Start Registration

Free summer program for rising 6th – 8th graders

Build confidence your child can use now

The Dream Academy provides structured real-world practice in speaking up, solving problems, and making smart money decisions through a team business project. Coaches support the process. Students do the work.
FREE
Three weeks
Rising 6th – 8th graders
July 13 – 31, 2026
Location: Baptist Grove Church, 7109 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613
Start Registration

Why this matters

Middle school requires students to speak up, make decisions, and handle money on their own. Many do not get enough chances to practice those skills in ways that feel real.

The Dream Academy provides that kind of practice. Through a team business project, students make choices, work through challenges, and learn by doing.

What students actually do

Students work in teams to take on a pop-up business challenge by developing approaches, making decisions together, carrying out a plan, and looking back on what worked and what needed to change.

Develop approaches

Students explore different ways to respond to a pop-up business challenge and shape a plan together.

Make their case

Students explain their thinking to one another and weigh tradeoffs as they make decisions together.

Commit to a plan

Students decide what to do, divide responsibilities, and move forward together.

Carry it out

Students put the plan into action and deal with real-time changes as they come up.

Look back and learn

Students reflect on what worked, what did not, and what they would change next time.

What this strengthens

The three skills students build through practice

The pop-up business is the tool. The program is designed to strengthen three core skills students need to speak up, solve problems, and make decisions with confidence.

1

Make your case — Students explain their thinking, listen to other points of view, and defend their ideas when the team needs to decide what to do.

2

Solve real problems — Students work through uncertainty, adjust when something changes, and stay engaged when there is no obvious answer.

3

Make smart money decisions — Students learn how pricing, costs, and tradeoffs shape what a business can actually do.

Together, these foundational skills strengthen confidence, so students are ready to tackle new challenges.

How NFTE BizCamp works

Students plan it, run it, and share what they learn.
The Dream Academy partners with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship to offer NFTE BizCamp, a program where middle schoolers tackle a hands-on business challenge.

Students use simple planning tools to map out a business idea, learn the money concepts behind their decisions, and work with teammates to make choices and solve problems. Coaches guide the process while students do the work.
The program follows a clear arc from idea to reflection.

01

Plan the business idea

Students map the offer, audience, costs, pricing, and roles before they start.

02

Run the pop-up business

Teams make decisions in real time, solve problems, and serve customers together.

03

Reflect and present

Students explain what happened, what worked, and what they would adjust next.

Why families can trust this program

Dream Academy is built to give families a real, well-supported summer experience.
Dream Academy is the signature program of Pleasant Grove Foundation, a Cary, North Carolina-based nonprofit organization that has served hundreds of students for nearly 15 years. This summer's program uses the proven NFTE BizCamp approach and is led by trained instructors and coaches who know how to guide middle school students through real learning with structure, support, and care.
Backed by a nonprofit. Built on a proven model. Led by trained adults.

NFTE BizCamp at The Dream Academy

Program Details

Who is it for:

Rising 6th–8th graders

Dates:

July 13–31, 2026

Cost:

Free

Location:

Baptist Grove Church
7109 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

Daily hours:

9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Registration deadline:

June 30

FAQS

Questions Parents May Have

Our active, structured, and coach-supported program allows students of all types to find success. Whether they are shy, bold, curious, or reserved, we create an environment where students feel safe to try new things and discover their strengths.

No. The pop-up business is the tool students use to practice foundational skills. The program provides the planning tools, money concepts, and resources they will use along the way.

The Dream Academy follows a structured, engaging daily schedule designed to maximize learning and collaboration:

  • 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM | Arrival & Check-In: Students arrive, check in, and get settled for the day.

  • 9:15 AM | Morning Kickoff: A brief transition time to prep for the morning sessions.

  • 9:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Interactive Learning: Instruction begins promptly at 9:15 AM. Students spend the morning engaged in dynamic lessons that guide their pop-up business planning.

  • 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM | Lunch Break: 

  • 1:00 PM – 2:45 PM | Team Projects & Coaching: In the afternoon, students apply what they've learned. Each student is placed on a small team to work directly on their projects. As team members, responsibilities are assigned and routinely rotated so everyone gets a chance to lead, contribute, and build new skills.

  • 2:45 - 3:00 pm | Daily recap

  • 3:00 PM | Dismissal: (Note: You may want to insert your actual end time here).

A Note on Commitment: To ensure every student has an impactful learning experience, full participation throughout the entire 3-week program is expected. Because the Dream Academy experience relies heavily on team collaboration, being present for the full schedule every day is vital to your team's success.

 

The Dream Academy is partnering with NFTE to offer NFTE BizCamp. The Dream Academy runs the local experience using the NFTE BizCamp curriculum. Instructors will be a combination of NFTE trained local business professionals or educators.

Coaches support the process. Students do the work.

Our team will follow up to confirm enrollment, then provide more details and request additional information about your student(s).

Start Registration

Start Registration

Questions? Info@dreamacademypgf.org

Copyright © 2026 The Dream Academy, a signature program of the Pleasant Grove Foundation. All rights reserved.