Startups abroad VII

http://www.unclasses.org/

(un)classes = learning for fun

Ever wish you had the choice to get up off the couch and spend the afternoon learning to rock climb, cook, or maybe juggle? Well, we have and that's why we came up with (un)classes. (un)classes are premised on the belief that everyone has *something* to teach and learning doesn't always have to be a formal experience requiring big up-front commitments. We call this idea casual learning, and it's at the heart of unclasses.org.

Casual learning is for people like us, who have hectic lives and struggle to find fun and interesting ways to satisfy their intellectual curiosity in the limited free time they have. Think of it as educational snacking, a low-touch way to explore topics that interest you.

But what we hope will make (un)classes truly special is the community. We want to foster an environment for fun people to explore mutual interests in stress-free social settings. And you are in charge: wanna learn something no one is teaching, create a class and recruit a teacher; have a hobby you love and want to share, offer to teach it and assemble some students.

How does it work?

unclasses.org is a simple site that connects people who want to learn about a topic with those in their area who want to teach it. It’s basically a marketplace for matching interest with passion. The actual (un)classes can be whatever you want them to be. People in your area suggest things they want to learn, others join, and someone volunteers to teach. It’s that simple.

(un)classes are meant to be lightweight, fun, and unconventional -- the kinds of things you can't easily learn elsewhere. Some of our favorites so far include 'shopping for yore lady', 'How to Create The Greatest Rock Song of All Time', and 'how to be a digital nomad'. The system is set up to encourage creativity and keep things informal, so the only guidelines are the standard don't be offensive or do things that are illegal.

Here are the basics of how the system works:

• Anyone can create a new Class, all they have to put in is a name, description, and area for the Class
• Anyone can become a Student of a Class, but try not to flake out if you say you're going to be there (or just drop the Class if your plans change)
• Anyone can become a Teacher of a Class, but there can only be one Teacher at a time
• The Teacher is responsible for figuring out the Where and When for their Class, but we highly recommend they consult with their Students in doing so
• Each Class is a one-off (i.e. the system has no concept of multi-class 'courses'), but you can easily Clone a Class from the Class page

Now, go forth and (un)learn or (un)teach or (un)something! ;-