Sophia Institute for Teachers

What Sophia Institute for Teachers does

Sophia Institute for Teachers is a 501(c)(3) public charity and a division of Sophia Institute, founded in 2013 to develop religion curriculum, professional development programs, and digital resources for Catholic educators in the United States. The organization serves Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses, and homeschool families through a community of 60,000+ educators and a workshop network that has delivered 500+ in-person faith formation events across more than 70 dioceses. Its product portfolio spans Pre-K through High School and is organized under multiple brands: Spirit of Truth (K-8 School, Parish, and Homeschool editions plus High School Theology), His Little Way for early childhood, A Family of Faith for family catechesis (including a Spanish Catequesis Familiar edition), Walking with Jesus for parish K-8, Magis Faith and Science apologetics featuring Fr. Robert Spitzer, Theology of the Body, sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation/First Communion and Sealed in Fire Confirmation), and the Studio 3:16 video supplement distributed through a partnership with CrossBoss Media.

The business model combines one-time curriculum and textbook sales with recurring subscription revenue (Studio 3:16 priced at $250 base + $5/student for small parishes and $1,000 flat for parishes with 150+ students per academic year), paid and free virtual workshops, and tax-deductible donations supporting the nonprofit mission. Distribution is anchored by a four-territory regional sales team (Northeast, West, South, Parish) plus an e-commerce storefront and the in-person workshop channel. The technology stack includes a course delivery platform, an online resource library of videos, PowerPoints, and printables per lesson, and digital content series such as eLessons, Sophia SketchPad, and the Christ in the Classroom podcast; a Master Teacher Council with 230+ years of combined teaching experience provides ongoing educator mentorship. Leadership comprises President Charlie McKinney, COO and co-founder Veronica Cruz Burchard, Senior Director of Curriculum Development Mike Gutzwiller, and Senior Director of Professional Development Jose Gonzalez. The organization holds no venture capital or private equity investment, and no acquisitions, mergers, or public-market transactions are recorded.

Name

Sophia Institute for Teachers

Legal name

Sophia Institute for Teachers

Website

https://sophiainstituteforteachers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sophia Institute for Teachers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publisher of Catholic religion curriculum, sacramental preparation, and teacher professional development serving Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses, and homeschool families across more than 70 U.S. dioceses via textbooks, subscriptions, and workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Religious Education Curriculum and Professional Development

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Virtual Homeschool Programs & Online Curriculum Schools (EDAJADAJ), Religious Education, Kids & Family Faith Programming (MPABALAM)

Keywords

• Catholic religious education
• Religion curriculum textbooks
• Catechetical professional development
• Faith formation resources
• Sacramental preparation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester, New Hampshire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Curriculum and Textbook Sales: Sale of printed religion textbooks and curriculum materials to Catholic schools and parishes. Products include Spirit of Truth K-8 and High School, A Family of Faith, Walking with Jesus, His Little Way Pre-K/K, Magis series, and sacramental preparation materials. Pricing varies by product type and edition.
2. Digital Courses and Workshops: Virtual workshops and professional development courses for teachers and catechists available through online platform. Includes both free and paid course offerings.
3. Studio 3:16 Video Subscription: Annual subscription for video series supplement for grades 2-8 faith formation. Subscription-based model with per-student and tiered pricing based on enrollment.
4. Donations: Sophia Institute for Teachers is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity that relies on donations from the general public for support and maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sophia Institute for Teachers sells Pre-K through High School Catholic religion curriculum and textbooks (Spirit of Truth, His Little Way, A Family of Faith, Walking with Jesus, Magis, Theology of the Body, and sacramental preparation programs) to Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses, and homeschool families. It complements these materials with day-long and multi-day in-person catechetical workshops, virtual workshops/courses, a digital Online Resource Library, and the Master Teacher Council mentorship program. It also distributes the Studio 3:16 video-based parish faith formation program through a partnership with CrossBoss Media.

Product overview

Sophia Institute for Teachers operates as a comprehensive Catholic education materials and professional development organization, not a single product but a multi-product portfolio. The core offering consists of religion textbooks and curricula across multiple brands: Spirit of Truth (K-8 School, Parish, and Homeschool editions) and High School Theology; His Little Way for Pre-K/K; A Family of Faith for family catechesis; Walking with Jesus for parish K-8; Magis/Faith and Science apologetics program by Fr. Robert Spitzer; Theology of the Body curriculum; and sacramental preparation programs including First Reconciliation/First Communion and Sealed in Fire Confirmation. The company also offers Studio 3:16 (via CrossBoss Media partnership) for video-based faith formation. Supporting these products are professional development services including in-person catechetical workshops and virtual workshops/courses, plus free resources like eLessons, Sophia SketchPad videos, and the Christ in the Classroom podcast. The Master Teacher Council provides ongoing mentorship to educators using the materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spirit of Truth: K-8 religion textbook series and high school theology curriculum
• A Family of Faith
• His Little Way
• Walking with Jesus
• Magis
• Studio 3:16

Products and services

• Spirit of Truth K-8 School Edition
• Spirit of Truth K-8 Parish Edition
• Spirit of Truth K-8 Homeschool Edition
• Spirit of Truth High School
• His Little Way
• A Family of Faith
• Walking with Jesus K-8
• Magis Apologetics / Faith and Science
• Theology of the Body
• First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Preparation
• Sealed in Fire Confirmation Preparation
• Studio 3:16
• Virtual Workshops
• In-Person Catechetical Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ workshops conducted in 70+ dioceses
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Studio 3:16 / CrossBoss MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSophia Teachers partnered with Studio 3:16 to offer their Catholic video lesson supplement program for grades 2-8 parish faith formation. Studio 3:16 materials are distributed through Sophia Teachers' platform, including Catechist Lesson Guides, Student Activity Sheets, and Challenge Cards. The partnership allows Sophia to provide Hollywood-level video production content as a supplement to their core curriculum offerings.
• Academic Partners (Monsignor John R. Cihak, Dr. Richard Dougherty, Dr. Jason King, Dr. Stuart Leibiger, Dr. Matthew Ramage, Dr. Scott Sollom, Dr. Amy Roberts, Dr. Jeremy Sienkiewicz, Dr. James Pauley, Dr. John-Mark Miravalle, Fr. Thomas Dailey, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic Partners include university professors and scholars who contribute to teaching and program materials and co-present at professional development workshops. Partners include faculty from University of Dallas, St. Vincent College, LaSalle University, Benedictine College, Franciscan University of Steubenville, George Mason University School of Law, Mount St. Mary Seminary, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
• Teacher Advisory CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeacher advisors write original lesson plans and pilot-test draft resources before publication. Council includes teachers from various Catholic schools across the U.S. who provide feedback on curriculum development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ignatius Press: Ignatius Press is a major Catholic publisher producing theology texts, catechetical materials, and study guides used in Catholic high schools and parishes, competing with Sophia's high school theology and adult formation titles.
• Our Sunday Visitor (OSV): OSV publishes Catholic curriculum (e.g., "Alive in Christ," "Finding God") and parish resources adopted by many dioceses, competing directly with Sophia's school and parish religion textbook lines.
• Loyola Press: Loyola Press, a Jesuit ministry, publishes Catholic school religion series (e.g., "Christ Our Life," "Blest Are We") and parish resources, competing for Catholic school adoptions alongside Spirit of Truth.
• Ave Maria Press: Ave Maria Press publishes Catholic parish and school resources including sacramental prep, youth ministry, and adult faith formation, closely overlapping with Sophia's sacramental preparation and parish catechesis programs.
• Ascension Press: Ascension Press publishes Catholic discipleship and catechetical curricula (e.g., "Encounter," "Chosen," "Decision Point") widely used in parishes and Catholic schools, directly overlapping with Sophia's parish faith formation offerings.
• Sadlier: Sadlier is one of the largest U.S. publishers of Catholic religion textbooks and parish school programs (e.g., "We Believe," "Come Let Us Worship"), competing head-to-head with Sophia's Spirit of Truth series for Catholic school and parish adoptions.

Emerging players

• Catholic Answers: Catholic Answers produces apologetics content, tracts, and online learning aimed at Catholic formation, overlapping with Sophia's Magis Faith and Reason and apologetics curriculum areas.
• Dynamic Catholic: Dynamic Catholic produces parish-based formation programs (e.g., "Best Lent Ever," "Dynamic Parish") aimed at engaging Catholic adults, an adjacent but partially overlapping market with Sophia's parish and adult faith formation work.
• Augustine Institute / Formed: The Augustine Institute's Formed platform delivers Catholic video, audio, and study programs for parishes and families; it overlaps with Sophia's digital subscription and Studio 3:16 video offerings in the parish faith formation space.

Others

• EWTN: EWTN operates the largest Catholic media network (television, radio, digital) and produces faith formation content; while not a direct curriculum competitor, it shares the Catholic education-and-evangelization mission and overlapping video/audio resources with Sophia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SophiaTeachers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCx2j5pfzMe32OKWq82RvUfg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SophiaInstituteforTeachers
• Pinterestpinterest.com/sophiateachers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sophia-institute-for-teachers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sophia Institute for Teachers