Kids Science Labs

What Kids Science Labs does

Kids Science Labs (KSL) is a multi-location, hands-on STEM education company that operates physical science labs serving children ages 4-12 and PreK-8th grade schools. Founded in 2010 in Chicago by Shegan Campbell and Keith Norsym — two founders holding engineering and advanced science degrees from Stanford, University of Michigan, University of Illinois, and University of Chicago — the company has grown to four retail storefronts across the Seattle and Chicago metropolitan areas (Seattle-Greenlake, Northbrook, Roscoe Village, and South Loop), and references operating up to seven centers collectively with capacity for 425+ children per week during summer peaks. Cumulative scale cited includes 100,000+ children inspired since 2010 and 1,000+ schools served.

The core product portfolio includes summer and day camps ($150-$500/week), science-themed birthday parties ($395-$825 per event), NGSS-aligned field trips ($20/student with take-home STEAM kits), in-school STEM labs including the year-long STEM Lab Partnership Program (SLPP) priced at $2,400/year, afterschool STEM programs ($2,500-$4,000 per 8-12 week engagement), and a Returning Member subscription offering up to 40 day camps per year with up to $500 in annual discounts. All programs are built on the proprietary "PowerScience Curriculum" — a neuroscience-inspired, NGSS-aligned framework that the company has refined over 15+ years, with 400+ hands-on science classes. The curriculum is integrated with major K-5 science programs including Amplify Science, Mystery Science, FOSS, and STEMscopes, providing a curriculum-compatibility moat for institutional sales.

KSL operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B institutional revenue model. The DTC arm targets families in Seattle and Chicago through storefront enrollment, online booking, and member retention programs; the B2B arm sells field trips, in-school labs, afterschool enrichment, and Title I VIP Partner grants to public, private, and charter schools, plus out-of-school-time coordinators and homeschool groups. The company is a privately held California LLC (Kids Science Labs, LLC), 100% founder-controlled, with no institutional funding, M&A, or restructuring events disclosed.

Name

Kids Science Labs

Legal name

Kids Science Labs, LLC

Website

https://kidssciencelabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kids Science Labs is a private multi-location STEM education company operating science labs in Seattle and Chicago. It serves children ages 4-12 and PreK-8th schools through hands-on camps, birthday parties, field trips, and in-school programs built on its proprietary PowerScience curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. STEM Camps: Summer camps and day camps offering hands-on science experiences for kids ages 4-12. Camps run during school breaks including summer, winter, and spring break. Pricing varies by program type and duration.
2. Birthday Party Packages: Science-themed birthday parties with multiple package tiers. Packages include MOS Party ($395 for 20 kids), Super Slime Party ($595 for 20 kids), and Big Birthday Blowout ($825 for 20+ kids). Revenue is one-time per event.
3. Field Trip Programs: On-site and in-school field trips for PreK-8th grade students. Pricing starts at $20 per student including materials, expert instruction, and take-home STEAM kit. Title I schools eligible for STEM matching grants up to $500.
4. School STEM Programs: In-school STEM lab partnerships including full-year programs ($2,400/year for SLPP), 3-pack visits ($750), single visits ($300-$600), and afterschool programs ($2,500-$4,000 for 8-12 week engagements).
5. Membership Program: Returning member program offering guaranteed access to day camps (up to 40/year), early registration with up to $500/yr in discounts, and birthday party discounts within 12 months of camp registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kids Science Labs operates hands-on STEM education programs for children ages 4-12 through four retail science lab locations in Seattle and Chicago, plus mobile school-based delivery. Core sellable offerings include STEM Summer Camps, Science Birthday Parties, Day Camps during school breaks, School Field Trips aligned to NGSS, and In-School/Afterschool STEM Labs supported by the proprietary PowerScience Curriculum.

Product overview

Kids Science Labs operates as a multi-location science education company offering a unified portfolio of hands-on STEM programs for children ages 4-12. The core offering combines physical learning centers with mobile programs, including STEM Summer Camps (the flagship offering ranked #1 by parents), Science Birthday Parties, Field Trips, STEM Labs for schools, Day Camps for school breaks, and the proprietary PowerScience Curriculum. Programs are available at four retail locations in Seattle and Chicago, as well as through in-school and afterschool partnerships with educational institutions. The portfolio ranges from drop-in classes and birthday parties to full-year school partnerships, all delivering NGSS-aligned hands-on science experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEM Summer Camps Multi-week, full- and half-day hands-on STEM summer camps for children ages 4-12, held at KSL retail lab locations in Seattle and Chicago, with weekly themed experiments and collaborative problem-solving.
• Science Birthday Parties Private, on-site science-themed birthday parties for children, featuring custom slime, fizzing reactions, erupting volcanoes, and safe chemical experiments led by KSL instructors with setup/cleanup handled by KSL. Available in tiered packages (MOS, Super Slime, Big Birthday Blowout).
• Day Camps Single- and multi-day STEM day camps offered at KSL retail locations during school breaks (winter, spring, holidays), for kids ages 4-12, with full-day and half-day program options.
• School Field Trips PreK-8th grade field trip programs delivered either on-site at KSL centers or in-school, featuring hands-on NGSS-aligned experiments led by expert educators with materials and take-home STEAM kit included. Title I schools eligible for matching grants up to $500 via VIP Partner Program.
• In-School & Afterschool STEM Labs Structured in-school and afterschool STEM lab programs for PreK-8th grade students, including full-year STEM Lab Partnership Program (SLPP), 3-pack visits (SLB), and afterschool programs aligned with NGSS and major K-5 curricula such as Amplify Science, Mystery Science, FOSS, and STEMscopes.
• PowerScience Curriculum Proprietary, neuroscience-inspired STEM curriculum covering physical science, life science, earth science, and engineering for grades PreK-8, with 400+ hands-on class options exceeding national standards, delivered through KSL programs.
• Pre-K Science Classes Early childhood science enrichment classes for children ages 2-6 introducing foundational science concepts through sensory-rich, hands-on activities aligned with the PowerScience Curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ children inspired since 2010
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amplify SciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership supporting Amplify Science curriculum. KSL provides 30+ hands-on science lessons that align with and complement Amplify Science's K-5th grade science curriculum, offering students real experiments to reinforce classroom learning.
• Mystery SciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationCurriculum integration partnership providing hands-on experiments that complement Mystery Science lessons. Supports teachers with tactile activities to enhance the Mystery Science curriculum experience.
• FOSS (Full Option Science System)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership with FOSS K-5th grade science curriculum. KSL provides supplementary hands-on experiments aligned with FOSS modules and learning objectives.
• STEMscopescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership supporting STEMscopes curriculum with engaging, curriculum-aligned hands-on science activities and experiments for K-5th grade students.
• NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll KSL programs are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, ensuring curriculum meets national science education requirements for PreK-8th grade students.
• Illinois Science AssessmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrograms designed to help students prepare for and succeed in the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) administered to 5th and 8th grade students. Curriculum supports NGSS-aligned standards tested in the ISA.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Club SciKidz: STEM summer camp and after-school program operator serving multiple US markets with hands-on science themes. Directly comparable to KSL's camp and in-school program offering.
• Science Explorers: Hands-on science enrichment provider offering in-school, afterschool, and summer camp programs primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region. Comparable curriculum-aligned science focus and school partnerships to KSL.
• Steve & Kate's Camp: Multi-location day camp operator offering self-directed programming including STEM activities for ages 4-12. Comparable to KSL in camp pricing, age range, and family demographic, though broader in topic scope.
• Mad Science: National franchise-based STEM enrichment provider offering in-school programs, assemblies, and camps. Directly comparable to KSL's hands-on science camps and school partnership model, with a broader geographic footprint via franchising.
• Engineering for Kids: Franchise STEM education provider for ages 4-14 offering afterschool programs, camps, and in-school classes. Competes with KSL in the same school-channel enrichment space.
• Snapology: Franchise STEM/STEAM enrichment provider for ages 1-14 using LEGO bricks and similar tactile platforms. Comparable to KSL in targeting school partnerships, camps, and birthday parties, with a franchise model that competes for the same institutional channels.
• Destination Science: Summer STEM day-camp operator for elementary-aged children, with multi-week hands-on science themes. Closely mirrors KSL's summer camp offering and parent demographic.
• Challenge Island: Franchise STEAM enrichment program for elementary-aged children, offering in-school, afterschool, and birthday party programs. Comparable target demographic and program structure to KSL.

Emerging players

• MEL Science: Subscription science experiment kit company with VR/AR-enabled lessons for kids. Comparable to KSL in delivering real experiments to children at home, but via direct-to-consumer kits rather than in-person labs.
• KiwiCo: Subscription-based STEM/STEAM activity kit company for kids. Targets the same parent demographic as KSL but with an asset-light delivery model that competes for share-of-wallet on enrichment spending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KidsScienceLabs
• Facebookfacebook.com/kidssciencelabs
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidssciencelabs/?hl=en
• Xx.com/kidssciencelabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kids Science Labs