Taking a gap year can provide the ultimate “learning by doing” experience, which makes hot tech start-up Skillshare a perfect resource for explorers looking to work at their own pace to enhance skills in a variety of creative disciplines through hands-on learning.
Want to take a screenwriting course with James Franco as your teacher? How about a marketing class taught by business expert Seth Godin? For a monthly membership fee as low as $8, you can have access to these classes and many more in categories ranging from photography to entrepreneurship and gaming.
Launched in 2011 by co-founders Malcolm Ong and Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Skillshare has attracted over $9.7 million in funding from investors such as Zappos’ Tony Hsieh, and it is swiftly becoming the leader in online, affordable education that spurs learners to harness their creative power. Last June, Mashable named Skillshare one of the 17 top business models shaking up the workplace.
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Enrolling in Skillshare classes won’t break anyone’s bank — an important consideration for all college-age students. In spring of 2014, Skillshare switched from a flat fee model for each course to a monthly membership fee modeled on Netflix and Spotify that allows students to take unlimited classes. Students who show financial need can even apply for a scholarship or get help finding a benefactor to pay for courses.
Co-founder and CEO Karnjanaprakorn founded Skillshare after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brand Center graduate school. He realized that the VCU model of experiential learning with courses taught by experts in their fields could translate to an online platform, so he developed Skillshare with the mission to unlock creativity around the world. He says, “Skillshare started with the powerful idea that anyone in the world can learn whatever they set their mind to.”
Top classes in 2014 included titles such as “The Modern Marketing Workshop,” “Get Stuff Done Like a Boss,” and “Cityscape Photography.” In January 2014, Godin’s class in entrepreneurship enrolled over 8,000 students. Students such as YiRan Carroll say that Skillshare courses can help you get out of a rut and awaken your senses to new creative approaches, especially since every course requires students to publish a project to share with the entire Skillshare community.
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Twitter users also extol the benefits of Skillshare’s approach, including ease of use and the real-world insight students can gain:
You might be so inspired by a Skillshare course that you decide to teach your own. Anyone can share expertise by uploading a course as long as it adheres to Skillshare’s guidelines. Teachers earn an average of $3,500 a year through the platform, an amount that could turn your gap year into a way to fund your life after the gap.