Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed one of the most profound shifts in education in a generation. What began as an urgent response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has grown into a broader movement: families taking ownership of their children’s education in flexible, innovative ways.
In 2025, many families still use traditional schooling. But an increasing number are opting for learning pods, microschools, homeschool co-ops, and hybrid digital communities to meet their learners' needs more personally, flexibly, and joyfully.
At Outschool, we are proud to help families pioneer these new models. Here’s a guide to what’s happening — and how you can design the learning experience that’s right for your family.
What Are Learning Pods?
Learning pods began as small groups of families banding together to share teaching, tutoring, and childcare responsibilities. In today's landscape, pods have evolved: they might be fully parent-run, led by professional educators, hybrid with digital support, or even location-agnostic.
The original goal remains: to create safe, enriching, connected learning communities — at home, in community spaces, or virtually.
Before Starting a Learning Pod, Consider:
- Who’s organizing? (Parents? Teachers? A partnership?)
- Who’s teaching? (Single tutor? Outschool instructors? Rotating parents?)
- Are you joining an existing group or starting fresh?
- What’s your format? (In-person, hybrid, fully virtual?)
- What are your educational goals? (Core academics, passion-driven learning, social connection?)
How learning pods work
Several families band together to form a “pod” that hires a teacher or tutor for in-person instruction. Pods enable group planning, shared facilitation, as well as shared costs of teaching, learning materials, and childcare for participating families. Of course, these groups come with several built in challenges, including issues of equity, access, and affordability.
While learning pods are a specific type of learning group forming in our current climate, families have been taking part in alternative education groups, both formally and informally, for a long time.
For those who have only recently begun to consider a learning pod or other approach to education outside of their child’s traditional school, or to facilitate your school’s distance learning plans, there are several important questions to consider before you begin:
- Who is organizing? Is it a parent, a group of parents, or a teacher?
- Who is teaching? One teacher, a group of teachers/parents/vendors?
- Are you joining an existing institution/group or starting a new one?
- Is your group formally registered and licensed?
- Where is the learning taking place?
- What are the learning goals? Cover core curriculum? Provide kids autonomy and variety? Increase their love of learning?
Additionally, learning pods may be confused with several other options that parents are considering more and more in the current climate.
Here is an overview of three other approaches that families can take for their children's learning:
🏡 Homeschool co-ops
In a homeschool co-op, a group of families work together to design and implement their own homeschooling program for their children. Several years ago, I wrote about homeschooling co-ops as an inspiration behind Outschool.
- Organized by: Families
- Taught by: Parents. Families work together to teach, organize, schedule activities, and bring in tutors or vendors as needed.
- Size: Sometimes small groups of 3-5, but can be as large as 20 families
- Formally registered/licensed? Usually not
- Takes place: In one or more participating families’ homes.
- Time commitment: Varies; can be part-time or full-time
- Purpose: Parents want to design their kids' learning experience by offering more variety and autonomy than typical school.
- Pros: Support from other families, socialization, variety in activities and learning, less expensive than private teaching or tutoring
- Cons: Time intensive for parents, requires strong coordination
✏️ Microschools
In a Microschool, one or more teachers organize an ongoing small-group learning opportunity for a limited number of families, either at a designated school facility or in the teacher’s home.
- Organized by: Generally founded by a teacher rather than families
- Taught by: One or more teachers
- Size: Often includes 10-20 families
- Formally registered/licensed? Yes
- Takes place: In a designated school facility or in a teacher’s home
- Time commitment: Often full-time
- Purpose: Mimics school with a smaller staff and student-base, allowing for more personalization and familiarity between members
- Pros: Run by entrepreneurial, committed teachers; covers core curriculum, already designed for small-groups
- Cons: Higher cost; limited availability in some regions
🤳 Digital Learning pods
In a digital learning pod, learners plan their learning and interact together, but do so virtually through resources like Outschool’s live online classes.
- Organized by: Organized by parents from several families
- Taught by: One or more of Outschool’s community of 5,000+ passionate teachers
- Size: Often made up of 4 - 10 learners
- Formally registered/licensed? Informal group
- Takes place: Learners are not physically present together; learning happens live but virtually
- Time commitment: Flexible scheduling; learners choose when and how often to take classes based on their availability, budget, and preferences
- Purpose: Offer families a safe, affordable, high-quality option for continuing their learners’ growth with the added bonus of socialization with peers
- Pros: Access to a wide variety of teachers with different interests and expertise, broad set of choices for core classes and enrichment topics, price point is often more affordable for families than Microschools or private teaching and tutoring
- Cons: Not based on face-to-face interactions, requires access to WiFi and a device, may require some supervision, especially with young children
Though Outschool is an exceptional option for digital learning pods, we have seen Outschool supplement or even fully support the instruction that happens across all of these options. Learners on Outschool experience the broadest possible choices of live online curriculum options for children; a wealth of experience from our online teachers; and diversity from both teachers and fellow live online classmates.
With the introduction of digital learning pods, and Outschool’s unique capabilities to help families provide a safe, affordable, virtual option for their children’s learning, we believe we have a special responsibility to help as many families as possible navigate these challenges. Learn more about how Outschool supports families organizing digital learning pods.
Note from Outschool: Laws about homeschooling and alternative education vary by state. Please consult your local regulations and public health guidelines before launching any learning initiative.
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