diff --git a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/pages/main_new.jsp b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/pages/main_new.jsp
index 89403a14c..75c77345d 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/pages/main_new.jsp
+++ b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/pages/main_new.jsp
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
                     <div class="row">
                         <div class="col-md-8">
                             <div class="col-md-12" align="left">
-                                <div class="panel">
+                                <div class="panel" id="help-controls">
                                     <div id="help-buttons" class="panel-body">
                                         <!-- <button type="button" id="showSourceBtn" ng-show="showSource" class="btn btn-primary btn-xs" onclick="showLessonSource()">Java [Source]</button>
                                         <button type="button" id="showSolutionBtn" class="btn btn-primary btn-xs" onclick="showLessonSolution()">Solution</button>
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/controller/LessonController.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/controller/LessonController.js
index baca5e707..4f95485b0 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/controller/LessonController.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/controller/LessonController.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ define(['jquery',
 	'goatApp/view/PlanView',
 	'goatApp/view/SourceView',
 	'goatApp/view/SolutionView',
+	'goatApp/view/LessonHintView'
 	], 
 	function($,
 		_,
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ define(['jquery',
 		LessonContentView,
 		PlanView,
 		SourceView,
-		SolutionView
+		SolutionView,
+		LessonHintView
 	) {
 		'use strict'
 		
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ define(['jquery',
 		var Controller = function(options) {
 			this.lessonContent = new LessonContentData();
 			this.lessonView = options.lessonView;
+
 			/*this.planView = new PlanView();
 			this.solutionView = new SolutionView();
 			this.sourceView = new SourceView();
@@ -34,12 +37,17 @@ define(['jquery',
 
 			//load View, which can pull data
 			this.loadLesson = function(scr,menu) {
+				this.helpsLoaded = {};
 				this.lessonContent.loadData({
 					'screen': encodeURIComponent(scr),
 					'menu': encodeURIComponent(menu),
 				});
-
-				//this.registerListeners();
+				this.planView = {};
+				this.solutionView = {};
+				this.sourceView = {};
+				this.lessonHintView = {};
+				//
+				
 			};
 
 			this.onContentLoaded = function() {
@@ -57,7 +65,12 @@ define(['jquery',
 				//source (initially hidden)
 				this.sourceView = new SourceView();
 				//load help controls view (contextul to what helps are available)
-
+				this.lessonHintView = new LessonHintView();
+				this.listenTo(this.lessonHintView,'hints:loaded',this.areHelpsReady);
+			},
+			this.areHelpsReady = function (curHelp) {
+				this.helpsLoaded[curHelp.helpElement] = curHelp.value;
+				// check if all are ready
 			}
 			
 		};
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/goatApp.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/goatApp.js
index 1c8fc2e65..7ea097ed6 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/goatApp.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/goatApp.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ define(['jquery','underscore','backbone','goatApp/view/GoatRouter'],
 		return {
 			initApp: function() {
 				//TODO: add query/ability to load from where they left off 
-				console.log('initApp')
 				var goatRouter = new Router();
 				goatRouter.init();
 			}
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintCollection.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintCollection.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd64fea6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintCollection.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+define(['jquery',
+	'underscore',
+	'backbone',
+	'goatApp/model/LessonHintModel'], 
+	function($,_,Backbone,LessonHintModel) {
+
+	return Backbone.Collection.extend({
+		model: LessonHintModel,
+		url:'service/hint.mvc',
+		initialize: function () {
+			var self = this;
+			this.fetch().then(function (data) {
+				this.models = data;
+				self.onDataLoaded();
+			});
+		},
+		onDataLoaded:function() {
+			this.trigger('hints:loaded');//copied over as boiler-plate ... use this event trigger?
+		},
+		checkNullModel:function() {
+			//
+		}
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintModel.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintModel.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c09ff055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonHintModel.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+define(['jquery',
+	'underscore',
+	'backbone'],
+	function($,
+		_,
+		Backbone,
+		HTMLContentModel) {
+	return Backbone.Model.extend({
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonPlanModel.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonPlanModel.js
index 1fc56320b..88a3cc15a 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonPlanModel.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/model/LessonPlanModel.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ define(['jquery',
 		_,
 		Backbone,
 		HTMLContentModel) {
-	//TODO: make a base class to extend for items with 'traditional data' (e.g. LessonContentData, this ... others?)
 	return HTMLContentModel.extend({
 		url:'service/lessonplan.mvc',
 		checkNullModel: function() {
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/HelpControlsView.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/HelpControlsView.js
index 6917085b1..fc09e66a2 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/HelpControlsView.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/HelpControlsView.js
@@ -3,7 +3,16 @@ define(['jquery',
 	'backbone'],
 function($,_,Backbone) {
 	return Backbone.View.extend({
-		el:'#lessonHelp', //Check this
+		el:'#help-controls', //Check this
+		initialize: function (options) {
+			if (!options) {
+				return;
+			}
+			this.hasPlan = options.hasPlan;
+			this.hasSolution = options.hasSolution;
+			this.hasSource = options.hasSource;
+			this.hasHints = options.hasHints;
+		},
 		render:function(title) {
 			
 		}
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/LessonHintView.js b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/LessonHintView.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e61b086d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/webapp/js/goatApp/view/LessonHintView.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+define(['jquery',
+	'underscore',
+	'backbone',
+	'goatApp/model/LessonHintCollection'],
+function($,
+	_,
+	Backbone,
+	LessonHintCollection) {
+	return Backbone.View.extend({
+		el:'#lessonHelpWrapper .lessonHelp.lessonHint',
+		initialize: function() {
+			this.collection = new LessonHintCollection();
+			this.listenTo(this.collection,'hints:loaded',this.onModelLoaded);
+		},
+		render:function(title) {
+			
+		},
+		onModelLoaded: function() {
+			this.trigger('hints:loaded',{'helpElement':'hints','value':true})
+		}
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file