Neuron Garage logoNEURON GARAGE® FRANCHISE
Four smiling Campers showing off the cardboard fort they built
A FRANCHISE FOR EDUCATORS

Scale your impact.
Own your summer.

You became an educator to change children's lives — and every June, that work stops at the twenty-some kids who were in your classroom. A Neuron Garage gives you a way to reach a whole community of children every summer, without leaving the career you love.

Own the camp. Keep teaching.

Start Your Application →See what a Director's year looks like ↓
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[Testimonial / founder video] — 2:14
SINCE 2014AUSTIN-BORN, EDUCATOR-BUILTACA-ACCREDITED CAMPSAWARD-WINNING PROGRAM
THE FOUNDING COHORT

We're opening only a few locations per city right now, and we're looking for a founding cohort of respected local educators to launch them. You won't build alone: your Neuron Garage support team walks you through setup and operations, and you'll join a community of educator-owners who are building the same thing you are — people to learn from, lean on, and grow alongside.

WHAT IS NEURON GARAGE

A screen-free summer day camp where kids take on real challenges — and learn they can do hard things.

"Because what stops most children isn't ability — it's the belief that ability is fixed. We exist to build that belief in childhood: through children who learn they can do hard things, and the educators who believe in them."

— KAYLIE REED, CO-FOUNDER

Kids today get a lot of things made easy.

Screens hand them the answer. Activities are designed so no one struggles. But the most important thing a child can learn is what to do when something is genuinely hard — and that's the one thing easy can't teach.

One skill. Practiced all summer.

At Neuron Garage, kids take on open-ended building challenges with simple, everyday materials — no instructions, no set answer, no screens. They hit real walls. They get stuck. And instead of being rescued, they're guided to push through. Every day is built to grow one thing: the belief that what they can't do yet, they can grow into.

We teach the skill of using a growth mindset — with tools kids can use anywhere.

Many camps let kids experience challenge. We go further: we teach them how to meet it, with simple tools they carry far beyond camp.

“
"Not yet"

The belief that ability isn't fixed; "I can't" simply hasn't become "I can" yet.

◍
The Challenge Donut

What to do with the big feelings that make us want to quit.

↻
Think → Build → Learn

A first attempt isn't failure; it's the first version. You learn, and you try again.

Four things that make us different

Screen-free, start to finish.

Real materials, real problems, real focus.

Every child known.

We cap our size so no kid gets lost and every family is acknowledged.

Led by educators.

Each Neuron Garage is owned and run by an educator.

One skill, done deeply.

Most camps promise ten things. We promise one — and build it relentlessly.

ENRICH YOUR FUTURE

This is a chance to excel in your professional and personal life with a franchise concept that can transform lives, including your own.

✓
Start your own seasonal business with relative ease
✓
Align your passion to serve the next generation of learners
✓
Generate summer income while still staying in the classroom

Here's why an investment in a Neuron Garage franchise may make sense for the right educators:

LOW RISK & OVERHEAD
Minimize risk and capital outlay with reasonable start-up costs and initial fees
Control overhead with limited fixed costs and no brick-and-mortar investments
Supplement your income with a seasonal franchise concept
READY ON DAY ONE
Launch quickly with a well-established business model, designed to get campers signed up early in the year
Save time with a fully developed, theme-based curriculum, developed and refined for over a decade, that's ready for you to implement on Day One
Operate with confidence following our detailed operating specifications
NEVER ALONE
Negotiate and secure space effectively with our checklists and guidance on school facility use agreements
Leverage a dedicated team that's there to support you
SUPPORT & TRAINING

You won't build alone.

Most franchise training is a firehose — a week at headquarters, a binder, good luck. Ours is built the way you'd build it: one skill at a time, on a teacher's schedule.

1
Owner training that fits a school year.

Your pre-opening orientation is self-guided and takes about a day, total — the history and mission, how a camp actually runs, setting up your business, and forecasting your own numbers. Then, from September to April, you get one focused module a month, each matched to what you're actually doing that month: securing your location in September, building your marketing plan in November, opening registration in December, hiring and training your Guides in spring, setting up your campus in April. A short recorded lesson, then a live virtual session to work through it together. About an hour a month. You can do this — because it was designed for someone with your calendar.

2
Training materials for your team, ready on Day One.

Your Guides are your team — you hire them, you train them, you lead them. What you won't do is start from scratch. You'll receive our library of pre-recorded Guide training modules covering the curriculum, the growth-mindset frameworks, group meetings, camp culture, and common camp scenarios — ready for you to assign to your staff, and to build on with the in-person and on-the-job training you'll deliver yourself. Before camp opens, you'll confirm that every Guide has completed the modules. Your people, your leadership — with a decade of materials behind you.

3
Your Assigned Growth Guide.

From the day you are awarded your franchise, through your first summer and beyond, you'll have a person in your corner — someone who has run camps, knows the model, and meets with you as you launch and grow your business. Not a support ticket. A person you can talk to.

4
A Peer Council of educator-owners.

You'll meet regularly with a small council of fellow franchisees — people building the same thing you are. Ask the question you'd be embarrassed to ask. Someone in the room has lived it.

5
The Standards Manual: the whole playbook, written down.

Every specification, checklist, and how-to for launching and running a Neuron Garage — from negotiating your facility agreement to setting up your classroom to the daily schedule. A decade of refinement, so your first summer doesn't have to be an experiment.

ONE MODULE A MONTH · ABOUT AN HOUR · ON A TEACHER'S CALENDAR
SEP
Location
OCT
Round-Up
NOV
Marketing Plan
DEC
Registration
JAN
Marketing Execution
FEB
Staffing
MAR
Program
APR
Supplies & Setup

Our systems and software handle the registration and payments. Training is there when you need it. And there's always someone to call.

Your job is the part only you can do: be the educator your community already trusts.

IS THIS YOU?

Do you have what it takes to thrive as a Neuron Garage franchise owner?

Here are key qualities we look for in our targeted franchise owners:

✓  3+ years working with groups of children in a camp or classroom setting
✓  Belief in the value and power of the skill of using a growth mindset
✓  Willingness to serve as an owner-operator
✓  Mentor mindset
✓  Passionate and driven
This is for you if…
You've spent 3+ years in a classroom or camp, and you're good in a room full of kids.
Every June, you feel the ceiling — twenty-some kids a year isn't the impact you got into this for.
You can be on-site, full-time, all summer. Not managing from a distance — running it.
Your community already knows and trusts you — parents, principals, colleagues.
You'd rather follow a proven playbook well than invent one from scratch.
You see "I can't run a business" as an "I can't… yet."
This probably isn't for you if…
You want a business that runs without you — this one doesn't.
Your summers are already spoken for.
You want an exclusive, protected territory. We don't grant one, and we'd rather tell you now.
You want to redesign the curriculum. It's the one thing that isn't yours to change.
You think struggle is something to spare kids from.
You need this to replace your salary in year one.

Sound like you? Start your application. (Not sure yet? That's a "not yet.")

A DIRECTOR'S YEAR

One year. Four seasons.

School year

You teach. You find a school and classrooms to rent. You market locally to your community. Enrollment opens in January; our systems handle registration and payments while you're in the classroom. You meet monthly with your Peer Council and Growth Guide.

Spring

Hire your Guides and train them using our training materials. You order all supplies, tools, and branded items. Families from your own community sign up.

SUMMER
This is the season the business asks everything of you — and the season that's yours.
You run your camp, full-time, on-site.
August

Close the season. Go back to school. Start planning next summer.

INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE

"This is a business, and it's supposed to be worth your summer. The FDD, your own math, and current franchisees are where you pressure-test that."

ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT
$14,760–$19,400

An estimated initial investment includes an initial franchise fee for a single territory. This investment gives you exclusive access to our business model, tradename, training, curriculum, documentation and more.

$1,000
Initial Franchise Fee

A one-time credit gives you access to branded promotional materials, such as vinyl banner signs, yard signs, registration tablecloth, classroom posters and more.

20%
Royalty Fee

Of net revenues. Funds ongoing support services, training programs and other business model improvements for franchise owners like you.

3%
Brand Development Fund

Of net revenues. Supports ongoing marketing strategies to promote our brand and grow your reputation as a Neuron Garage franchise owner.

$2,500
Initial Launch Advertising

Recommended spend prior to operating your first camp, to promote your summer camp program.

$2,500/yr
Local Marketing

Recommended ongoing local marketing to build a loyal following of campers and families.

*For a full list of fees and requirements, please refer to our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

This website is not an offer to sell a franchise. Offers are made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document, and only in states where registered or exempt. No earnings representations are made outside Item 19 of our current FDD.

Start Your Application →
WHY SUMMER DAY CAMP?

The market, in plain terms.

2 in 3
A need-to-have, not a nice-to-have.

For many of today's families, summer camp isn't a luxury — it's essential infrastructure. In two-thirds of married-couple families with children, both parents work (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). When school lets out, many of those families still need structured, enriching care for their kids.

~⅓
A fragmented market, ready for a proven brand.

Despite its size, the camp industry remains highly fragmented — the largest operators combined hold only about a third of industry revenue, with the rest spread across thousands of independent local programs (IBISWorld). For a franchisee, that means you're not fighting entrenched national competitors on every corner. You're bringing a proven brand, professional systems, and consistent quality to a market still dominated by independent operations.

↑
Parents are trading up.

Families aren't just buying childcare anymore — they're investing in their children's development. The fastest growth in the category is in enrichment-focused programs that build real skills, as parents increasingly choose camps that deliver measurable value over generic recreation. Premium, purpose-built programming isn't a niche — it's where the market is going.

AND THE MODEL HAS STRUCTURAL ADVANTAGES:
Recurring revenue potential.

Families can re-enroll year after year, siblings age into the program, and a child who starts at age 6 could attend for many summers.

Word-of-mouth driven.

Camp is a trust purchase, and happy parents are vocal — referrals often come through neighbors, school communities, and parent group chats.

A natural seasonal labor pool.

Many teachers, coaches, and college students are looking for summer work exactly when camps need staff.

A planning-friendly calendar.

Enrollment often takes shape by spring, allowing operators to plan staffing and supply purchases based on actual registrations rather than forecasts.

The statements above describe general characteristics of the summer day camp industry and business model. They are not a representation, guarantee, or forecast of the actual or potential sales, income, or profits of any franchisee. Individual results vary and depend on many factors, including location, market conditions, and the operator's own efforts. We do not make any financial performance representations except as set forth in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. This website is not an offer to sell a franchise; any offer is made only through delivery of our Franchise Disclosure Document in compliance with applicable law.

YOUR PATH

8 steps to ownership

1
Complete our application.

Introduce yourself and outline your interest in a seasonal education enrichment franchise. Complete our Owner Development questionnaire.

2
Business Overview Call.

Gain a deeper understanding of the business, including access to our financial forecasting template.

3
FDD and Franchise Agreement Review.

If qualified, receive our Franchise Disclosure Document and walk through many of the Items in the FDD and key provisions in the Franchise Agreement — including initial investment requirements, ongoing fees, and other financial considerations.

4
Business Immersion Call.

A detailed walkthrough of the Neuron Garage owner experience: day-in-the-life, support systems, meet a Growth Guide. Prep for the Selection Committee.

5
Sign the franchise agreement.

Sign the agreement when you are confident that ownership in a Neuron Garage franchise fits your interests.

6
Participate in self-guided and virtual live training.

Join live presentations virtually, complete recorded training modules online, and download themed curricula, operational tools and camp resources.

7
Secure your facility.

Take advantage of our best practices, methods and checklists to negotiate a Facility Use Agreement for your camp sessions.

8
Welcome campers to your own Neuron Garage franchise location!

Set up your campus following our branding specifications and get ready to transform lives.

OUR HISTORY
2014
One camp in Austin.

Kaylie Reed opens a throw-back summer experience where kids "unplug," go into a "garage," and tinker with simple materials, tools and their hands.

10 yrs
Refined by word of mouth.

The program grows through enthusiastic families — and sharpens around the part that mattered most: kids developing the skill of using a growth mindset.

Today
Educator-owned expansion.

A franchise model built so talented educators can become educator-entrepreneurs and bring the program to children across the country.

MEET OUR TEAM
KR
Kaylie Reed
Co-Founder & Chief Education Officer
DartmouthActon founding GuideCurriculum author

Kaylie studied education and neuroscience at Dartmouth, taught in Montessori classrooms, and then joined Acton Academy at its very beginning as a founding Guide and Director — before Acton grew into a network of hundreds of locations worldwide. In 2014 she founded Neuron Garage to focus on one thing: teaching growth mindset as a practiced skill, not just a concept, through open-ended building challenges.

She built the curriculum used across every Neuron Garage location today. That gives her an unusual dual vantage point — she knows the pedagogy of resilience from more than a decade in classrooms, and she knows the business of turning an educational philosophy into a durable program, because she's done it. Neuron Garage camps are now owned and run by educators across the country.

Kaylie lives in Telluride, Colorado, where she serves on the local public school board and the board of the Telluride Education Foundation.

SR
Sam Reed
Co-Founder & Chief Expansion Officer
5 companies, 3 exitsGreen Dot / NYSEUSC · MIT

Sam has spent his whole career starting and scaling companies — he's co-founded five, with three exits.

He studied entrepreneurship formally at USC's Entrepreneur Program and MIT's Entrepreneur Master's Program. Prior to co-founding Neuron Garage, he was co-founder and CEO of AchieveCard, where he built AchieveCard into a national direct-to-consumer prepaid debit program in five years, led the company through its acquisition by Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT), and then served as Green Dot's Chief Revenue Officer for its direct business.

He's been a member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) for ten years and EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) for fifteen — which is a long way of saying he's spent two decades learning from, and alongside, people who build things.

At Neuron Garage, Sam's job is the one he's done his whole career: take something that works and help it grow — this time, a camp his wife Kaylie conceived, and a model that puts ownership in the hands of the educators who run it.

SB
Skyler Bossen
Founding Growth Guide & Franchise Recruitment Lead
11 yrs Neuron Garage & ActonTeaching credential
The first person you'll talk to

Skyler has spent her career in exactly the rooms our franchisees come from. She served five years as a Site Director at Neuron Garage and six as a Lead Guide at Acton Academy's main campus, with a year as a Learning Designer for the Acton network — on top of more than a decade directing after-school programs, designing project-based and social-emotional curriculum, and working summer camps. She holds a teaching credential and a degree in Communication Studies, and is pursuing a Master's in Youth Development Leadership.

At Neuron Garage, Skyler teaches what she practices: that ability grows, that the process of creating matters more than the product, and that a first try that doesn't work is a chance to learn — not a failure. As Franchise Recruitment Lead, she's the first person most prospective owners talk to, and the one who can answer, from experience, what running a location actually looks like.

FAQ

The questions you're actually asking

No — and we'd rather you didn't. The model is built for working teachers. "Full-time" means full-time during camp season: you're the one running your location all summer, not hiring a director and stepping back. It is not a claim on your school year.

READY TO LEARN MORE?

Share your contact information and let's continue the conversation.

Skyler, our Franchise Recruitment Lead, personally reads every application.

Franchises are offered only in states where we are registered or exempt.