Our Programs
Dragon’s Den aims to advance children’s wellness by holistically expanding personal boundaries, and promoting inclusion, understanding, cooperation, and communication among children with various capacities and backgrounds. Dragon’s Den does this through the Challenge by Choice approach.
Challenge by Choice is incorporated in all of our programs on and off the course. We recognize that there is more than one way to achieve a goal, and we encourage this kind of critical thinking in all endeavors. This is an important step in discovering limitations, untapping problem-solving potential, and pushing boundaries further than one might have thought possible.
After-School Programs
Monday – Friday | 2:45 – 5:45 PM
Ages 6–18
Dragon’s Den offers three after-school options designed to meet the different needs of children and teens in our community:
- Regular After-School K–8 | Ages 6–13
A structured youth development program for students who attend at least 3 days per week. Programming is built around our five pillars—Physical Wellness, Nutrition, Academics, STEAM, and Mental Health/Social-Emotional Development—and includes academic support, reading and writing development, 1:1 mentoring, computer skills, sports, boxing, arts, STEM, cooking, music, gardening, clubs, field trips, and challenge course activities. Cell phone use is limited during program activities. - Oratorio Drop-In K–8 | Ages 6–13
A flexible, welcoming option with no minimum attendance requirement. Youth may come when they need us, spend time with friends, relax, use their phones responsibly, enjoy snacks and dinner, and participate in available activities if they choose. Oratorio participants do not have access to field trips. - Learning Beyond Boundaries | Ages 13–18 / Grades 8–12
Designed for teens ready for greater independence and experiences beyond a traditional after-school setting. Students receive academic and PSAT/SAT support while exploring college and career opportunities, life skills, leadership, cultural experiences, recreation, community partnerships, and hands-on learning throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. Students must attend at least 3 days per week.
All three programs are FREE for youth who live in Homestead, West Homestead, or Munhall, as well as youth whose parent or guardian works for the Steel Valley School District.
Dinner is provided daily courtesy of Rainbow Kitchen, with fresh fruits and vegetables available for snacks. Depending on their program and scheduled activities, youth may also have opportunities to participate in Dragon’s Den’s challenge course, zip line, climbing wall, sports, arts and crafts, STEAM activities, community partnerships, and special experiences such as the Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest.
If you are interested, please send an email to contact@dragonsdenpgh.org and put “After-School Program” in the subject, or call 412.461.3336 for more information. Click here to sign up directly:
After-school programs sign up!
The Dragon’s Den’s philosophy, built on our respect and understanding of children of all abilities, allows us to strive to create an environment conducive to promoting dignity, independence, and appreciation of all those who participate in our programs.
Summer Camps
Dragon’s Den offers six weeks of exciting, educational, and adventurous summer camps each year! Click here to learn all about our upcoming summer camps!
Our camps are in-person and run five days a week, from 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, with pre- and aftercare available. Each weekly camp is designed around a unique theme, including: La Cucina del Drago (cooking and cultural exploration); Dragon’s Lab (STEM and technology); Forge of the Fire Builders (arts and STEAM); Knights of the Green Flame (outdoor adventure and physical fitness); Quest for the Dragon Stone (imagination and problem-solving); Dragon’s Bottega (creative arts); and Dragon’s Cup (sports and teamwork).
All camps include daily outdoor play, ropes course experiences, and a weekly off-site field trip (subject to change), with breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided daily, creating a fun, engaging, and enriching summer experience for all campers.
We offer half of our summer camp slots at no cost to children in Homestead and children in the foster system through our multi-year partnerships with Foster Love Projects and Greater Valley Community Services. Remaining places are offered to the general public on a fee basis in order to encourage diversity among our campers, since, as the pediatrician Kerry Bron MD has noted of our program, “The diversity to which these children are exposed is advantageous…the diversity that I observed [at Dragon’s Den] and the friendships that these children formed benefited all.”
“Dragon’s Den camps are some of the best camps in the
Pittsburgh region and focus on whole body wellness – physical activity,
nourishing and healthy foods and mindful challenges as well.”
-Kelly Hughes, Founder & Executive Director, Foster Love Project
Team Building Workshops
Our team building workshops are available for groups of all ages! We cater your workshop to your needs, providing invaluable team building activities, thoughtful debriefing sessions, and of course, plenty of time adventuring on the challenge course! Our therapeutic two-level ropes course, climbing wall, and zip line serve as the perfect place for fun, engaging, and educational workshops! Workshops last 3 hours long.
For pricing, more information, or to book a workshop, please email gideon@dragonsdenpgh.org
Click the video below to hear more about the awesome power of a Dragon’s Den workshop!
Post-COVID Restorative Pilot Workshop
Dragon’s Den is developing a “Rebuilding After COVID” curriculum designed by High-5 Adventure Learning Center to help manage the impact of the pandemic through play-based social emotional learning to encourage children, who may have had limited recent contact with their peers, to be more attentive, engaged and creative. These traveling workshops are designed to come directly to schools and provide valuable team building and creative problem-solving activities, facilitated by the Dragon’s Den staff.