PRESENTED BY OPPORTUNITY WORKS
Six weeks. 135 D.C. scholars in 2026. Two age-based tracks — one summer of building, branding, and launching real ideas — sponsored by the D.C. Department of Employment Services.
Week 2 · MLK Memorial, Washington D.C.
Two Tracks, One Summer
DC Launch Lab meets scholars where they are. Younger scholars build a first product from the ground up; older scholars dig into the fundamentals of building a brand and a business.
Cohort 1 · Ages 9–13
A hands-on product-creation track: scholars generate an idea, build and prototype it, and pitch it to real judges — layered with the DOES-sponsored CRESP curriculum for life skills, digital citizenship, and career exploration.
Cohort 2 · Ages 14–17
A brand-building and entrepreneurship-fundamentals track: scholars work through business identity, marketing strategy, and pitch development to launch a brand of their own.
A Few Frames From the Summer
From Planet Word to the treetops of Sandy Spring — every week paired classroom learning with a field trip that brought it to life.
Sponsored by DOES · Hosted at Catholic University
Read more about each cohort, meet the team behind the summer, or reach out directly with questions.