Heart of Dakota

What Heart of Dakota does

Heart of Dakota Publishing is a privately held, family-led Christian homeschool curriculum publisher headquartered in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. Founded in 2001 and operating as a micro-organization of 1–10 employees, the company designs, publishes, and sells a continuous, named-grade curriculum spanning preschool through 12th grade (14+ guide programs including Little Hands to Heaven, Little Hearts for His Glory, Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory, Bigger Hearts for His Glory, Preparing Hearts for His Glory, Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Reformation, Revival to Revolution, Missions to Modern Marvels, World Geography, World History, U.S. History I, and U.S. History II), plus an add-on literature module (Drawn into the Heart of Reading, grades 2–8) and curated read-aloud book packages.

The curriculum is built on a Charlotte Mason-inspired pedagogical framework that integrates living books, hands-on unit-study activities, and Biblical character training. A proprietary T/S/I box-coding system designates each daily-plan box as Teacher-directed, Semi-independent, or Independent, codifying a gradual transition from teacher-led to student-led work across grade levels. The product line is delivered as pre-planned, open-and-go two-page daily plans with built-in time allotments. Core technology consists of a WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce site (heartofdakota.com) with a custom WooFunnels Aero Checkout flow, supported by a community Message Board/forum, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and email newsletter. The curriculum and brand are protected by registered trademarks and copyright.

The company sells exclusively direct-to-consumer through its own website (with worldwide shipping), homeschool conventions, and a free physical catalog that drives online orders. Revenue comes primarily from one-time purchases of curriculum packages (e.g., the Deluxe Package: Classic Set at a $72.11 sale / $84.83 list) and individual book sales ($6.99–$14.95), supplemented by gift certificates and recurring monthly 'Library Builder' promotional discounts. The customer base is a long tail of Christian homeschool families — primarily mothers — and the company emphasizes community-led engagement, with the founder and her sister (Carrie Austin, M.Ed., principal; Julie Grosz, M.Ed., co-author and blog contributor) personally involved in customer support, content creation, and curriculum design.

Name

Heart of Dakota

Legal name

Heart of Dakota Publishing

Website

https://heartofdakota.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heart of Dakota Publishing is a family-led, direct-to-consumer Christian homeschool curriculum publisher selling a continuous PreK-12 Charlotte Mason-inspired program with open-and-go daily plans to Christian homeschooling families, primarily in the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeschool Curriculum Publishing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Christian homeschool curriculum
• Homeschool curriculum packages
• Charlotte Mason living books
• Bible-based homeschool guides
• Unit study curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Dell Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Package Sales: Primary revenue stream: sale of pre-assembled curriculum packages containing guides, read-aloud books, and supplemental materials at package-discounted prices. Example: Deluxe Package: Classic Set priced at $84.83 (sale price $72.11). One-time purchase per child per guide level.
2. Individual Book Sales: Sale of individual titles from curriculum packages (e.g., Ben and Me at $8.99, Come On Seabiscuit at $14.95, Farmer Boy at $9.99). Allows customers to purchase replacements or substitutions.
3. Gift Certificate Sales: Sale of gift certificates redeemable on the website, serving both as gifting products and as a marketing/referral mechanism.
4. Promotional Discount Campaigns: Monthly 'Library Builder' promotional campaigns offering 10% discounts via coupon codes (e.g., AUGUST-LIBRARY) on specific book sets to drive sales and customer engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Heart of Dakota Publishing designs, publishes, and sells a continuous PreK-12 Christian homeschool curriculum delivered as named annual guides (preschool through 12th grade) and supporting add-on packages. The curriculum integrates Charlotte Mason-inspired living books, hands-on unit-study activities, and Biblical character training, structured into proprietary 'open-and-go' two-page daily plans with a T/S/I box-coding system. The product line is sold directly to homeschooling families through the company's own e-commerce website, with worldwide shipping and additional distribution via homeschool conventions and a free print catalog.

Product overview

Heart of Dakota Publishing offers a single, unified Christian homeschool curriculum product line that follows a continuous grade-by-grade path from preschool through 12th grade. The portfolio is organized as a series of named annual guides: Little Hands to Heaven (Preschool), Little Hearts for His Glory (Kindergarten), Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory (1st Grade), Bigger Hearts for His Glory (2nd-3rd), Preparing Hearts for His Glory (4th-5th), Creation to Christ (6th), Resurrection to Reformation (7th), Revival to Revolution (8th), Missions to Modern Marvels (8th), World Geography (9th), World History (10th), United States History I (11th), and United States History II (12th). Two series groupings are promoted — Hearts for Him Through Time (middle years) and Hearts for Him Through High School (high school) — alongside an add-on literature module, Drawn into the Heart of Reading (Grades 2-8), and supporting add-on packages such as the Deluxe Package: Classic Set read-aloud bundle and the World Geography Living Library package. All guides use open-and-go daily plans, Charlotte Mason-style living books, hands-on unit-study activities, and Bible-centered character training, and are sold directly through heartofdakota.com with curriculum-bundling package pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Little Hands to Heaven PreK Christian homeschool program for ages 2-5, designed for approximately 25-30 minutes a day. Foundational curriculum that introduces young children to school structure through Bible-based character training and short, age-appropriate lessons.
• Little Hearts for His Glory Kindergarten-level Christian homeschool guide that opens Heart of Dakota's structured grade-by-grade curriculum path with open-and-go daily plans and Charlotte Mason-inspired pedagogy.
• Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory 1st-grade Christian homeschool guide continuing the Little Hearts series, with a teacher-directed 'left side' of plans that typically take about 30 minutes.
• Bigger Hearts for His Glory 2nd-3rd-grade Christian homeschool guide introducing classic read-aloud packages (e.g., the Deluxe Package Classic Set) and the Charlotte Mason-style Storytime read-aloud structure.
• Preparing Hearts for His Glory 4th-5th-grade Christian homeschool guide that introduces the T/S/I (teacher-directed, semi-independent, independent) box structure for transitioning students toward more independent work.
• Creation to Christ 6th-grade Christian homeschool guide covering world history from Creation to Christ, using read-aloud Storytime with History Interest Set books (e.g., Traveling the Way) and Charlotte Mason-style narration follow-ups.
• Resurrection to Reformation 7th-grade Christian homeschool guide covering history from the Resurrection through the Reformation period.
• Revival to Revolution 8th-grade Christian homeschool guide covering history from the Revival era through the Revolution period.
• Missions to Modern Marvels 8th-grade Christian homeschool guide covering the history of Christian missions through modern marvels, designed as a year in the middle-years 'Hearts for Him Through Time' series.
• World Geography 9th-grade high-school Christian homeschool guide covering world geography with Charlotte Mason-style 'Living Library' book packages and global connections; includes separate Suggested Grading breakdowns in the guide's Introduction.
• World History 10th-grade high-school Christian homeschool guide covering world history using Charlotte Mason-style living books and structured two-page daily plans.
• United States History I 11th-grade high-school Christian homeschool guide covering U.S. History I.
• United States History II 12th-grade high-school Christian homeschool guide covering U.S. History II, including personal finance topics taught via Dave Ramsey's DVD curriculum and family-budgeting discussions.
• Drawn into the Heart of Reading Literature-based reading program for grades 2-8, structured around nine genres (Biography, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Nonfiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Folk Tale); scheduled 3 days a week and largely independent.
• Deluxe Package: Classic Set Classic read-aloud package bundling nine genre-spanning books (Ben and Me, Come On Seabiscuit, Farmer Boy, Rabbit Hill, Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective, The Balloon Boy of San Francisco, Homer Price, Misty of Chincoteague, More Stories from Grandma's Attic) used with the Bigger Hearts for His Glory guide. Regular price $84.83; sale price $72.11. Allows up to 2 one-for-one substitutions with equal/lesser value books.
• World Geography Living Library Package Optional Charlotte Mason-style Living Library book and audiobook package for the World Geography guide, with separate boy- and girl-version variants and a one-for-one substitution policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 'Let's Share Our Schedules' community thread viewed over 200,000 times
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Master Books: Master Books publishes Christian homeschool curriculum from a young-earth creationist worldview, offering full-grade curriculum kits for homeschool families. It directly competes with Heart of Dakota for the Christian homeschool buyer and also sells through package-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
• Timberdoodle: Timberdoodle is a Christian homeschool curriculum retailer that curates and assembles customized curriculum kits by grade level, comparable in GTM motion to Heart of Dakota's package-based approach. Both target Christian homeschool mothers with curated hands-on, living-books-based curriculum bundles.
• The Good and the Beautiful: The Good and the Beautiful is a fast-growing Christian homeschool curriculum publisher offering open-and-go, beautifully designed grade-level curriculum for homeschool families. Like Heart of Dakota, it combines faith-based content with structured, parent-friendly lesson plans and sells direct to consumers.
• My Father's World: My Father's World publishes Christian homeschool curriculum packages that integrate a Biblical worldview with Charlotte Mason and classical methods, very similar to Heart of Dakota's pedagogical blend. It sells directly to homeschool families with grade-bundled curriculum kits.
• BookShark: BookShark offers literature-based secular homeschool curriculum packages with instructor's guides and scheduled read-alouds, similar in structure to Heart of Dakota's open-and-go Charlotte Mason-style guides. While secular, it competes for the same homeschool family purchasing decision and the same 'living books plus structured plans' niche.
• Sonlight Curriculum: Sonlight is a Christian literature-based homeschool curriculum publisher offering PreK-12 packaged programs with living books, comparable to Heart of Dakota's Charlotte Mason-style open-and-go guides. Both target Christian homeschool families with full grade-by-grade curriculum packages sold direct-to-consumer.

Broad incumbents

• Alpha Omega Publications: Alpha Omega Publications offers Christian homeschool curricula including the LIFEPAC, Horizons, and Ignite digital lines for K-12. It serves the same Christian homeschool customer base as Heart of Dakota and provides both print and digital delivery, contrasting with Heart of Dakota's print-only model.
• Abeka (Pensacola Christian College): Abeka is a large, established Christian curriculum publisher from Pensacola Christian College offering full PreK-12 video, textbook, and digital programs. It serves the same Christian homeschool demographic as Heart of Dakota but at significantly greater scale and with a much broader product portfolio including accredited schooling options.
• BJU Press: BJU Press is an established Christian textbook and homeschool curriculum publisher serving K-12 with both physical and digital materials. It overlaps with Heart of Dakota in targeting Christian homeschool families but operates at much larger scale and with a more traditional textbook-driven pedagogical approach.

Emerging players

• Classical Conversations: Classical Conversations is a Christian classical-education community program with associated homeschool curriculum (Foundations, Essentials, Challenge). While its community/co-op model differs from Heart of Dakota's direct-to-consumer self-study approach, it overlaps in targeting Christian homeschool mothers seeking a structured, Biblically-integrated pedagogy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqSe9cJSy9W_MvtQiKWnJDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/about
• Xx.com/heartofdakota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-dakota

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heart of Dakota