Inspired by COVID-19 restrictions, two 15-year-olds create free online learning platform for kids

SINGAPORE: As part of a volunteer programme to help underprivileged children, 15-year-old Mihika Mishra used to go to a two-room HDB flat every week to do fun activities with a three-year-old girl and teach her how to read.

The solution they came up with was Explorexa, a platform that uses Zoom to host fun and free 45-minute lessons for children aged three to 18. The thrice-weekly sessions, ranging from art and baking to singing and dancing, are taught by fellow students who have some talent or experience in these fields.Arsh said the instructors are aged 13 to 18 to make lessons more child-friendly and encourage questions.

Since its July launch, Explorexa has had about 120 sign-ups across 18 lessons, including sports like football and basketball and more serious topics like programming and business. Some of those who signed up come from countries like Norway, Oman and Australia. “We thought that live sessions would work best for kids since they require interactivity, and it would just be the most suitable environment for them,” she said. “Instead of just watching videos, they can ask questions and learn better.”

The pair used their own savings to pay for a domain name and premium Wix plan. Arsh said it was free to use Zoom to host lessons as the platform usually upgrades its time limit on meetings from 40 minutes to an hour. A bunch of schoolmates soon agreed to become instructors. More recently, a student from a local secondary school signed up to teach a lesson on baking chocolate chip cookies. Explorexa eventually had enough activities to last several weeks.

“That actually filled us with a lot of confidence,” Arsh said, adding that they thought it would be at least a month before interest picked up. “It just inspired us to do more work, putting in as much effort as we can during this season.”A few weeks in, Mihika said she is “pretty proud” of the feedback so far, although she encouraged more parents and students to give reviews. Students can also suggest what lessons they would like to see.

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