If you’re a group of parents who have created an informal pod, we will help you elevate your group to a structured Learning Hub.
KidSmarts@home
As a group of committed parents who want to support their children academically and give them regular social interactions, we know that you have already put a lot of thought and effort into creating your pod/group. We help you take it to the next level by creating a Learning Hub. KidSmarts will provide you with a qualified, verified, experienced teacher who will support students and create a warm, productive culture. Our teachers know how to help with academics, provide guidance with virtual learning and take care of the whole child. We manage all teacher payroll, HR, liability and professional development needs so you do not have to worry about those logistics.
We are also invested in your group’s success and after 20 years in business, we can anticipate and help you avoid challenges that may arise by providing support to set you up for success. We will help you establish goals for your group, define your expectations for the teacher and for students, assist you with ways for you to be organized as a group and be there to manage the entire experience so that you can be assured that your personal relationships are maintained. Most importantly, we ensure that your children’s needs are met in a professional, consistent and fun way.
Host a KidSmarts Hub to support your children academically, socially and emotionally and get back to what you need to do as a parent, employee and person during this time of unprecedented change.
What’s KidSmarts Hub?
A self-contained learning environment hosted on your premises that pairs a skilled, experienced teacher with up to 8 students grades K-8 for educational support, virtual learning facilitation and enrichment activities. All you need to do is supply the designated space and the students…we do the rest!
We’ve taken all of the guesswork and challenges out of forming a safe, stable learning environment for your children to learn, play and thrive as schools have opted to go virtual this fall and likely into the winter.
If you’re like many parents, you may be worried about how you’re going to help your children with their school work, ensure that they are learning in a way that leverages their potential, give them needed social interactions and make sure that they have a little fun while also working full time. We recognize that parents have been put in a challenging situation and want to provide a solution that helps provide balance and peace of mind while giving students consistency and quality educational experiences.
Let KidSmarts help you and your children thrive during this time of change.
How It Works
You get your group together, define your needs in terms of learning support, time commitment and schedule, define some goals with your group and what the ideal experience looks like for your group. Don’t worry-we can and will help with all of this! We will use the information to develop a Learning Plan for your group, identify the right teacher and work with you to create a Learning Hub that meets your needs.
Your KidSmarts learning hub will be managed by an amazing, experienced, fun teacher, and overseen by an education team with more than 60 years combined experience.
We will design a safe, productive space for your children that gives them the opportunity to learn and grow, allowing you the opportunity to focus on getting back to your own life and work without fear that your greatest asset — your children — are falling behind! We are here to support you and to support them academically, socially and emotionally.
Student Needs
Determine with your group what kind of support you need for your students, the amount of time you want someone to help and how many days a week. Establish some general goals and have a common understanding for what you expect from the Learning Hub.
Scheduling, and Space
We develop a plan for a Learning Hub that meets your group’s needs, create the schedule Teacher, identify the teacher and work with you to ensure that you have a safe, consistent space to host the Learning Hub.
Learning Hub
Your KidSmarts learning hub will be managed daily by an experienced teacher, and overseen by an education team with more than 60 years combined experience.
Parent Convenience
Parents have peace of mind that their most precious asset, their children, will have their needs met in a safe, convenient environment and with others that you have invited together. Parents can focus on their own work, assured that their children’s academic, social and emotional needs are being met.
Hiring Convenience
KidSmarts takes on full responsibility for the hiring and supervision of the teacher. All families need to do is provide the space, make sure the homeowner is on premises and get the students there on time.
We will provide excellent, highly qualified, experienced teachers who will receive on-going support from us
We will suggest teachers based on your preferences. Every teacher is excited about this opportunity, experienced, fully vetted and background checked. And since they work for KidSmarts, you never have to worry about tax filings, worker’s comp, or any of the legal stuff.
KidsSmarts also ensures that they have the support that they need in terms of professional development and resources. Our teachers are our biggest asset and we truly value them as professionals. They are very experienced and know more than just how to teach content and facilitate learning.
Their experience helps them gauge student dynamics and recognize when students need a brain break, a game, an art project or just a little down time. We also provide our teacher with whatever they need so that they can support their hubs.
All of our educators understand and value the development of the whole child and prioritize student well-being over and above all else. Our educators will also have access to their own coach to provide support and ideas. They will have ongoing professional development to build skills in facilitating this type of learning environment.
This type of learning is new to everyone-students, teachers and parents-and we recognize that investing in our teachers is a necessity so that they can provide the best level of service to your children. We are committed to providing teachers with high levels of support and guidance, which is part of how we attract such amazing educators!
We’ll Take it From There
Your learning hub is ready to begin! On day one, your KidSmarts teacher will arrive with interactive materials and supplies to create a nurturing, safe, enriching, and fun environment for all the students in the Learning Hub. We take care of them, so you can focus on getting back to the business of your life and be reassured that your children are in good hands.
Our Pricing
Other available options, please contact us for more information:
• Tutoring for students in 9th-12th grades and in focused content areas (Math, English, Science, AP/IB courses, etc)
• ACT/SAT/AP/IB test prep
• Private 1:1 in-person tutoring
• Virtual tutoring
Bringing KidSmarts to your home is easy as:
- Create a group of student of similar ages and from families that you know and trust
- Let us know how many students you have, their grade levels and the number of hours and days you would like support
- Ensure that a parent will be on premises during the time that the Learning Hub is in action. (The parent can be doing their own work-we just need them to be on premises)
- We create a plan for your team based on a minimum 9 week Learn & Play service run by KidSmarts in your home. Our plans are designed for children grades K-8 and allow you to have the peace of mind of a consistent, qualified teacher to work with students on a regular basis
FAQs
Details You’ll Want to Know
KidSmarts was born from School Smarts, an educational consulting business founded in 2011 by Rajeshri Gandhi Bhatia that is focused on helping schools work smarter and changing the paradigm of education. The Pandemic clearly changed how schools operate and created new ways for students to learn. It also generated the need to help parents as they balanced their lives, careers and the needs of their children. Because we have been in business for a long time and have spent so much time helping schools get better by developing teachers and leaders, we were well positioned to provide this service and add value to the situation. We are also parents who struggle with the same challenges and business owners who want to help our own employees during this challenging time. As we saw people trying to hire teachers to help them and saw teachers trying to find ways to help families, we recognized that we could put our experiences into creating a system that matches teachers and parents in a consistent, professional manner. We also recognize that a key to helping students achieve long-term success is ensuring that they have guidance and support from teachers who are also learning and growing with them, hence our emphasis and investment in professional development for our teachers. Creating professional Learning Hubs can also help achieve the consistency and peace of mind that parents and students need to thrive in this ‘new normal.’
All you need is a group of students who will commit to contracting with KidSmarts for the teacher. We suggest finding a way to formalize your group or electing one person to be the client. We can help advise you on some best practices and help you find what works best for you. We also require that a parent be on premises during the time that a Learning Hub is in action.
A consistent, clean space with table(s) or desks . Each student should have enough room to place their device (laptop, chromebook, etc) on the table and be able to type and write. Ensure that there are enough plugs/outlets that are accessible so that students can charge their devices. Students will need a a strong Wifi signal and you may need to increase your wifi capability so ask your provider for options. There should also be enough space in and around the room for students to move around and stretch their legs and access to a larger or outdoor space would be a bonus. We suggest being close to bathrooms and other amenities as well. Proper ventilation is also needed, windows and natural light are nice to have as well.
We require a parent, preferably the homeowner, to be on site while the Learning Hub is in action. The teacher is a facilitator and is not the official caregiver for the students. The adult on site does not need to be an active participant in the hub and is welcomed to do his/her own work while the Learning Hub is in operation. The teacher will ensure that the students’ activities occur as planned and will do their best to not interfere with anything else happening in the house. That said, the homeowner should also understand that there is a group of students in the house and there will be some noise and activity. Each Learning Hub will create a set of rules and processes that fit the environment and the teacher will be the person to manage the Learning Hub.
You can use our handy pricing tool to determine the exact costs for your Learning Hub. We have priced it an affordable, per child manner that still allows us to offer high levels of quality service. It is recommended that groups identify a way to organize (an LLC or other legal entity) or that one parent assume responsibility for the contract. We bill in advance and require that the account be current before we send in a teacher.
We understand that there is uncertainty in terms of how long students will be engaged in virtual education. To that end, we will work with you to define an initial term for the contract, at a minimum 9 weeks, and allow you the opportunity to extend it as the end date draws nearer. Our feeling is that many schools will remain closed through the end of 2020 and it is highly likely that you may need to continue your Learning Hub through the end of the year. Some schools have already indicated that they will stay virtual for the whole school year and we want to help families plan for that scenario as well. Your group should determine a process by which you will make this decision and we can help facilitate how you determine the needs for your Learning Hub to design something that works for you.