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Homeschool · Co-op · Classroom

A six-month entrepreneurship curriculum your students actually finish.

Nine phases. Twenty-four weeks. One real business launched by every student by the end. Kid Founder is the complete curriculum — one book per kid, you coach, the book does the teaching.

The supplement to a good education that finally teaches the part the real world runs on.

The curriculum at a glance

Six months. Nine phases. One real sale.

6 mo

Semester-long.

One phase per month, two to three weeks of focused work each. Built to fit a school semester.

9

Phases.

Each phase has an objective, in-book lessons, and a real artifact each student produces. No prep.

1

Launched business per student.

Every student ships. Money in the jar by the end of the semester or the curriculum didn't work.

Why it works in a co-op or homeschool.

Entrepreneurship is the rare subject where the proof is undeniable — a kid either landed a real customer or they didn't. You don't need an entrepreneurship background to lead it. The curriculum does the teaching, you coach.

Ready to run.

Low prep. The book is the spine. Each phase has a clear objective and a real artifact each student produces.

Covers the AI conversation.

Every family is having this conversation. The curriculum gives you a way to teach it that respects parents and protects kids.

Faith Notes optional.

Secular and Christian co-ops both fit. The faith thread stays optional; the work is great either way.

The nine phases

What the curriculum covers.

  • 01

    Dream

    Objective

    Each student inventories what they're good at and finds a real problem worth solving.

    Artifact

    Gifts inventory + problem hunt.

    In the classroom

    Open the semester with a 'what bugs you?' brainstorm. Every student leaves with three real problems and one signed problem statement.

  • 02

    Discover

    Objective

    Students sort the four business types and learn 'the lens' to evaluate any idea.

    Artifact

    Idea Brainstorm bank.

    In the classroom

    Walk-around exercise: students rank their ideas by four lenses — useful, doable, sellable, fun. Share-back the top three.

  • 03

    Pick Your One

    Objective

    Narrow to three, then sign one.

    Artifact

    Signed 'Pick Your One' commitment + named customer.

    In the classroom

    Pair-share. Each kid pitches three ideas in 90 seconds; the partner picks the one they'd buy. Kid signs the commitment in class.

  • 04

    Test It

    Objective

    Show it to real people. Read a real yes versus polite.

    Artifact

    Signal tracker.

    In the classroom

    Field assignment: each kid asks three real people (siblings, neighbors, co-op kids). Share-back next week: read aloud the three answers verbatim.

  • 05

    Plan It

    Objective

    Startup cost, pricing, the small loan, a one-page plan.

    Artifact

    One-page business plan + pro forma.

    In the classroom

    Math day. Calculator session: cost per unit, price, projected profit. Parents/co-op extend the small startup loan.

  • 06

    Brand It & Build It

    Objective

    Build one sample. Then name it. Brand Board.

    Artifact

    Brand Board + sample product/service.

    In the classroom

    Workshop session — supplies on tables. Each student builds one sample in class. Brand Board is homework that week.

  • 07

    Tell the World

    Objective

    The pitch, the people list, the flyer.

    Artifact

    Pitch + flyer + website plan.

    In the classroom

    Practice pitches in front of the group. Every kid pitches twice and gets two questions. Flyer printed before next class.

  • 08

    Launch & Sell

    Objective

    Make the ask. Handle a no. Money in the jar.

    Artifact

    Sales Log with real entries.

    In the classroom

    Launch week. No class for two weeks — the kid runs the business. Bring the sales log + the actual jar to the next session.

  • 09

    Count It & Grow

    Objective

    Count real profit. Save, spend, give.

    Artifact

    Money Map + reinvest plan.

    In the classroom

    Closing session. Every kid presents what they sold, what they made, and what they'll save/spend/give. Parents invited.

How to run it

Three steps to set up the semester.

  1. 01

    One copy per student.

    Order one workbook per student through Amazon. Each kid writes directly in their book — the work belongs to them and goes home at the end.

  2. 02

    Pace one phase per month.

    Two to three weeks on the work, the rest of the month for share-back and the next-phase setup. Use class time for the lessons and artifact work. Send the pages home when they need quiet focus.

  3. 03

    You coach. The book teaches.

    You don't need an entrepreneurship background. Your job is to keep the room honest, push the kid past polite-yes feedback, and celebrate the first real dollar.

A typical week, in practice

What an actual week looks like.

Here's the rhythm the curriculum is paced for. Adjust for your kid — there's no wrong way.

  • Monday

    The lesson

    30–45 minutes reading the relevant book chapter together. Mark up the workbook pages. Talk through the artifact for the week. If you have a co-op class, this is the in-room time.

  • Tuesday–Thursday

    The fieldwork

    1–2 hours during the week. The phase artifact — research, building, asking, pricing, whatever the phase calls for. Done at the kitchen table, on the porch, at the gym, wherever the work happens. No parent at the elbow needed for most of it.

  • Friday

    The share-back

    15–20 minutes the next class session. Each student reports what they learned. Read responses aloud. Other students ask one real question. The share-back is the assessment — there's no test.

  • Friday p.m.

    The parent loop

    A one-line text to the parent each Friday: "Here's what your kid built this week." Builds the dinner-table conversation. Parents see the work landing. The parent loop is the piece designed to keep families connected to the work through month four, when energy dips.

What if a kid falls behind or runs ahead? Expected. Some kids fly through the first phases and stall in the planning chunk; others love planning and hate the part where they have to talk to a customer. The workbook is built for that. Pause and pick back up. The semester doesn't grade pace.

The teacher's guide

Help shape the full curriculum.

We're writing a full co-op-ready teacher's guide with pacing, sample lesson plans, share-back rubrics, and a printable syllabus you can hand to your umbrella school. Get on the list and help shape it — early signups get the first draft and an invite to a small feedback group.

Free · early-access list

Homeschool questions

Things homeschool parents ask.

The honest answer to every one.

Do I need a business background to teach this?

No. The book does the teaching. Your job is to keep the room honest, push past polite-yes feedback, and celebrate the first real dollar. The whole thing is built for parents who have never started a business — that's the point.

Can I photocopy the workbook for my students?

No. Each student needs their own copy — the workbook is built to be written in, kept, and taken home as their personal artifact at the end of the semester. One copy per kid through Amazon.

How does this fit with state requirements or credits?

This fits naturally as electives or applied learning. The work covers real math (pricing, profit, cost), writing (a pitch, a flyer, a plan), reading (the workbook itself), and applied problem solving. Check with your local umbrella school or co-op for credit guidance.

What if a kid falls behind or runs ahead?

Expected — and built for. The workbook is paced for the student, not the calendar. A kid who flies through Phase 5 in a week and stalls in Phase 7 is normal. The share-back format flexes either way: faster kids help slower ones; slower kids get one extra check-in.

How long does each class session need to be?

Plan on 30 to 60 minutes per class session. The lessons take 20–30 minutes (reading the relevant book chapter together, marking up the workbook pages). Share-back takes 15–20. Add hands-on time as you have it.

What's the per-student cost?

About $22 for the workbook on Amazon. Supplies vary by what kid businesses your students choose — most run under $20 a kid. We recommend asking families to extend a $20–30 startup loan to their kid, returned out of first revenue.

Is this Charlotte Mason / classical / unit-study compatible?

Yes — and especially well-suited to it. The workbook is a long-running living project. The Faith Notes (optional) align with classical/Christian frameworks. Charlotte Mason families particularly like that it's narration-friendly — every share-back is a real life narration.

Do you have a teacher's guide?

A full teacher's guide and co-op-ready pacing document is being written. Sign up below to get on the list — early signups help shape what's in it.

Run it this semester.

One copy per student. Six months. Nine phases. Every kid ends the semester with a real business they built themselves.