Fast Company has officially recognized Outschool as the #1 most innovative company in Education (and #12 globally) in 2021. 🎊 We’re incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award, especially given the context of a global pandemic that pushed us to grow and innovate faster than ever.

And we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without you, our educators. So we wanted to take this moment to reflect and acknowledge all of your hard work, dedication, and passion for educating our young learners.

You were the life raft for many families. 

Because of the pandemic, homeschooling quickly became the norm for countless parents. And for many, this extra duty was too much to take on. You relieved exhausted parents, provided structure in learners’ home lives, and helped keep both of them afloat during challenging times.

You adapted to a new way to teach. 

When schools shut down, both families and educators struggled with the abrupt change in their way of life. You were willing to invest your time to learn new technologies and adjust your teaching habits so learners could continue their education.

You continued to pursue your passions and share what you’ve learned. 

You’ve created classes on singing, dessert-making, magic shows, human rights, sustainability, and so much more. Outschool is now a marketplace of over 100,000 courses because of you. Kids can learn practically anything they want to and your willingness to teach what you care about inspires learners to pave their own path.

You created fun, social moments to uplift families and help them stay connected. 

Kids with birthdays during the pandemic had the short end of the stick. When educators began hosting “birthday party” classes for these children, we were inspired to develop the ability to host birthdays on our platform as a feature. Now, Outschool birthday parties let friends connect in a safe, socially-distanced way with crafts, birthday magicians, and fun birthday party themes.

You trusted Outschool to continue building your teaching career. 

Without you, Outschool wouldn’t have achieved 800,000 learners enrolled in classes. Your confidence in us is incredibly humbling, and it’s not something we take lightly. We strive to maintain your trust so you can continue to provide incredible learning experiences and grow your teaching business.

Even though Outschool might be the recipient of this award, we’re really accepting it on your behalf. Thanks to all of our educators, the true heroes. We’re excited to continue walking this journey together and expanding on our mission of helping kids love learning.