OSU KidSpirit

What OSU KidSpirit does

OSU KidSpirit is a non-profit youth development program operated under Oregon State University's Division of Extension and Engagement, headquartered at Langton Hall on the OSU campus in Corvallis, Oregon, and tracing its origins to 1961. The program serves participants ages 2-18 through a portfolio of structured offerings: Summer Day Camps (Grades K-6), Cooking Academy (Grades 3-8), Gymnastics (Ages 2-18), Aquatics/Swim Lessons (Ages 2-18), Junior Leaders Academy (Grades 6-8), Youth Outdoor Career & Leadership Summit (Ages 14-18), ACES No School Day Camps, and Special Events and Birthday Parties. Its instructional framework is built on Positive Youth Development and Growth Mindset principles, and curriculum is delivered primarily by competitively hired college and high school student staff, supported by AmeriCorps VISTA summer associates. The program is led by Director Karen Swanger.

Revenue is generated through program tuition and registration fees, donations, and the Geoff Tomlinson Scholarship Endowment. A 25% need-based scholarship is available for qualifying families (SNAP, Head Start, foster care, or demonstrated financial need), and OSU staff, faculty, students, and OSUAA members receive an additional $12-$25 discount per summer camp session. Programs are marketed through the OSU KidSpirit website, an email newsletter, and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), with registration handled via the Ideal Logic online portal. Distribution relies on OSU campus facilities (Langton Hall, Women's Building pool) and a satellite gymnastics location in Siletz, Oregon.

There is no proprietary technology underpinning the program; the effective platform is the combination of OSU-owned physical facilities, a student-staff talent pipeline, and a donor-supported scholarship infrastructure. Corporate and community supporters include Bob's Red Mill, the Moore Family Center (facility provider), AM Skin, Anne & Andrea Fahy Realty, Handy Hands, Valley Eye Care, and Inkwell Home Store. Operating geography is Oregon, with a primary concentration in Corvallis and one satellite in Siletz.

Name

OSU KidSpirit

Legal name

Oregon State University Extension Service - KidSpirit Program

Website

https://kidspirit.oregonstate.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OSU KidSpirit is a non-profit youth development program under Oregon State University's Division of Extension and Engagement, delivering Positive Youth Development curricula across summer camps, cooking, gymnastics, swim, and leadership programs for children and teens ages 2-18 in Corvallis and Siletz, Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Enrichment Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Physical Activity & Motor Development Programs (Health-Focused) (EDACAMAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Summer day camps
• Cooking academy
• Gymnastics classes
• Swim lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Corvallis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Registration Fees: Revenue is generated through registration fees and tuition for various youth programs including summer day camps, cooking academy, gymnastics, aquatics, and leadership training. The organization also receives support through donations and the Geoff Tomlinson Scholarship Endowment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OSU KidSpirit delivers youth development and enrichment programs for children and teens ages 2-18 through Oregon State University's Division of Extension and Engagement. Core offerings span Summer Day Camps (Grades K-6), Cooking Academy (Grades 3-8), Gymnastics (Ages 2-18), Aquatics/Swim Lessons (Ages 2-18), Junior Leaders Academy (Grades 6-8), Youth Outdoor Career & Leadership Summit (Ages 14-18), and ACES No School Day Camps, plus Special Events & Birthday Parties. The curriculum is built around Positive Youth Development and Growth Mindset principles, with need-based scholarships covering 25% of tuition.

Product overview

OSU KidSpirit is a unified youth development program under Oregon State University's Division of Extension and Engagement, offering a portfolio of recreational and educational programs for children and teens. The core offerings include Summer Day Camps (Grades K-6), Cooking Academy (Grades 3-8), Gymnastics Classes (Ages 2-18), Aquatics/Swim Lessons (Ages 2-18), Junior Leaders Academy (Grades 6-8), Youth Outdoor Career & Leadership Summit (Ages 14-18), and ACES No School Day Camps. Supplementary services include Special Events & Birthday Parties, an online Recipe resource, Scholarships for financial assistance, and a KidSpirit Network alumni community. The programs emphasize positive youth development, growth mindset, accessibility, and building connection and confidence in participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KidSpirit Summer Day Camps Full-day summer camp programs for children in Grades K-6, offering diverse activities including arts, sports, STEM, cooking, and outdoor experiences, held during summer at Oregon State University campus facilities.
• KidSpirit Cooking Academy Culinary program for Grades 3-8 teaching cooking skills, kitchen safety, and nutrition through hands-on meal preparation. Multiple sessions include Top Chefs, Garden-to-Table, Chefs in Motion, Scientists in the Kitchen, and Future Iron Chefs.
• KidSpirit Gymnastics Classes Gymnastics instruction for ages 2-18 held at Langton Hall on the OSU campus and at a satellite location in Siletz, Oregon, focusing on coordination, balance, and confidence building.
• KidSpirit Aquatics - Swim Classes Swim lessons and aquatic programs for ages 2-18 conducted in the Women's Building pool on the OSU campus, emphasizing water safety and swimming skills.
• Junior Leaders Academy Leadership development program for Grades 6-8 preparing youth for mentorship and leadership roles through structured training.
• Youth Outdoor Career & Leadership Summit (YOCLS) Summit program for ages 14-18 focusing on outdoor careers and leadership development.
• ACES No School Day Camps Day camps held during school breaks offering activities in classrooms on the OSU campus for children during no-school days.
• Special Events & Birthday Parties Event hosting services for parties, celebrations, birthdays, and corporate events held at KidSpirit/OSU facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% scholarship coverage of tuition for qualifying families
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bob's Red MillminorOthersBob's Red Mill products are used and acknowledged in KidSpirit's cooking programs and facilities.
• Moore Family CenterminorOthersThe Moore Family Center kitchen facility is utilized for KidSpirit's Cooking Academy programs.
• AM SkinminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting KidSpirit programs.
• Anne & Andrea Fahy RealtyminorOthersRealty company sponsor supporting KidSpirit programs.
• Handy HandsminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting KidSpirit programs.
• Valley Eye CareminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting KidSpirit programs.
• Inkwell Home StoreminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting KidSpirit programs.
• Geoff Tomlinson Scholarship Endowment FundcoreOthersNamed scholarship endowment fund supporting KidSpirit's scholarship program for families in need. Named after Geoff 'Ash' Tomlinson, a supporter of KidSpirit.
• AmeriCorps VISTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKidSpirit participates in AmeriCorps VISTA program, hosting Summer Associate positions focused on school readiness and youth development sustainability.
• Oregon State University Extension and Engagement DivisioncoreOthersKidSpirit is part of OSU's Division of Extension and Engagement, providing institutional support, facilities, and alignment with land-grant university mission.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Little Gym: Franchised children's gymnastics and motor-skill development programs serving ages 4 months to 12 years. Directly comparable gymnastics instruction offering.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National non-profit youth development organization offering after-school, summer, and enrichment programming for youth. Highly comparable mission of accessible positive youth development with scholarship-based access.
• National 4-H Council: Cooperative extension youth development organization operated in partnership with land-grant universities including OSU. Highly comparable institutional structure, mission, and program types (leadership, STEM, outdoor education).
• Skyhawks Sports: Youth sports instruction provider offering summer camps, classes, and clinics across multiple sports for ages 2-14. Comparable multi-activity youth sports instruction model.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National youth development organization delivering outdoor, leadership, STEM, and life-skills programming for girls. Comparable programmatic breadth and age-tier structure (Daisy through Ambassador).
• Camp Fire National Headquarters: National youth development non-profit offering camp, after-school, and teen leadership programs. Comparable youth-centered programming with focus on confidence, connection, and life skills.
• Goldfish Swim School: Franchised learn-to-swim school for children ages 4 months to 12 years. Directly comparable aquatics curriculum and instructional delivery, though commercial rather than non-profit.
• YMCA of the USA: Community-based non-profit offering youth programming including summer camps, swimming lessons, gymnastics, and leadership development. Directly comparable service mix and accessibility-driven pricing model.

Emerging players

• i9 Sports: Youth sports league and camp operator focused on age-appropriate instruction for kids ages 3-14. Comparable youth sports instructional programming with franchised delivery.

Regional players

• Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department: Municipal recreation provider offering youth programs in Corvallis, Oregon. Directly competing for local families with camps, swim, and enrichment offerings in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OSUKidspirit
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidSpirit.OregonState
• Instagraminstagram.com/osukidspirit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/osu-kidspirit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 OSU KidSpirit