Covid-19 is bringing many businesses to a halt. But one segment is growing fast – online education. With millions of students suddenly out of school, parents are desperately seeking safe learning opportunities for their children.
Kristina Klausen, founder and CEO of PandaTree.com, which offers online foreign language lessons in Spanish and Chinese, has seen a tripling of their business. “Starting Sunday, bookings have skyrocketed. Parents are trying to work from home, look after their kids, and make sure their kids are still learning,” says Klausen. “I’m a parent too, and my teenagers are now home for 4 weeks. I know what it’s like. You know there is a curriculum that needs to get covered, and kids need some support.”
Live, online language lessons offer something that worksheets and apps don’t – a chance to interact one-on-one with a real teacher, at a time when kids can feel isolated at home.
To help parents, PandaTree has rolled out a “virtual camp” with daily 25 minute lessons, one-on-one with a tutor, for a reduced price. PandaTree is also launching a free daily StoryTime in Spanish and Chinese that any child can participate in. Free Chinese and Spanish language games available on the PandaTree site.
Can PandaTree’s tutors keep up with the demand? PandaTree’s Spanish and Chinese tutors are based in the U.S., and many have suddenly found themselves with additional availability. “Some teach in schools that are now closed. One tutor just told me an educational contract she had just completely dried up, so she’s grateful to be able to increase her hours with PandaTree to fill the gap.”
“Parents are under a lot of stress trying to do their regular job now from home and make sure their kids are learning. We’re here to help.”
Panda Tree is at www.pandatree.com
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
