Outschool experienced unprecedented growth throughout 2020-2021 as learning needs shifted across the globe. Our educator community grew as more talented topic experts started businesses on Outschool, and this enabled us to provide critical learning opportunities for thousands of children throughout the toughest months of the pandemic. As we look toward the future of Outschool, we couldn’t be more excited for what’s in store.
Firstly, we’d like to address any concerns our educator community may have about receiving fewer enrollments or competing with a higher volume of educators using the platform. While it is true that the number of entrepreneurs on Outschool has grown, this appropriately coincides with upward trends in the online learning market sector. Meaning: our growing supply of online learning experiences is in line with increased global demand. Let’s take an inside look at how Outschool is preparing to take advantage of this market opportunity.
New markets & partnerships
If you missed your back-to-school bump in enrollments this year, we want to reassure you that we are taking exciting steps as a company to capture more markets and reach more potential learners. Outschool continues to invest in working with companies that offer Outschool as a benefit or perk to working caregivers, and with schools to offer Outschool classes as part of their core or supplemental enrichment offerings. Because of these partnerships and additional marketing efforts, a few areas where we expect to see growth are:
- Enrollments from school and employer partnerships
- Learner markets outside of the United States
- Strategic partnerships that support company goals and expand our impact (including Penguin Random House, Logitech, and the Good Inside podcast with Dr. Becky)
Outschool programs & opportunities
Through these efforts, we’re confident that we will continue to build a world-class online educational experience for both educators and learners. Just in recent months, we’ve achieved several exciting milestones, such as:
- Our very first virtual educator conference, with 35 keynote sessions, networking opportunities, and social events. This year’s conference had over 500 attendees, and we’re already planning next year’s event.
- The addition of 30 new Outschool employees across our engineering, marketing, operations, and community teams, increasing our capacity to support educators and innovate product improvements.
- The Teaching Teams pilot program, aimed to accommodate an increased demand for pod-style small group learning and collaborative instruction.
- Increased marketing investments in our existing marketing channels and an expansion of our strategy to include new platforms and partnerships in campaigns kicking off soon.
- New business coaching cohorts and other professional development opportunities designed to help you market your teaching business, with more to come!
And so, thank you for building your business on Outschool. We’re growing because of the outstanding work of educator entrepreneurs like you, and we want you to know that we’re committed to continuing to support your business and expand our market reach. Our future is bright, and we’re glad you’re here with us.
