Built a baking-soda volcano and compared three real eruptions
Something I practiced · photo
For homeschoolers whose kids don't learn on a schedule
Learning that doesn't look like school still counts.
Northstar is a calm, private place for your kids to save what they explore, and for you to turn it into a dated record you can hand to an evaluator or keep for yourself.
Join the waitlist
Early members get the AuDHD Homeschool Starter Guide when it's ready.
Why we're building this
Three hours on Monday. Nothing on Tuesday.
Many kids, especially AuDHD kids, need a predictable day and still push back when it starts to feel like a cage. Most learning apps are built around daily quotas, streaks, and lesson plans. When a day goes sideways, those tools make it worse, and the learning that did happen never gets written down.
Northstar starts from what your child actually did. There are no streaks to break and no quotas to miss. A project can rest for weeks and pick up right where it left off.
Mon Sep 8
Tue Sep 9
Nothing saved. That's allowed.
Wed Sep 10
Made change at the farmers market stall
Something I explored
Thu Sep 11
Nothing saved. That's allowed.
Fri Sep 12
Explained plate boundaries to Grandma with drawings
Something I can explain · photo
Sat Sep 13
Read a chapter about Pompeii out loud
Something I explored
Sun Sep 14
Nothing saved. That's allowed.
How it works
The same week, from their screen to your file
One project, followed all the way through. These are screens from the running app, not drawings of it.
Step one
Your child saves what they explored
A few words, a voice-typed note, or a photo, dated whenever it happened. Projects start private: “Shared with parent” only appears once your child chooses it, and they can take it back later.
Step two
You add what you noticed
Each shared entry gets two fields of yours: the subjects and skills it touched, and what the evidence actually shows — including where they needed help. Exploring and practising count without claiming mastery.
Step three
You download a dated record
Pick any date range and get an editable document of the entries you reviewed. It opens in anything, so you can adapt it for an evaluator or keep it for your own files.
northstar-portfolio-2026-09-08-2026-09-14.md
# Family learning portfolio 2026-09-08 to 2026-09-14 Shared evidence reviewed by a parent. These observations do not constitute grades or certified mastery. ## Volcanoes and plate tectonics — Theo Interest: Earth science ### 2026-09-08 · Something I practiced Built a baking-soda volcano and compared three real eruptions Connections: Earth science, measuring, comparing sources Parent reflection: Chose the topic and kept going for most of the afternoon without prompting. Needed help getting started on the comparison chart. ### 2026-09-12 · Something I can explain or demonstrate Explained plate boundaries to Grandma using the model and drawings Connections: Earth science, explaining, drawing to scale Parent reflection: Explained this on their own, using the model as a reference.
The export, exactly as it arrives.
Who it's for
Families who learn in bursts and detours
- Families with AuDHD, autistic, ADHD, or PDA kids who need a tool that doesn't add pressure.
- Interest-led, child-led, and unschooling families whose learning happens away from a desk.
- Parents who have to show progress through a portfolio, an annual evaluation, or reports.
- Portfolio evaluators and umbrella schools. We'd like to hear from you. Choose that option on the form.
And it changes with the child. The same app greets an eight-year-old and a thirteen-year-old differently, down to the label above their own name. Rewards and streaks stay hidden unless your child turns them on.
Private by design
Your child's learning isn't our product
- Projects start private. The “Shared with parent” label in the screens above only appears once your child puts it there. If they stop sharing a project, it disappears from your view and from future records.
- No ads, ever. We don't sell or share your family's data.
- Photos are resized on your device, which removes hidden details like location before anything is uploaded.
- This page has no trackers, analytics, or third-party scripts.
Questions
Before you sign up
Can I use Northstar now?
Not yet. Northstar runs today for our own family. We’re building household accounts, secure sign-in, and data controls before inviting families in small groups. There’s no launch date yet.
How much will it cost?
We haven’t set a price. The form asks what would feel fair, and those answers will shape it. We’ll tell waitlist members the price before charging anyone anything.
Is it a curriculum?
No. Northstar is built around what your child is already exploring. It does include extras you can ignore: practice quizzes, course ideas drafted with AI that you approve before your child sees them, a quiet mode with larger text, optional rewards, and a learning space for you as the parent. None of them are the main event.
Will the record meet my state’s requirements?
The record is an editable document you can adapt. It isn’t an official state form, and requirements vary by state, so check what yours asks for. Telling us your state on the form helps us decide which formats to support.
Is it only for neurodivergent kids?
No. It’s designed for kids who learn in bursts and detours, which includes a lot of AuDHD, autistic, ADHD, and PDA kids, but any interest-led family can use it.
Early access
Join the waitlist
We'll invite families in small groups as accounts are ready. Joining is free and doesn't commit you to anything.
Northstar started as the tool I built for our own homeschool: three kids at three different ages, none of them learning on the same schedule. It runs for us every day. The waitlist is how we find out who else needs it.
Kurt Overmier, founder