Build a startup in six weeks, after school.
Build Lab for high schoolers. Students 13 and up take one idea from a real problem to a working product with real users, using AI tools, in a room of twelve, in person in New York. No coding experience needed.
- Jan 5 to Feb 11Tuesdays and Thursdays
- 4 to 6 p.m.12 live sessions, after school
- 12 seats12 left
- 6weeks
- 12live sessions
- 12seats
- 13+ages
- 1demo day, Feb 11
Not a class project. A real thing, in front of real people.
Students pick a problem people actually have, talk to the people who have it, build something that solves it with AI tools, and put it in front of real users. Some will make a first sale. Everyone leaves with something they built, evidence of what people think of it, and the confidence to keep going.
Three things they did not have on January 5
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 6 p.m., January 5 to February 11
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Pick a problem that people around you actually have, and start asking them about it in the first week.
Decide what to build, who it is for, and what it promises. Keep it small enough to finish in six weeks.
Use AI tools to build the one thing that matters most, and learn to check AI-assisted work before trusting it.
Publish it, share it, and watch how real people use it.
Collect sign-ups or orders, deliver what you promised, and fix what trips people up. Anything that needs a paid account or a way to get paid is set up with a parent or guardian.
Take it to more people, then present what you built at demo day on February 11.
Built for students who want to make something real
- Students who already make things.They design, code, sell, or post, and they want to make something real.
- Curious students with an idea.A rough idea is enough. Week one is about testing it with real people.
- Students who want a head start.Learn how real products get built and launched, years before most people do.
- Looking for a certificate.There is no certificate. The proof is what they build and launch.
- Hoping to watch from the back.Every session, students build. Plan on a few hours of work between classes too.
- Looking for tutoring.This is not homework help. Students work on their own project from day one.
What you need to know
- A parent or guardian enrolls.You choose the payment plan and pay through Stripe, then fill in a short form with your student's details, your contact details, an emergency contact, and how your student gets home.
- Sessions are for students.Parents and guardians do not attend. We keep you informed by email and invite you to demo day.
- Getting there and home.Sessions run 4 to 6 p.m. in New York. We email the exact location before January 5.
- Accounts and permissions.Students build with Codex from OpenAI. OpenAI requires users to be at least 13, and users under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission. Before the first session, we tell you which accounts your student needs and which ones a parent or guardian should open or approve.
- Laptops.Your student brings their own laptop to every session and uses it to build between classes.
- Photos.We ask your permission on the enrollment form before featuring your student by name or face.
- Their work is theirs.Your student owns what they build. Storyworlding claims no ownership or equity in it.
Taught by Lauren Proctor
Founder of Storyworlding. More than 15 years building growth systems, from LVMH brands to a marketplace that reached 208 countries. Head of Product at a startup acquired by Twitter. Former Developer in Residence at General Assembly and Division I coach at Columbia, which is to say she has taught people to do hard things before.
Does my student need to know how to code?
No. Students learn to describe what they want, build it with AI tools, check whether it works, and get it in front of real people. We teach the rest.
When and where?
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern, January 5 to February 11, 2027, in person in New York, after school. 12 live sessions of 2 hours each, with demo day on February 11. Plan on a few hours of work between classes.
Who is it for?
Students 13 and up, through high school. It is a separate cohort from Cohort 01, which is for adults.
Is there help between classes?
Yes. Office hours are flexible. We set them around school schedules once the cohort is enrolled.
What tools will students use?
Codex from OpenAI for building, plus tools to put a product on the web. OpenAI requires users to be at least 13, and users under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission. Before the first session, we tell families which accounts their student needs and which ones a parent or guardian should open or approve.
What does my student need to bring?
Their own laptop, to every session. Students build on it in class and between classes.
What does it cost?
$3,500. Pay in full, in two payments of $1,750 (when you enroll and on January 5), or in four payments of $875 (when you enroll, then January 5, January 12, and January 19). A parent or guardian chooses a plan at the bottom of this page and pays the first payment through Stripe, then fills in a short form so we can get your student ready. On the two and four payment plans, we charge the rest to the same card on the dates above. That covers 12 live sessions, office hours, and demo day. Full refund up to 14 days before January 5.
How is this different from Cohort 01?
Same method and the same six weeks, built for students: after-school hours, a room of teenagers, and a project sized for school life. See Cohort 01.
What happens after demo day?
The project belongs to your student. They leave with something live on the web, feedback from real users, and a clear next step.
Reserve a seat.
- The seat is held once the first payment clears.
- Every plan costs the same $3,500 in total.
- Full refund up to 14 days before the start.