Waadookodaading, Inc

What Waadookodaading, Inc does

Waadookodaading, Inc. operates the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute, a nonprofit K-8 Ojibwe language immersion school founded in 2000 and located on the Lac Courte Oreilles K-12 campus at 8575 N Trepania Road, Hayward, Wisconsin, within the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school system. The institute delivers all academic content through the Ojibwe language using a culturally and environmentally responsive model that incorporates traditional knowledge, seasonal outdoor activities such as wild ricing and maple sugaring, and Anishinaabe values; its language revitalization framework is explicitly grounded in Dr. Joshua A. Fishman's Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale, aiming for stages 7-8 to move Ojibwe at Lac Courte Oreilles from near-extinction toward sustained use. The organization serves approximately 59-100 Native American students in PK-12 grades, with an enrollment process that includes open houses, play-based screening, and a lottery prioritizing staff children, enrolled siblings, board member children, and tribally enrolled children.

The institute's core product is the Ojibwe language immersion school itself, taught by a roster of approximately 19 staff that spans a Master Ojibwe Speaker, Ojibwe Culture Specialist, Indigenous Knowledge Coordinator, grade-level teachers from 4K through Grade 8, teacher aides, and an Administrative Assistant, Director of School Operations, and Executive Director. A second core product, the WOLI Adult Ojibwe Language Immersion Program (a 2-year, 48-weeks-per-year, full-time in-person program), is scheduled to launch in August 2026, extending the institute's reach beyond school-age children. The business model is donation-driven as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no tuition fees; revenue streams include individual donations, planned giving/legacy gifts, foundation and corporate giving, and major gifts, notably a $1.5 million gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2024 specifically designated for language revitalization.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: enrollment flows through word-of-mouth, parent committee meetings, and seasonal community events within the Lac Courte Oreilles tribal community, supported by Facebook-based fundraising and a content website. Strategic partnerships deepen institutional capacity, including integration with the BIE and LCO Ojibwe School, and supporting relationships with LCO Ojibwe University, Twin Cities PBS, the Ojibwe People's Dictionary, CARLA at the University of Minnesota, and the National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs.

Name

Waadookodaading, Inc

Legal name

Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute

Website

https://waadookodaading.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Waadookodaading, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute, a K-8 Ojibwe language immersion school in Hayward, Wisconsin, within the Bureau of Indian Education system. It serves Native American students of the Lac Courte Oreilles tribal community and is launching an adult immersion program in 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Language Immersion Education

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter Language Immersion & Bilingual Schools (EDAJACAI)

Keywords

• Ojibwe language immersion
• Indigenous language education
• Native American schooling
• Cultural curriculum development
• Adult language immersion

Headquarters

HQ city

Hayward

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time or recurring tax-deductible donations from individuals, alumni, and community members supporting Ojibwe language preservation
2. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Deferred gifts including bequests by will, IRA or retirement plan contributions, gift annuities, trust arrangements, insurance policies
3. Foundation and Corporate Giving: Financial support from family foundations, regional and national foundations, and corporate donors for programs and organizational sustainability
4. Major Gift: Received $1.5 million gift from MacKenzie Scott specifically for language revitalization efforts

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Waadookodaading operates an Ojibwe language immersion school for grades K-8 and an adult immersion program in Hayward, Wisconsin, providing academic instruction entirely through the Ojibwe language with culturally and environmentally responsive practices tied to seasonal traditions. Founded in 2000 and integrated into the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school system on the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) K12 campus, the institute serves approximately 59-100 students and focuses on Indigenous language revitalization and tribal sovereignty through education.

Product overview

Waadookodaading, Inc operates the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute, a K-8 Ojibwe language immersion school that began as the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School. The institution offers academic instruction through the Ojibwe language, integrating traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and environmental stewardship. In addition to the K-8 school program (serving approximately 59 students in grades K-8), the institute also offers an Adult Ojibwe Language Immersion Program, a full-time 2-year in-person program starting August 2026. The organization focuses on Indigenous language revitalization and tribal sovereignty through education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School K-8 Ojibwe language immersion school that uses the Ojibwe language as the medium of instruction, teaching academic content through traditional knowledge, values, and culturally responsive practices. Serves approximately 59 students in grades K-8 and nearly 100 students across PK-12 on the Lac Courte Oreilles K12 campus within the Bureau of Indian Education school system.
• Adult Ojibwe Language Immersion Program (WOLI) A 2-year in-person adult immersion program running 48 weeks per year, designed to teach the Ojibwe language to adult learners and to support future Ojibwe-speaking educators and community language advocates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100 students receiving Ojibwe immersion education annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School (LCO School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated into the LCO K12 campus as part of the Bureau of Indian Education school system. Shares facilities and operates within the tribal school's governance structure.
• Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates as a BIE school, receiving institutional support and operating within federal Indian education frameworks.
• Ojibwe People's DictionarysupportingTechnology or IntegrationReferenced instructional resource providing Ojibwe language materials and related information for students and educators.
• Twin Cities PBSsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEducational media partner providing Ojibwe language programming and instructional resources.
• LCO Ojibwe UniversitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationTribal college providing higher education pathways and potential teacher training programs for WOLI graduates.
• Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)supportingTechnology or IntegrationUniversity of Minnesota research center providing immersion education best practices and resources.
• National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and ProgramssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional network for Native language immersion schools providing advocacy and best practice sharing.
• TJ ElectricminorOthersLocal corporate donor supporting Waadookodaading through charitable contributions.
• ServPro of HaywardminorOthersLocal business donor supporting Waadookodaading through charitable contributions.
• Louie's Bar and BitesminorOthersLocal restaurant donor supporting Waadookodaading through charitable contributions.
• Jump River ElectricminorOthersLocal cooperative donor supporting Waadookodaading through charitable contributions.
• Chippewa FlowageminorOthersLocal business donor supporting Waadookodaading through charitable contributions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• The Language Conservancy: Nonprofit focused on Indigenous language revitalization through curriculum development, teacher training, and language nests. Comparable in targeting endangered Native American languages with community-driven education programs, but operates more as a technical-assistance and curriculum partner than as a direct school operator.

Broad incumbents

• Kamehameha Schools: Hawaiian-focused private school system and broader educational endowment serving Native Hawaiian students from K-12 through higher education. Comparable as a much larger, well-resourced Indigenous education institution, but with a broader cultural-academic mandate beyond pure language immersion.

Others

• First Peoples' Cultural Council: British Columbia–based nonprofit supporting Indigenous language, arts, and cultural revitalization in Canada. Comparable mission of Indigenous language preservation and teacher capacity-building, but functions as a funding and advocacy body rather than operating immersion schools directly.

Direct peers

• Aha Pūnana Leo: Hawaiian language nest and immersion school network founded in 1984, operating P-12 Hawaiian medium education across multiple sites. Directly comparable as an Indigenous language immersion school organization using full-language medium instruction to revitalize an endangered Native language.
• Cherokee Nation Immersion School: Cherokee Nation–operated K-8 Cherokee language immersion school in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Directly comparable as a tribal-Nation-sponsored Indigenous language immersion school using full-medium instruction in an endangered Native American language to revitalize intergenerational transmission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Waadookodaading
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waadookodaading-inc

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 Waadookodaading, Inc