Beam Center
Beam Center is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers youth through hands-on, collaborative maker education. It operates school partnerships, paid youth employment programs, and summer camps serving 5,100+ young people annually in NYC and New Hampshire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, New York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Beam Center does
Beam Center is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization, founded in 2004 as Beam Camp in Strafford, NH and restructured in 2012 under its current umbrella. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on hands-on, collaborative project-based learning across maker disciplines including metalworking, woodworking, textiles, ceramics, 3D printing, laser cutting, circuitry, physical computing, and coding. Core offerings include School Partnerships with 71+ NYC public schools across four of the city's five boroughs, an Apprenticeship training program, five Youth Employment enterprises (including SYEP, Work Learn Grow, Project Leaders, and externships), the Beam Camp sleep-away camp in New Hampshire, Beam Camp City day camp on Governors Island, the annual OtherWorlds Fair, and large-scale public art installations.
The organization's go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer registration for camp programs via website, paired with school and community organization partnerships that drive youth enrollment into year-round programming. Revenue is diversified across tiered camp tuition, individual donations (five giving levels up to $24,999), foundation grants (Robin Hood Foundation, Booth Ferris, MacMillan Family Foundation, NEA), and government funding (NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs). FY 2025 disclosed income was $4,521,563 against expenses of $4,381,161.
Beam Center employs 141 part- and full-time instructional staff, with 53% being former Beam program participants, creating a self-reinforcing intergenerational community pipeline. The organization has served more than 45,000 young people since 2004 and reaches over 5,100 annually. Its value proposition rests on treating youth as producers of learning and culture through large-scale collaborative projects designed with professional artists and architects, distinguishing it from traditional supplemental education or after-school programs.
Beam Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beam Center
- Legal name
- Beam Center Inc.
- Website
- https://beamcenter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Beam Center is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers youth through hands-on, collaborative maker education. It operates school partnerships, paid youth employment programs, and summer camps serving 5,100+ young people annually in NYC and New Hampshire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Beam Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Development and Maker Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI), Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG), STEM & Coding Learning Centers (Robotics, Programming, Engineering) (EDANAHAF), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where Beam Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn, New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Beam Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Camp Tuition: Fee-based summer camp programs including Beam Camp (sleep-away in NH) and Beam Camp City (day camp in NYC) with tiered tuition based on household income and family size
- Individual Donations: Philanthropic contributions from individuals at various giving levels ($100-$499, $500-$999, $1,000-$4,999, $5,000-$9,999, $10,000-$24,999)
- Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Robin Hood Foundation ($250,000+), Booth Ferris Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, and numerous others
- Government Funding: NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and other government sources
- Youth Wages from Employment Programs: $1.18 million earned by teens in wages through workforce training and employment programs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 4-Week Full Session |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 2-Week Session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beam Camp City 1 Week |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beam Camp City 2 Week Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beam Camp City 3 Week Package |
| Other | Monthly | Tiered Tuition Assistance |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Beam Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beam Center delivers hands-on, project-based maker education programs for youth ages 8-17, anchored by school partnerships with NYC public schools, semester-based Apprenticeship cohorts, five paid Youth Employment "enterprises," and two summer camps (Beam Camp sleep-away in NH and Beam Camp City day camp on Governors Island). Programs unify around the proprietary Big Projects Framework in which young people collaborate with professional artists, architects, and designers on spectacular large-scale installations using metal, wood, textiles, ceramics, electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, and coding.
Product overview
Beam Center is a nonprofit youth development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on hands-on project-based learning and collaborative making. The core offerings include School Partnerships (in-school projects across 25+ NYC schools), the Apprenticeship Program (semester-based leadership training with 3-4 cohorts), Youth Employment through five distinct Enterprises (Project Leaders, Project Production, externships, and WLG), and Summer Camps (Beam Camp NH sleep-away camp and Beam Camp City day camp on Governors Island). Supporting programs include the annual OtherWorlds Fair public event, Public Art Projects (large-scale installations designed with youth), the Fellows advanced training program, DIY at-home tutorials, and an Artist in Residence program. The portfolio is unified by a shared framework of spectacular collaborative projects, intergenerational learning, and youth empowerment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Beam Camp: Summer sleepaway camp in Strafford, NH for youth ages 9-17, featuring large-scale collaborative projects and hands-on skill building.
- Beam Camp City
- Apprenticeship Program
- Project Leaders
- Project Production / Fellows
Quantifiable outcome
- 45,000+ young people served since 2004
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Beam Center
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Beam Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Beam Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- NYC Department of Youth and Community DevelopmentcorePartnership with DYCD for workforce development programs including SYEP and Work Learn Grow, providing employment opportunities for NYC teens
- NYC Department of Cultural AffairscoreGovernment funding partner supporting public art projects and cultural programming
- Billion Oyster ProjectcoreEnvironmental partnership for community workshops incorporating oyster restoration and education into public art projects
- Brooklyn Children's MuseumsecondaryCommunity partnership for youth programming and family engagement events
- FAB NYC (Fourth Arts Block)coreCollaboration on public art installations including HALO project in the Lower East Side
- West Harlem Art FundcorePartnership on Harlem Sculpture Garden exhibition, bringing public art installations to West Harlem parks
- Creative Urban Alchemy (IfeOma Ebo)coreDesign studio partnership for Osisi Obodo public art project at Weeksville Heritage Center, addressing climate concerns in Brooklyn communities
- Jon ShmulevitchcoreArchitectural designer of Theater of Giants 2025 Big Project at Beam Camp
- Fitgi Saint-LouiscoreArtist designer of Fanal: Fe Limye public art installation at Harlem Sculpture Garden
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Beam Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Door: NYC youth development nonprofit offering workforce training, education, and arts programming for teens and young adults. Comparable in serving NYC youth ages 12-21 with a mix of workforce development and creative skills programs.
- DreamYard Project: Bronx-based nonprofit providing arts and maker education to NYC youth through in-school residencies, after-school programs, and public art projects. Highly comparable in mission, NYC public school partnership model, and youth-driven public art approach.
- BUILD NYC (BUILD.org): National youth development nonprofit using entrepreneurship and maker-style project learning to engage underserved high school students. Most comparable in the project-based, mentor-driven, college-and-career-prep model for at-risk youth.
- MakerEd (Maker Education Initiative): National nonprofit focused on expanding maker education for youth through educator training, curriculum, and program design. Comparable in championing maker-based learning for young people and developing frameworks for hands-on project work.
Broad incumbents
- Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ): Large NYC-based nonprofit operating cradle-through-career programming including after-school, summer camps, and workforce development. Comparable in serving NYC youth with intensive, multi-touchpoint programs and outcomes measurement.
- YMCA of Greater New York: Major NYC youth services provider offering summer camps, after-school programs, and teen leadership development. Comparable in scale, NYC geography, and menu of youth enrichment offerings, though less focused on maker education.
- 92nd Street Y (92Y): NYC cultural and educational institution operating children's summer camps, after-school programs, and arts education. Comparable in offering hands-on enrichment for NYC youth, particularly in summer programming for ages 8-17.
Regional players
- Summerfuel NYC / Concordia Summer Programs: Operator of pre-college summer programs at NYC-area universities focused on enrichment, arts, and STEM for high school students. Comparable in offering immersive summer learning experiences with project components and similar price points.
Others
- Beam Camp (legacy / unrelated): Listed only to flag that Beam Center's Beam Camp sub-brand shares the beamcamp.org domain; this is not a separate peer but the same organization's consumer-facing camp site.
Emerging players
- Girls Who Code: National nonprofit running summer immersion programs and school clubs to close the gender gap in tech. Comparable in operating project-based summer programs for youth with paid summer stipends, intersecting with Beam's STEM/coding mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Beam Center social profiles
Digital presenceBeam Center compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Beam Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beam Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Beam Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beam Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Beam Center
What does Beam Center do?
Beam Center delivers hands-on, project-based maker education programs for youth ages 8-17, anchored by school partnerships with NYC public schools, semester-based Apprenticeship cohorts, five paid Youth Employment "enterprises," and two summer camps (Beam Camp sleep-away in NH and Beam Camp City day camp on Governors Island). Programs unify around the proprietary Big Projects Framework in which young people collaborate with professional artists, architects, and designers on spectacular large-scale installations using metal, wood, textiles, ceramics, electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, and coding.
Is Beam Center a public or private company?
Beam Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Beam Center founded?
Beam Center was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Beam Center based?
Beam Center is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Beam Center make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Camp Tuition is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, foundation Grants, government Funding and youth Wages from Employment Programs.
Who are Beam Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Door, DreamYard Project, BUILD NYC (BUILD.org) and MakerEd (Maker Education Initiative). Broad incumbents are Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), YMCA of Greater New York and 92nd Street Y (92Y). Summerfuel NYC / Concordia Summer Programs is listed as a regional player. Beam Camp (legacy / unrelated) is listed as an others. Girls Who Code is listed as an emerging player.
Does Beam Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Beam Center.
What industry is Beam Center in?
Beam Center's product category is Youth Development and Maker Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAC, Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios), with a secondary code of EDANAKAI, Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.