This post is sponsored, but the opinions are 100% our own.
We all want the best for our kids, especially when it comes to their education. We want them to have as many opportunities to learn and discover their passion as we can give them, all while balancing it with a healthy dose of fun. They’re only kids once, after all.
That’s where Homeroom comes in. Homeroom provides after school enrichment classes in small group settings for kids in Pre-K through 5th grade. For example, perhaps you and a few other parents would like your first graders to start learning Spanish, but your school doesn’t begin language courses until a later grade. Homeroom can work with you and the school administrators to set up a one hour enrichment class for four to six students that’s taught by an experienced teacher. Your kids will get a jump start on learning in a fun and age appropriate, and you won’t have to shuttle them to a new location to do it. The classes can be taught right at their school.
We were so intrigued by the flexible learning opportunities Homeroom offers that we sat down with Christina Walker, Homeroom’s co-founder, to find out more.
How did Homeroom get started?
Homeroom was founded by Casandra Espinoza and I when we recognized the opportunity to significantly improve the enrichment experience for students, teachers and parents. Based on her experience at Stanford and with Greylock Partners, a venture capital firm, Casandra was equipped to secure funding and advisors to get Homeroom started.
I joined Homeroom based on my experience as an early childhood educator. After teaching for many years, I was seeking an opportunity to create a new model for exceptional enrichment education, and partnering with Casandra at Homeroom has made it possible for us to focus on achieving these goals.
What made you see a need to provide better enrichment education?
We believe that schools are doing the best they can with the available resources, and that there was an opportunity to supplement the traditional school day with a unique learning opportunity after school.
What’s different about Homeroom’s model compared to other enrichment classes?
The biggest differences between a Homeroom after-school class and other enrichment programs is the class size (4-6 students maximum), ensuring a tailored learning experience to each child’s specific level and needs.
Beyond class size, Homeroom only selects teachers who are experts in their subject matter, and we pay them above-market pay because we believe they deserve more for the role they play in educating and developing our children.
Finally, only Homeroom provides weekly progress reports about each individual student, supplementary activities for families to engage in together outside of class, and content related to class subject matter so families can pursue additional learning together. So many households have working parents who are not always able to participate in their child’s learning experiences at school. Our goal for parents was to use technology to provide them with a turnkey way to engage with their child outside of the typical school day.
What’s the difference between the enrichment classes that Homeroom offers and a tutoring program?
Homeroom is not a tutoring program. Homeroom offers enrichment classes beyond the range of traditional subjects taught during the typical school day so that children can explore new subject matter. Currently, Homeroom is focused on Spanish language courses and will offer classes such as pre-reading and reading, other languages, and technology courses in the future.
What kind of student would benefit from an enrichment class?
Homeroom is for students at all levels of engagement and development in specific subjects. It provides a great opportunity for students to get personalized attention with expert teachers in a small class setting, which helps them learn more information and retain what they learn for longer. All lessons are age appropriate and include projects, songs and movement. The hour is broken up into one-on-one, small group and independent work.
We believe in making learning fun, and already have students who have returned for second courses with us. Happy children means happy parents and we strive to achieve both.
How can parents get Homeroom classes started at their schools?
Homeroom is growing rapidly and will be in at least 10 Bay Area locations at the start of the Fall 2017 school year. One of the great things about the Homeroom model is that if a parent, teacher, or school administrator expresses interest in bringing Homeroom to their school, Homeroom will do all of the administrative legwork to get classes set up at a new location.
For anyone interested in bringing Homeroom to their location, all they need to do is visit the Homeroom website www.joinhomeroom.com and click on the link “bring us to your school.” After providing basic information about your location, Homeroom does the rest!
What else do you want parents to know?
Homeroom is always looking for new schools to join its growing network, and its not too late to bring Homeroom to your school for this Fall. Parents who are interested in providing a fun and unique approach to enrichment education for their student can reach out to Homeroom today to get the process started.
