Outschool classes are only open to children ages 3-18 (no adults!), and learner safety is our top priority. We safeguard our community in a variety of ways as described by our safety policy. You can also check out our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information on our security practices.
We also rely on Outschool parents / legal guardians and teachers to help us promote a safe and positive online learning environment.
To that end, as an Outschool parent / legal guardian we ask that you:
Help your student learn and practice positive classroom behaviors before class starts. This includes helping them understand the basic features of Zoom, which will allow them to engage respectfully in class without distracting other learners.
Review the Learner Code of Conduct and Learner Content Moderation: for Parents with your children before they attend their first class
Supervise your learners (from a comfortable distance 🙂) while they attend class until you’re confident they can participate safely and respectfully on their own. For older learners, this may take just a few minutes. For younger learners or those with behavioral challenges, you may need to be nearby for every class. You know your children best! To safeguard the privacy of other learners taking classes, Outschool asks that families limit conversations on camera to only the enrolled learner as much as possible; parents should ask their logistical questions or classroom follow-up through the parents conversations tabs rather than during classroom instruction times if at all possible. Please note that listening into or watching class from a separate device is against Outschool’s policies and teachers are instructed to remove duplicate logins.
Only children 3-18 may take Outschool classes. No one will be allowed in class unless a teacher can verify their identity at the start of class. Names must match your learner’s Outschool name, so please make sure that your family and learner name is correctly displayed on your Zoom account. (It violates Outschool policy for a learner to use their sibling’s or another learner’s enrollment to attend class.)
For security reasons, please make sure your child has their video camera on as they login to class. Your learners will be required to connect with their teacher at the beginning of every class, so it is essential that they are prepared to enable their video to allow the teacher to confirm your learner's identity. If your family does not have a camera or does not feel comfortable showing their face on camera, please reach out to privacy@outschool.com to inquire about our Alternative Learner Verification Program.
Do not ask teachers for login information or exchange Zoom links with a teacher via Outschool messaging (Conversations tab or classroom). It is against Outschool’s policy for teachers to share Zoom links, meeting IDs or passcodes, as all class meetings should begin with the green Start Live Meeting button for security purposes. If you are having problems logging into your classroom, please double-check that you are logged into the Outschool website or App. Please contact Ouscthool Support if you are unable to access class, so we can help troubleshoot.
Personal information (PI) should never be shared or requested. PI can include but is not limited to phone numbers, emails, personal web links, and social media handles. All communications, classes, and payments are to remain on the Outschool Platform. If your learner would like to keep in touch with a classmate off-platform, parents should make the first connections via Outschool.
Learning is at the core of what we do at Outschool, so we are big believers in the value of digital citizenship education for all kids. To help your learners develop the skills to stay safe on the Internet, check out the following resources:
Internet privacy, safety, and behavior tips from Google.
This resource is provided by the nonprofit Center for Cyber Safety and Education.
This government resource covers cyberbullying and more.
This organization provides advice on media consumption for children, including an overview of privacy and internet safety and tips for different ages. They also offer a selection of video recommendations, like this video of 5 Internet safety tips for kids.
This organization provides a range of articles searchable by age and is funded by a group of major technology companies.
A national coalition of parents and advocates to defend the rights of parents and students to protect their data. Including a Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy.
We also suggest you seek out best practices from your friends and local communities.