Located in a beautiful historic site, the Dragon’s Den is a bold 501(c)(3) non-profit providing transformative learning environments through the use of a suspended obstacle course and other innovative programs designed to teach youth of diverse backgrounds and abilities to overcome challenges in themselves, their communities and the world.
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 Program
- Monday through Friday
- 2:45 – 5:45 PM
- Dinner provided, courtesy of Rainbow Kitchen
- Snacks of fresh fruits and veggies always available
- Challenge course, zip line, and climbing wall access
- FREE for ZIP 15120: Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall
Activities include outdoor sports and exercise, with occasional field trips courtesy of our friends at Venture Outdoors, indoor arts, crafts, and games like origami and chess, and collaborations on STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), which includes participating in the annual Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest each year.
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:
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 9:00-4:00, with pre- and aftercare available. Each weekly camp is designed around a theme: “Dragon’s Lab” (on STEM topics); “Arts and Castles” (arts and crafts); “Knights Olympics” (physical fitness); “Dragon Adventures” (outdoor adventures); “Imagination Den” (creativity and new cultures), and two NEW specialty camps, “Enchanted Forest” (imagination and physical fitness; Ages 5-9) and “The Music Den” (The arts; Ages 10-15)
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 contact@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.
The Dragon’s Den | 1008 Amity St. Homestead
