Passion Project

Lab · Cohort 1

Turn yourpassioninto a project colleges can't ignore.

A 6-week lab where you'll ideate, design, and execute a high impact project. You'll leave with a working prototype, a portfolio, and a story worth telling in your applications.

Apply Now — Closes Aug 8Apply Now — Applications Close Aug 8 See the curriculum

Duration

6 weeks

Aug 16 to Sept 20

Cadence

2 sessions/week

Mostly weekends

Cohort

50 students

No waitlist backfill

Investment

$750

Today only · Mentor included

30 Under 30 Asia

Frameworks from a Forbes-recognized founder who built with them first.

Frameworks rooted in

About the lab

About BuildUp's Passion Project Lab

The Passion Project Lab is a six-week, mentor-guided program that helps students turn an interest into a real, well-executed project.

Students do not need to arrive with a polished idea. They begin by identifying a problem they genuinely care about, understanding who it affects, and deciding what they can realistically build to address it.

Over six weeks, they move from research and problem definition to planning, prototyping, testing, and presenting their work. Depending on the idea, the final project could be a product, campaign, platform, initiative, toolkit, event, publication, or community solution.

The goal is to help students discover what they care about, develop real expertise in an area of interest, and create tangible evidence of their ability to solve meaningful problems.

Meet your instructor

Arya Diwase

Instructor · Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Class of 2026

Admits

Recognition

Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia

Recognised in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2026 for contributions to education and social impact.

Education

NYU & Duke University

Graduate of New York University and holder of a dual MBA and Master of Public Policy from Duke University, where she studied entrepreneurship, venture creation, and innovation.

Track Record

16,000+ Students Mentored

Helped 16,000+ students discover careers through internships, research, and passion projects.

Venture Builder

Duke University Flagship Accelerator

The Passion Project Lab is based on the same venture-building principles from Duke University's flagship Melissa & Doug accelerator, redesigned specifically for ambitious high school students.

“Everything in this lab comes from frameworks I've used to build companies, launch products, and help thousands of students turn ideas into reality. We've adapted that process into six weeks so any motivated high school student can build something meaningful from scratch.”
— Arya Diwase

Outcomes

Here's what you leave with.

Five tangible deliverables — so you finish with proof, not just ideas.

A Problem Worth Solving

Define a clear, specific problem with a well-defined audience. By the end of the program, you'll have a concise problem statement that explains who is affected, what's happening, and why solving it matters.

A Working Prototype

Leave with something tangible, whether that's an app, website, campaign, curriculum, product, or research tool. Not just an idea, but the first version of something you can actually demonstrate.

A Project Portfolio

Document your entire journey with photos, milestones, evidence, and reflections, all organized into a professional portfolio you can share with colleges, mentors, and future opportunities.

A Stronger College Narrative

Turn your project into a compelling story of initiative, problem solving, and impact that strengthens your college applications and essays.

Your Next Opportunities

Receive a curated list of competitions, grants, accelerators, publications, and organizations that align with your project, along with guidance on how to reach out and keep building momentum.

The 6-week curriculum

The 6-Week Journey.

From identifying a meaningful problem to launching a project you can be proud of.

Sessions

Cadence

2× / week

Build hours

3–5 / wk

Week 1 · Aug 15–16

Foundations & Ideation

Two sessions this week. Open a session card for what you'll actually do — and what you leave with.

01Session

The Passion Audit

Map the intersection of your interests, skills, and problems worth solving — the same Interest × Skill × Problem framework used to identify venture opportunities at Duke. Leave with 8 to 10 possible project directions.

02Session

Idea Generation & Validation

Brainstorm to expand your options, then filter to your top 3. Quick validation: talk to 5 people about the problem before you commit to a solution.

Please note: The curriculum and session schedule may be adjusted based on the needs and interests of each cohort, guest speaker availability, and project progress.

How it works

Designed for how students actually build.

Clear placement, mentorship matched to your project, and live sessions that fit a school calendar.

Students in a mentorship and build session

Solo or team. Mentor matched to your project. Live sessions, mostly weekends.

Step 01

Solo or team, your choice

Work independently or opt into a team. Teams are matched on shared interests or overlapping skills — not assigned at random.

Step 02

Mentors assigned by project

Once you're placed, you're matched with a mentor for the cohort. Mentors check in between sessions to keep you moving.

Step 03

Live sessions, mostly weekends

Two sessions a week for 6 weeks. Exact times confirmed after enrollment based on cohort scheduling.

Swipe to see all steps →

Step 01

Step 02

Step 03

Solo or team, your choice

Work independently or opt into a team. Teams are matched on shared interests or overlapping skills — not assigned at random.

Mentors assigned by project

Once you're placed, you're matched with a mentor for the cohort. Mentors check in between sessions to keep you moving.

Live sessions, mostly weekends

Two sessions a week for 6 weeks. Exact times confirmed after enrollment based on cohort scheduling.

What kind of projects count

What can your passion project be?

Almost anything. The framework works whether you're building a product, launching an initiative, conducting research, creating a campaign, or solving a problem in your community.

Venture

A startup idea turned into a real prototype with users, metrics, and a pitch.

Nonprofit / initiative

A community or social-impact project with a clear mission and early evidence.

Research project

A rigorous inquiry with a documented process and findings you can stand behind.

App or product

A no-code or designed MVP — mockups, flows, and a working first version.

Creative body of work

A portfolio-worthy creative project with a narrative colleges can follow.

Community program

Workshops, clubs, or programs you design, run, and document for impact.

01/06

Venture

A startup idea turned into a real prototype with users, metrics, and a pitch.

Nonprofit / initiative

A community or social-impact project with a clear mission and early evidence.

Research project

A rigorous inquiry with a documented process and findings you can stand behind.

App or product

A no-code or designed MVP — mockups, flows, and a working first version.

Creative body of work

A portfolio-worthy creative project with a narrative colleges can follow.

Community program

Workshops, clubs, or programs you design, run, and document for impact.

How this compares

Similar programs run $3,000–$10,000.

This lab combines venture frameworks, college alignment, and mentor + peer structure — priced so a full cohort of 50 can access it.

Typical range

$3,000–$5,000

Cohort accelerators & fellowships

Usually 8–10 weeks, group-based venture building — with little support connecting the work to college applications.

Typical range

$5,000–$8,000

Private 1:1 project coaching

Individual attention and a personalized plan, but no peer cohort, shared mentor network, or resource library at this scale.

Typical range

$8,000–$10,000

Elite college consulting + projects

Strong on admissions narrative, but light on actual building, execution, and tools.

This lab combines all three — for $750.

Venture-building frameworks, college alignment work, and the mentor and peer structure — priced to be accessible to a full cohort of 50 students, not a handful who can afford a five-figure program.

Tools & resources included

A $1,680+ toolkit — free with your seat.

Eight resources students usually buy separately. Every participant gets all of them included with their seat — $1,680+ value, included with your seat.

Your seat includes

$1,680+ value

$750

Included

$1,680+ value, included with your seat.

Tools & Build Reference Sheet

Every tool from the workshop in one place — Figma, Canva, Carrd, Webflow, Notion, Glide, Bubble, and the Claude prompts we use for research and outreach.

$175Included

Outreach & Submission Templates

Ready-to-send templates for cold emails, competition entries, and grant submissions.

$225Included

Competition & Grant Shortlist

A running list of real competitions, grants, and organizations, sorted by project category.

$295Included

Application Narrative Guide

Turns the finished project into an Activities List entry, essay material, and a recommender list.

$245Included

Portfolio Site Starter Kit

Checklist and section outline for the live portfolio site.

$195Included

Supplemental Essay Prompt Bank

Maps the project to common supplemental prompts (Why This Major, Extracurricular Elaboration, Intellectual Curiosity) so it's reusable across every school.

$275Included

Project One-Pager Template

A single shareable page for teachers, recommenders, or family.

$145Included

Recommendation Letter Request Kit

Template and guide for asking a teacher or mentor for a letter tied to this project.

$125Included

01/08

Tools & Build Reference Sheet

Every tool from the workshop in one place — Figma, Canva, Carrd, Webflow, Notion, Glide, Bubble, and the Claude prompts we use for research and outreach.

$175Included

Outreach & Submission Templates

Ready-to-send templates for cold emails, competition entries, and grant submissions.

$225Included

Competition & Grant Shortlist

A running list of real competitions, grants, and organizations, sorted by project category.

$295Included

Application Narrative Guide

Turns the finished project into an Activities List entry, essay material, and a recommender list.

$245Included

Portfolio Site Starter Kit

Checklist and section outline for the live portfolio site.

$195Included

Supplemental Essay Prompt Bank

Maps the project to common supplemental prompts (Why This Major, Extracurricular Elaboration, Intellectual Curiosity) so it's reusable across every school.

$275Included

Project One-Pager Template

A single shareable page for teachers, recommenders, or family.

$145Included

Recommendation Letter Request Kit

Template and guide for asking a teacher or mentor for a letter tied to this project.

$125Included

Outcomes

BuildUp student admits.

Students from the BuildUp ecosystem progress to globally respected universities on the strength of real projects, rigorous mentorship, and unique profiles.