $1,000
Franchise Management Tool (FMT)	$475
Total	$58,465 - $74,050

Type of Expenditure	Amount
Initial Franchise Fee	$49,900
Equipment	$0 - $1,500
Product/Supplies	$500 - $1,000
Insurance Premium	$1,040 - $2,125
Office & Printing Supplies	$200 - $800
Professional Fees	$1,000 - $5,000
Training Expenses	$800 - $1,250
Marketing Materials	$0 - $500
Business License	$50 - $500
Additional Funds (3 months)	$4,000 - $10,000
Initial Marketing Plan	$500 - $1,000
Franchise Management Tool (FMT)	$475
Total	$58,465 - $74,050

Franchise Disclosure Document

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Started franchising

2012

Franchisees

175

+

32%

32%

Franchise fee

$49,900

Investment

$58,000 - $74,000

Revenue (AUV)

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$0

+

n.a.

Operating Profit

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n.a.

Home based

Yes

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Yes

Passive investment

No

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No

FDD

You have 0 FDDs left to download this month

Competitors

Below are some of

Challenge Island

key competitors in the

Tutoring

sector.

Franchise

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175

New

+

32%

32%

32%

$49,900

$58,000

$74,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Prepaze Academy

$100K - $200K

0

$39,000

$157,000

$319,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Casa De Corazon

Over $500K

3

$70,000

$768,000

$4,058,000

$2,815,000

46.6%

20.0%

Elite Tutoring Place

$25K - $50K

5

$25,000

$47,000

$93,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Code Ninjas

$50K - $100K

239

$40,000

$69,000

$298,000

$221,000

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n.a.

Fundraising University

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51

$60,000

$80,000

$84,000

$895,000

n.a.

n.a.

The Coder School

$50K - $100K

65

$29,950

$78,000

$194,000

$278,000

n.a.

n.a.

STEM Builders

$25K - $50K

3

$25,000

$45,000

$105,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Club Sci Kidz

$50K - $100K

17

$45,000

$74,000

$89,000

$596,000

n.a.

n.a.

Eye Level Learning

$50K - $100K

118

$10,000

$55,000

$129,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Huntington Learning Center

$100K - $200K

269

$36,000

$164,000

$302,000

$561,000

65.0%

31.4%

Kumon

$50K - $100K

1671

$2,000

$74,000

$166,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Mobius

Over $500K

0

$40,000

$1,624,000

$3,838,000

$1,614,000

n.a.

20.8%

JEI Learning Center

$50K - $100K

48

$22,500

$61,000

$111,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Club Z! Tutoring

$25K - $50K

348

$27,250 - $39,750

$41,000

$57,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Afficient Academy Learning Center

$25K - $50K

8

$1,000

$47,000

$142,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Snapology

$50K - $100K

102

$40,000 - $47,500

$75,000

$542,000

$163,000

n.a.

n.a.

LearningRx

$50K - $100K

46

$45,000

$75,000

$220,000

$334,000

n.a.

n.a.

Mad Science

$100K - $200K

73

$30,000

$113,000

$313,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Parker-Anderson Enrichment

$25K - $50K

14

$25,900 - $35,900

$46,000

$141,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Tutor Doctor

$50K - $100K

67

$57,200

$94,000

$221,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Brain Balance

$100K - $200K

65

$45,000

$117,000

$464,000

$559,000

n.a.

n.a.

The Tutoring Center

$50K - $100K

75

$32,000

$85,000

$162,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Apex Leadership Co.

$50K - $100K

108

$49,500

$86,000

$135,000

$310,000

n.a.

21.0%

Best In Class Education Center

$100K - $200K

44

$45,000

$124,000

$257,000

$139,000

n.a.

n.a.

StemTree

$50K - $100K

12

$44,500

$93,000

$186,000

$151,000

n.a.

n.a.

Nutty Scientists

$25K - $50K

5

$35,000

$46,000

$54,000

$267,000

n.a.

n.a.

Kids STEM Studio

$50K - $100K

1

$28,000

$79,000

$110,000

$0

n.a.

Sylvan Learning Centers

$100K - $200K

474

$36,900

$101,000

$227,000

$364,000

n.a.

n.a.

Mathnasium

$100K - $200K

968

$49,000

$113,000

$150,000

$310,000

n.a.

34.7%

Omega Learning

$100K - $200K

5

$49,900

$122,000

$226,000

$509,000

77.7%

n.a.

Best Brains

$25K - $50K

116

$10,000

$29,000

$118,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Little Medical School

$50K - $100K

30

$35,000

$58,000

$227,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Engineering for Kids

$50K - $100K

23

$30,000

$71,000

$140,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

The Tutoring Club

$50K - $100K

74

$34,500

$89,000

$163,000

$0

n.a.

n.a.

iCode

$200K - $500K

44

$35,000

$298,000

$427,000

$197,000

n.a.

n.a.

Class 101

$50K - $100K

55

$39,900

$75,000

$130,000

$164,000

n.a.

n.a.

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Training

Challenge Island provides comprehensive training to ensure that franchisees are well-prepared to operate their business successfully. The training is designed to equip franchise owners with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the unique Challenge Island experience to children in their communities.

Initial Training: Franchisees begin with an immersive initial training program, which typically takes place at Challenge Island’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. This training covers all aspects of running a Challenge Island franchise, including program delivery, curriculum implementation, marketing strategies, and business operations. The training ensures that franchisees understand the core values and methodologies of Challenge Island, enabling them to deliver high-quality STEAM programs.
Curriculum Training: A significant portion of the training focuses on the Challenge Island curriculum, which is central to the franchise’s offerings. Franchisees learn how to effectively implement the curriculum in various settings, including after-school programs, camps, and in-school field trips. This training emphasizes hands-on activities and problem-solving, ensuring that franchisees can create engaging and educational experiences for children.
Ongoing Support: After the initial training, Challenge Island provides ongoing support to its franchisees. This includes access to updated curriculum materials, marketing resources, and continuous professional development opportunities. The franchise also offers a support network, where franchisees can connect with each other and share best practices.
Additional Workshops: Franchisees may also have the opportunity to participate in additional workshops and webinars that focus on specific aspects of the business, such as advanced marketing techniques, expanding service offerings, and optimizing operational efficiency.

Territory Protection

Challenge Island franchisees benefit from a form of territory protection, ensuring that they have exclusive rights to operate within a defined geographic area.

This means that within the specified territory, no other Challenge Island franchisee can establish a competing franchise, giving the franchisee the opportunity to build and grow their business without direct competition from within the franchise network.

The specific details of territory protection, such as the size and boundaries of the territory, are typically outlined in the Franchise Agreement and are designed to give franchisees a level of security and potential market dominance in their area.

Competitors

Omega Learning

Omega Learning is an educational services franchise providing tutoring, test preparation, and academic enrichment programs tailored to individual student needs.

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5

+

-29%

-29%

Investment

$122,000 - $226,000

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Nutty Scientists

Nutty Scientists is an educational franchise offering interactive science programs for children, combining fun and learning through hands-on activities and experiments.

Franchisees

5

+

400%

400%

Investment

$46,000 - $54,000

$25K - $50K

STEM Builders

STEM Builders is an educational franchise that offers STEM-focused programs to inspire and equip students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Franchisees

3

+

-25%

-25%

Investment

$45,000 - $105,000

$25K - $50K

The Tutoring Club

The Tutoring Club offers personalized academic support for students, focusing on improving grades, confidence, and study habits.

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74

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Elite Tutoring Place

Elite Tutoring Place provides individualized academic tutoring in core subjects to help students excel and achieve their educational goals.

Franchisees

5

+

0%

0%

Investment

$47,000 - $93,000

$25K - $50K

Class 101

Class 101 offers college planning services for high school students, helping them navigate the admissions process, improve test scores, and secure scholarships.

Franchisees

55

+

12%

12%

Investment

$75,000 - $130,000

$50K - $100K

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