Academics
HelmDojo
Take the helm of a hot moment. Freeze it, choose from the whole space of ways to steady a feeling, and watch a model play the consequence out - with each move's cost, its situation-fit, and an honest grade for how well the research actually backs it. No move is scored right; the trade-off and the evidence are the science. A science of steadying feelings, not therapy - nothing you feel is ever saved. Ages 15-18.
#4b6b8a Distributed-narrative cast
Meet the cast
HelmDojo is text-forward (R-OLDER-TEEN-DN-ADAPTED, ages 15-18) - no illustrated cast; the 'crew' are the parts of taking the helm of a hot moment, and each part IS one thing a regulation move earns. Halyard is the navigator who holds the whole space and asks of every move, 'does this fit THIS moment, and can you pay its cost?' - the skilled move is never the 'right' one, it is the one that fits and whose price you can afford. Pennant reads whether the situation can be changed or left, and whether reaching a person you trust is the move - the earliest, best-supported levers. Windlass names the cost every move carries to raise it: distraction's short reach, suppression's social and memory price. Leeward reads the wind - the situation-fit that makes reappraisal strong when a thing is fixed and risky when you could just act. Bosun gives the honest evidence grade: well-supported, mixed, or emerging - the part most apps leave out. Illustrated portraits/chapters/audio are N/A for the older-teen band, not a follow-on.
Halyard
(Mentor) - the navigator who holds the whole space of moves. Halyard asks of every choice, 'does this fit THIS moment, and can you pay its cost?' - taking the helm is choosing the move that fits, never the one that is 'right'.
Pennant
Reads the situation - can you change it, leave it, or is reaching a person you trust the move? Pennant's act IS the earliest, best-supported family of levers, and the truth that asking for help is never a loss.
Windlass
Names the COST every move carries to raise it - distraction's short reach, suppression's social and memory price. Windlass's act IS refusing to sell a move as free; every one has a bill.
Leeward
Reads the wind - the situation-FIT. Reappraisal is strong when a thing is fixed and can talk you out of a fair action when you could act; Leeward's act IS matching the move to the moment, not the menu.
Bosun
Gives the honest EVIDENCE grade - well-supported, mixed, or emerging. Bosun's act IS telling you which moves have decades of studies and which have a handful, so you know what you are trusting.
What's inside
Learning goal
Take the helm of a hot moment. Freeze it, choose from the whole space of ways to steady a feeling, and watch a model play the consequence out - with each move's cost, its situation-fit, and an honest grade for how well the research actually backs it. No move is scored right; the trade-off and the evidence are the science. A science of steadying feelings, not therapy - nothing you feel is ever saved. Ages 15-18.
Question kits
16 curriculum-aligned kits × 25 questions = 400 questions per app, mapped to recognized standards.
On-device AI mentor
FoundationModels-powered hints, feedback, and adaptive difficulty — all running locally.
Mentored by Halyard — on-device AI, no data leaves the device.
How HelmDojo handles your kid's data
- ✅ All progress, settings, and AI-generated content stays on the device
- ✅ No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs
- ✅ No ads, no in-app purchases — you pay once
- ✅ No personal information collected from children — in line with COPPA (updated by the 2026 FTC amendments)
- ✅ Parental controls + session limits + content filters built in
HelmDojo runs on ForgeKit — the open-source Swift Package Manager framework that powers every Spark & Anvil app. ForgeKit ensures consistent accessibility, COPPA compliance, and design language across the portfolio, so your kid's progress and preferences feel coherent across every app they touch.
Coming to the App Store
HelmDojo is in active development. Email us to hear when it ships — no marketing, no spam, just a one-shot launch announcement.
Email me at launch