Outschool is a teaching platform that offers online classes for children. The platform is used by homeschoolers, microschoolers, and children enrolled in traditional schools seeking additional support or learning opportunities.
Outschool offers online classes and is always looking to work with new educators who can propose a course of their choice and earn money by working part-time, says Outschool CEO Amir Nathoo.
What is extracurricular school?
“Outschool is a marketplace for classes for kids that take place online; they are live classes, via video chat,” says Nathoo. “We offer group classes with small groups of children and teachers from around the country and the world, as well as one-on-one tutoring, which we recently launched.”
Students can enroll by choosing classes ranging from basic academic classes to enrichment courses. For example, upcoming classes include AP Biology and a weekly drama club.
“We have over 150,000 classes that thousands of teachers have created on our platform, and these range from pure enrichment to basic academics,” says Nathoo. “The idea is to provide the greatest variety and flexibility in finding out-of-school learning experiences using this online mechanism. And that allows families to customize and find exactly what they need for their children.”
What type of students use extracurricular education?
Out-of-school education can help students in traditional school settings, as well as those who are home-schooled or attend microschools, small schools started by parents or teachers and often described as a middle ground between traditional and home education.
“So if you are a family, with a child in school, but they just don't get on with their physics teacher, or they are very enthusiastic about maths but are not challenged enough, then you can supplement with tutoring or group classes ” says Nathoo.
Home education, as well as Microschools have increased since the pandemic., and Outschool is popular with students who learn this way. Nathoo points out that some homeschool parents may love teaching math, but don't have the time or inclination to teach fourth-grade English language arts. He adds that, for similar reasons, Outschool can help complement microschools.
How can educators teach a course on out-of-school education?
Outschool works with K12 teachers and subject matter experts without a background in education who want to offer a course, for example a yoga teacher who wants to offer an online yoga course.
Educators interested in working with Outschool can apply through Outschool Teaching Page. “We are not a completely open market, there is a vetting process,” says Nathoo. “We ask that you complete a background check. There is an application form that is relatively short and simple. What we are doing is simply assessing that you have experience in the area you wish to teach. Then, once approved, you create the classes you always wanted to teach. We encourage you to unleash your creativity.”
Each class is vetted against Outschool's content policy, which requires instructors to follow secular education guidelines. For example, a science class that should include the theory of evolution should include it, Nathoo says.
Teachers set the price, which will generally range from $15 to $20 per student per week for group classes, and Outschool takes 30 percent of what the class earns.
“You don't need to commit to a specific time,” says Nathoo. “You can schedule and offer a few hours of classes a week to fit your schedule. What we find is that some teachers increase their demand so much that they become full-time online entrepreneurs.”
