Vandamme Education Inc

What Vandamme Education Inc does

VanDamme Education Inc operates VanDamme Academy, a private K-8 school located at 2A Liberty, Aliso Viejo, California, serving approximately 140 students. Founded in 1998 by Lisa VanDamme after she left graduate studies at Penn State to take on a private homeschool teaching engagement, the school delivers a classical education curriculum covering history, literature, science, mathematics, writing, grammar, and art appreciation. The instructional approach combines a Montessori-based K-1 program with traditional classroom instruction for grades 2-8, and incorporates a proprietary historical-inductive science curriculum developed by David Harriman. A no-homework policy is central to the school's identity, with all academic work completed during supervised school hours from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Teaching staff includes named specialists Kyle Steele (Head of School), Andrew Lewis (history), Grace Steele (literature), John Krieger (science), Jeremiah Cobra (grammar), and Jen Davila (K-1), with total staff estimated at 10-15 based on the grade-level classroom structure.

The company monetizes primarily through annual K-8 tuition of $18,000 per student, billed monthly at $1,680 over 10 months plus a $1,200 annual materials fee and a one-month non-refundable tuition deposit at enrollment. Tuition constitutes 99% of school revenue, with no reliance on donations, fundraisers, grants, or endowments, making the institution fully self-sustaining under a total-cost tuition model. The school runs a direct-enrollment sales motion targeting Orange County families through rolling year-round applications, scheduled parent tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, student shadow days, and a January 30 priority deadline for kindergarten applications, supported by content marketing (blog, quarterly newsletter, video gallery) and word-of-mouth referrals.

Beyond the core in-person school, VanDamme Education distributes online courses globally through an e-commerce Academic Store on its website. These include David Harriman's Fundamentals of Physical Science video lecture series (Parts I and II, totaling 100 video lectures) and literature courses authored by Lisa VanDamme covering Ibsen, Russian short stories, and poetry, plus a Literature Reference Guide. Online courses are sold as one-time perpetual licenses with lifetime access to video lectures and downloadable class notes, individually or in bundles (2-course at $45, 3-course at $60 sale price), representing a secondary revenue stream that extends the school's intellectual property beyond the Orange County campus.

Name

Vandamme Education Inc

Legal name

VanDamme Academy

Website

https://vandammeacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VanDamme Education Inc operates VanDamme Academy, a private K-8 classical school in Aliso Viejo, CA serving ~140 Orange County families at $18,000/year tuition, and sells online science and literature video courses globally through its Academic Store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Education K–12 Schools (EDAJABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)

Keywords

• Private K-8 education
• Classical education
• Online academic courses
• Montessori kindergarten
• Distance learning courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Aliso Viejo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. K-8 Tuition: Primary revenue stream. Total-cost tuition model where tuition constitutes 99% of school revenue. No reliance on donations, fundraisers, grants, or endowments. Annual tuition of $18,000 per student covering all materials, yearbooks, and field trips. Monthly payment option of $1,680 for 10 months plus $1,200 materials fee.
2. Online Course Sales: Distance learning courses sold through Academic Store. One-time payment for lifetime access to video lectures and downloadable class notes. Individual courses and bundles available.
3. Enrollment Fees: One-time non-refundable tuition deposit equal to one month's tuition due at enrollment. $1,200 annual materials fee due at enrollment and re-enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VanDamme Academy operates a private K-8 classical school in Aliso Viejo, CA enrolling approximately 140 students at $18,000 annual tuition, featuring a no-homework policy, Montessori-based K-1 program, and a hierarchical curriculum spanning history, literature, science, writing, math, grammar, and art appreciation. The company also sells individual online academic video courses through its Academic Store covering physical science, literature, and poetry for global distance learners.

Product overview

VanDamme Education Inc operates VanDamme Academy, a private K-8 school in Aliso Viejo, CA serving approximately 140 students with a classical education approach. The company offers a multi-product portfolio: (1) the core K-8 private school with tuition at $18,000/year featuring a no-homework policy and Montessori-based K-1 program; (2) online academic courses sold through the Academic Store including The Fundamentals of Physical Science I and II by David Harriman (science courses with 31 and 69 video lectures respectively), Literature courses by Lisa VanDamme (Ibsen the Iconoclast, Russian Short Stories, Making Poetry Part of Your Life); and (3) digital educational materials like the Literature Reference Guide. The online courses are offered as individual purchases or in bundles (2-Course Bundle at $45, 3-Course Bundle at $60) with lifetime access to video lectures and class notes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VanDamme Academy K-8 Program Private K-8 classical education program covering kindergarten through 8th grade with a no-homework policy, Montessori-based K-1 reading program (fluent reading by kindergarten Christmas), hierarchical curriculum with 3-year history cycle (Ancient, European, American) and 3-year science cycle (Earth, Life, Physical Science), and individualized instruction via diagnostic testing. Annual tuition: $18,000 per student with monthly billing option of $1,680 for 10 months plus $1,200 materials fee.
• The Fundamentals of Physical Science I - The Scientific Revolution

Quantifiable outcome

• Kindergarten students read fluently by Christmas through Montessori method
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Cambridge School: Private classical school offering a similar K-8 or K-12 liberal arts curriculum with comparable small-school intimacy and parent-driven enrollment model.
• Great Hearts Academies: Network of classical, charter K-12 schools emphasizing a similar content-rich, classical liberal arts curriculum with comparable tuition and academic outcomes. Directly comparable as a scaled classical-education operator with shared philosophical roots.
• Chesterton Academy: Network of classical, Catholic high schools built around a similar content-rich liberal arts curriculum and reverence for classical literature and ideas. Comparable in its classical pedagogy and small-school intimacy, though typically secondary-only.
• Hillsdale Academy: Classical K-12 school affiliated with Hillsdale College, offering a traditional liberal arts education with similar hierarchical curriculum and reverence for Western classics. Highly comparable mission and pedagogical approach to VanDamme's classical framework.

Broad incumbents

• Outschool: Marketplace for live and on-demand online classes for learners. Comparable as a distribution channel for online enrichment courses that competes for the same parental education-spend budget.
• Khan Academy: Major online education platform offering video-based courses across subjects. Comparable as an online course provider and distribution channel for self-paced video lectures, though at vastly larger scale and with non-classical pedagogy.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National charter network known for rigorous STEM-focused academics and high-achieving graduates. Comparable in producing top-tier college outcomes, though BASIS emphasizes a different (STEM/Advanced Placement) academic philosophy rather than classical liberal arts.

Emerging players

• Classical Academic Press: Classical education publisher offering textbooks, online courses, and curriculum products that share the same classical pedagogy. Comparable as a content/curriculum provider in the broader classical education ecosystem.
• Memoria Press: Classical curriculum publisher and online education provider offering a similar classical pedagogy and online course products. Comparable as a content and curriculum licensor that monetizes classical methods beyond a single campus.

Others

• Primrose Schools: National private preschool and elementary franchise network. Comparable as a private K-8 operator using Procare (Primrose) parent-portal integration referenced in VDA's tech stack; however, Primrose uses proprietary early-education methods rather than classical liberal arts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VandammeAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/vandammeacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vandamme-education-inc

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 Vandamme Education Inc