Catherine Project
Catherine Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that offers free, Zoom-based Socratic discussion courses on great books to adult learners aged 16 and older from any educational background, serving readers in over 50 countries and funded entirely by donations and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAnnapolis, Maryland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Catherine Project does
Catherine Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 2020 by Zena Hitz, a St. John's College tutor, and incorporated in Maryland. It offers free, discussion-based courses on great books, philosophy, literature, ancient languages, writing, and mathematics to adults aged 16 and older from any educational background, with no prerequisites, no grades, no credits, and no tuition. Its primary offerings are the Core Program, a four-segment structured curriculum (Life of the Mind Seminar, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Plato's Republic, and Readings from Aristotle) running from Fall 2024 through Spring 2026; General Offerings including flexible reading groups, intensive reading groups with weekly reflection papers, and subject tutorials; and Community Seminars, which are single-day one-off events held each spring and fall. The Commonplace, a volunteer-run annual journal of essays, poems, and visual art, serves as a community publication and recruitment vehicle.
The organization's core technology is Zoom, used for the majority of course meetings; there is no proprietary software platform. Distribution is direct-to-consumer globally, with all courses accessible to anyone with an internet connection during fixed seasonal enrollment windows (Spring, Summer, Fall), and additional in-person regional seminars held periodically in cities including New York, Houston, Toronto, Leiden, Chicago, Austin, Denver, and Boston. Marketing is community-led and primarily organic, relying on a website, mailing list, social media (X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), word of mouth, and earned media coverage in publications such as Persuasion, National Review, EdSurge, The Hedgehog Review, and Paragraph.
Catherine Project is funded entirely by donations from individuals and grants from foundations, including a 2020 start-up grant from Emergent Ventures (Mercatus Center). Operations are led by an executive director, associate director, and director of philanthropy, with the majority of course delivery supported by volunteer tutors and reading-group leaders. Since founding, the organization has offered over 950 courses, served more than 6,500 readers in over 50 countries, and grown to serve approximately 1,300 readers per term.
Catherine Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catherine Project
- Legal name
- Catherine Project, Inc.
- Website
- https://catherineproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Catherine Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that offers free, Zoom-based Socratic discussion courses on great books to adult learners aged 16 and older from any educational background, serving readers in over 50 countries and funded entirely by donations and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catherine Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Liberal Arts Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (6117), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University- or College-Affiliated Senior Learning Programs (EDAAAMAC)
Keywords
Where Catherine Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Annapolis, Maryland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Catherine Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The organization is funded entirely by donations from individuals who support the mission of learning for its own sake. Donors can give via an online donation portal, and additional giving methods include estate gifts, IRA gifts, employer matching, and gifts of stock. Donation has no bearing on admission.
- Grants and Foundation Funding: Catherine Project has received grant funding from organizations such as Emergent Ventures (startup grant) and other unnamed donors and grants. Funding supports operational costs including honoraria for leaders and pilot programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free access to all courses and programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Catherine Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catherine Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers tuition-free, discussion-based courses on great books to adults aged 16 and older. Offerings include a structured four-segment Core Program, flexible reading groups and subject tutorials, periodic Community Seminars, and the Commonplace community journal. Courses are conducted online via Zoom and in-person in select cities, centered on open-ended Socratic conversation of primary texts led by volunteer tutors.
Product overview
Catherine Project is a nonprofit educational organization offering free, discussion-based courses on great books. Its primary offerings include the Core Program (a four-segment structured curriculum: Life of the Mind Seminar, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Plato's Republic, and Readings from Aristotle), General Offerings (flexible reading groups, intensive reading groups with reflection papers, and subject tutorials on languages, writing, and mathematics), Community Seminars (single-day one-off seminars), and Commonplace (an annual community journal). All courses are conducted through open-ended Socratic-style conversation on Zoom, with no tuition or fees charged.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Core Program A four-segment structured curriculum for studying great books through weekly two-hour discussion seminars on Zoom over 12 weeks each. Open to adults 16+ with no prerequisites; segments include Life of the Mind Seminar (introductory), Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Plato's Republic, and Readings from Aristotle.
- General Offerings Flexible courses including reading groups on great books (8-15 participants), intensive reading groups with weekly reflection papers, and subject tutorials in ancient languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew), writing, and mathematics. Available to adult readers worldwide with no prerequisites or tuition.
- Community Seminars Single-day one-off seminars on a shared classic text, held each Spring and Fall term. Open to anyone aged 16 or older at no cost, with multiple time slots online and occasional regional in-person sessions in cities including NYC, Houston, Toronto, Leiden, Chicago, Austin, Denver, Philadelphia, and Boston.
- Commonplace Journal A volunteer-run annual journal of essays, poems, and visual art published by Catherine Project readers and friends. Serves as an organ of communication for the community and a means of advertising the Project's activities to new participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 950 courses offered since 2020, serving 6,500+ readers in 50+ countries
Companies that use Catherine Project
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Catherine Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Catherine Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Princeton Public LibraryminorCatherine Project co-hosts a hybrid online/in-person reading group on Justice with the Princeton Public Library, meeting monthly at the library with both online and in-person attendance options.
- Great Questions FoundationminorCatherine Project partnered with the Great Questions Foundation to organize an in-person Community Seminar on Sophocles' Antigone in Austin, TX.
- St. John's CollegeminorCatherine Project partnered with St. John's College's GI Program to host a seminar event in Annapolis, MD, including a seminar on Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and a symposium on reading, learning, and technology.
- Matthew Strother Center for the Examined LifeminorCatherine Project co-organized a Catskill Seminar Weekend with the Matthew Strother Center for the Examined Life, featuring readings on Walker Percy, Mary Oliver, Louise Glück, and Annie Dillard.
- Houston Christian UniversityminorHouston Christian University serves as the venue host for the Catherine Project's Houston Shakespeare Seminar on Henry IV, Part 1.
- Svet Peace ProjectminorCatherine Project and the Svet Peace Project partnered to host a 3-week in-person short story seminar for high school students in New York City, held at Pier 57 in Manhattan.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Catherine Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Great Books Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 1947 dedicated to shared inquiry into great books through discussion groups and adult reading programs. Closest organizational analog: same mission of adult great books discussion, similar nonprofit structure and volunteer-led model.
- St. John's College: The premier undergraduate 'great books' college in Annapolis and Santa Fe, using a Socratic discussion model on canonical texts. Catherine Project's founder, executive director, and associate director are all St. John's affiliates, and the pedagogical approach and text canon are essentially identical.
Emerging players
- Circe Institute: Classical education advocacy organization supporting classical schools and great books curricula. Overlaps with Catherine Project in promoting canonical Western texts and Socratic pedagogy, though focused primarily on K-12 institutions.
- Wilson Hill Academy: Online provider of classical K-12 and great books courses for homeschool families using live, Socratic discussion. Comparable adult-great-books content delivered online with similar volunteer-instructor dynamics.
- Angelicum Academy: Catholic classical homeschool program offering great books curricula and live tutorials to self-directed learners. Comparable content approach for adult and family learners pursuing classical education outside traditional institutions.
- Classic Learning Test (CLT): Alternative college entrance exam grounded in classical liberal arts. Targets the same families and adult learners seeking classical Western education and shares the broader movement Catherine Project serves.
- Schola Classical Tutorials: Provides live, Socratic-style online tutorials on great books primarily for homeschool students. Shares Catherine Project's instructional methodology, online delivery model, and emphasis on primary-text discussion.
Broad incumbents
- Great Hearts Academies: Large network of classical K-12 charter schools across multiple states. Operates in the same classical liberal arts space but at K-12 institutional scale; competes for the same donor and audience mindshare.
- The King's College: Christian liberal arts college in New York City with a great books core curriculum. Operates a similar Socratic, primary-texts pedagogical model with a broader degree-granting institutional scope.
Others
- Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI): Nonprofit promoting the Western tradition, great books, and liberal arts among students and adults. Thematic overlap in mission and donor base, with adjacent rather than directly competing programming (lectures, publications, fellowships).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Catherine Project social profiles
Digital presenceCatherine Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catherine Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Catherine Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Catherine Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catherine Project
What does Catherine Project do?
Catherine Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers tuition-free, discussion-based courses on great books to adults aged 16 and older. Offerings include a structured four-segment Core Program, flexible reading groups and subject tutorials, periodic Community Seminars, and the Commonplace community journal. Courses are conducted online via Zoom and in-person in select cities, centered on open-ended Socratic conversation of primary texts led by volunteer tutors.
Is Catherine Project a public or private company?
Catherine Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Catherine Project founded?
Catherine Project was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Catherine Project based?
Catherine Project is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catherine Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are grants and Foundation Funding.
Who are Catherine Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Great Books Foundation and St. John's College. Emerging players are Circe Institute, Wilson Hill Academy, Angelicum Academy, Classic Learning Test (CLT) and Schola Classical Tutorials. Broad incumbents are Great Hearts Academies and The King's College. Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) is listed as an others.
Does Catherine Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catherine Project.
What industry is Catherine Project in?
Catherine Project's product category is Liberal Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAMAC, University- or College-Affiliated Senior Learning Programs. Its NAICS code is 6117 and its SIC code is 8200.