Grand Traverse Bay YMCA
Select Language
Select Language
Child using scissors to craft during a challenge island class Child using scissors to craft during a challenge island class
Logo of Challenge Island featuring a green palm tree at the center, surrounded by a blue gear shape with the words 'Challenge Island' written in white along the gear's edges.

Full STEAM ahead!

Aligned with our mission to support Youth Development, Challenge Island offers kids a unique opportunity to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in an engaging, hands-on way. Through unplugged challenges, kids not only build technical knowledge but also grow essential 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, leadership, and perseverance. Together, we’re empowering the next generation to succeed and ensuring a brighter future for our community. Let’s inspire innovation and growth—one challenge at a time!

Upcoming Islands

World Tour Island

Jan 5 – Feb 15

Challenge Island - World Tour Island©️.

Pack your suitcases for Challenge Island’s®️ World Tour! We will learn about countries, cultures, and the geography of our world. You and a STEAM Team of friends will engineer your way around the globe - from Paris' Eiffel Tower to Sydney's Harbor Bridge and Rio De Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium. We'll travel by way of Hot Air Balloon where you’ll design a Kenyan African Safari, stir up some antics with your own Antarctic Penguins, visit the Rainforest and India's Taj Mahal. An unforgettable journey across oceans and continents! This globe-trotting island will be an exciting CI adventure!

Register

Time Machine Island

Feb 16 – April 5

Challenge Island - Time Machine Island©️.

Get ready for a Challenge Island adventure that will go down in history! You and your STEAM Team will travel back and forth through time as you engineer your way through exciting destinations like ancient Egypt’s Pyramid Peak, 1949 California’s Gold Rush Mountain, the groovy 1970’s Pinball Wizard Arcade, 1884 Coney Island Switchback Coaster, and discover glow-in-the-dark plants and insects in the Rainforest with Challenge Island on this timeless island!

Register

Mine Island

April 6 – May 17

Challenge Island - Mine Island World

Grab your pickaxe and dig into the most exciting program on the block! We’ll swap computers for creativity and mousepads for imagination as our STEAM Teams teleport into action-packed Mine Island hotspots. So, if you are crazy for minecraft and want to bring it to life ~ this is for you!

Register
Register for Challenge Island!