Outschool is a global marketplace, giving you the opportunity to build relationships with learners from all over the world. As an educator, we encourage you to focus on designing classes that can connect with all learners, regardless of their background. Here are four small (but mighty) tips to help ensure your class listings speak clearly to the widest possible audience.

1. Watch out for acronyms & abbreviations. If using an acronym, slang, or abbreviation in your class listing, make sure you include the full version or an explanation for families that may not have the same regional or national background as you do. For example, the class “SAT Prep Class” could be improved by rephrasing to “SAT Prep – American College Entrance Exam Tutoring.”
2. Standardize your dates. When listing your weekly meeting dates, make sure your dates follow a format that is easily understood by all families. Spelling out the month and date (e.g. Week of June 7) instead of just using numbers (e.g. 6/7) will give you the best results and help avoid parent confusion.
3. Use clear age ranges. Since the age ranges for upper and lower grades vary depending on the part of the world you’re in, it’s best practice to set an age range instead of just a school grade requirement. Clarify your target age range in the class description so that everyone is on the same page.
4. Think globally. Consider your content from a global perspective, and be cognizant of cultural references and availability of materials. For instance: comparing something to the size of Texas may not be a clear analogy for a learner in, say, the United Kingdom. Casually referring to the role of the American Vice President may need a bit of extra explanation, since many countries have different forms of government. Additionally, when creating a class materials list, some materials readily available in the United States may not be easy to find internationally. Do your best to provide several options, and give parents abroad plenty of time to source any required materials if they’re harder to find outside North America.

By designing your class listings with our international community in mind, you gain the opportunity to welcome every interested learner to your classes. These four easy changes can make a big difference by helping you boost enrollments and reach a wider audience.