diff --git a/src/pages/Dashboard.jsx b/src/pages/Dashboard.jsx
index 32aadfd..5afa7c5 100644
--- a/src/pages/Dashboard.jsx
+++ b/src/pages/Dashboard.jsx
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { BookOpen, CheckSquare, Trophy, Sparkles, X } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useApp } from '../store/AppContext';
 import Card from '../components/ui/Card';
 import Button from '../components/ui/Button';
 import Tag from '../components/ui/Tag';
 import * as db from '../lib/db';
+import { storage } from '../lib/storage';
 import { getAssignedTopic } from '../lib/learningService';
 import { getYearProgress, getCurriculumCycle, getCurriculumWeek, getActiveVersion } from '../lib/curriculumService';
 
@@ -88,6 +90,25 @@ const Dashboard = () => {
   const currentCycle = getCurriculumCycle(weekNumber);
   const currWeek = getCurriculumWeek(weekNumber);
 
+  const explainerKey = currentUser ? `dashboard:explainer-dismissed:${currentUser.id}` : null;
+  const [explainerOpen, setExplainerOpen] = useState(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!explainerKey) return;
+    setExplainerOpen(storage.get(explainerKey, false) !== true);
+  }, [explainerKey]);
+
+  const dismissExplainer = () => {
+    setExplainerOpen(false);
+    if (explainerKey) storage.set(explainerKey, true);
+  };
+
+  const explainerSteps = [
+    { icon: BookOpen, title: 'Learn', text: 'Each week you get one topic from the knowledge base. Work through the learning session at your own pace.' },
+    { icon: CheckSquare, title: 'Test', text: 'Once your learning session is done, take the 5-question test to lock in what you learned and earn points.' },
+    { icon: Trophy, title: 'Climb', text: 'Points add up on the leaderboard. The curriculum runs in perpetual 26-week cycles, so there is always a next step.' },
+    { icon: Sparkles, title: 'Ask R42', text: 'R42, your AI study buddy, is on every screen (bottom-right). Ask it anything about your topic or the platform.' },
+  ];
+
   return (
     <div className="p-6 md:p-10 space-y-8 animate-in fade-in slide-in-from-bottom-4 duration-500">
       <header>
@@ -99,6 +120,43 @@ const Dashboard = () => {
         </p>
       </header>
 
+      {/* Platform explainer — dismissible, per user */}
+      {explainerOpen && (
+        <Card className="relative border border-bg-warm bg-paper">
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={dismissExplainer}
+            aria-label="Dismiss"
+            className="absolute top-4 right-4 text-fg-muted hover:text-fg transition-colors"
+          >
+            <X size={18} />
+          </button>
+          <div className="flex items-start gap-3 mb-5 pr-8">
+            <div>
+              <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-1">
+                <h3 className="text-xl">How Respellion works</h3>
+                <Tag variant="accent" className="text-xs">New here?</Tag>
+              </div>
+              <p className="text-fg-muted text-sm">
+                A perpetual learning loop that keeps you current with the company knowledge base.
+                Use the navigation at the top (Home, Learn, Test, Leaderboard) to move around.
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+          <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
+            {explainerSteps.map(({ icon: Icon, title, text }) => (
+              <div key={title} className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+                <div className="w-9 h-9 rounded-[var(--r-org)] bg-sage text-teal-900 flex items-center justify-center">
+                  <Icon size={18} />
+                </div>
+                <h4 className="font-bold">{title}</h4>
+                <p className="text-sm text-fg-muted">{text}</p>
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </Card>
+      )}
+
       {/* Cycle Progress Bar (only when curriculum exists) */}
       {curriculumActive && yearProgress && (
         <Card className="border border-bg-warm">