'Quarantine Academy' Connects People & Ideas in a Pandemic Era

ARLINGTON, Va., April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conceived over a few days in mid-March as the scope of the COVID-19 situation grew increasingly clear, a volunteer community service project - Quarantine Academy - was quickly developed among a group of friends to provide free learning opportunities for adults and children. Launched before schools and many businesses had fully developed a structure around online learning and work, it quickly became an international success.

Over the last six weeks, Quarantine Academy offered 75 online sessions with 58 different presenters. Topics included how to raise urban chickens, the secrets of South Asian percussion, a TikTok tutorial for adults, a deep dive into the U.S. court system, and much more. "Student Superintendents," who ranged from 14 to 17, took the lead for both Quarantine Academy and Quarantine Academy Kids by coordinating with presenters and mediating the sessions. The 25-minute sessions averaged almost 400 participants a week from across the United States and around the world.

"One of the best things about Quarantine Academy," said 17-year old Student Superintendent Katie Stansel, "was creating a platform to connect so many different talents and interesting people. It was also a great way to stay productive before school schedules implemented their routines."

"We had people both teaching and learning from all over the world – from Italy, California, New York, and everywhere in between," said Adam Sherinian, another volunteer Student Superintendent. He added, "What connects us in a crisis is the need to be with other people. When it can't be in your living room, you just have to do it on Zoom." 

Quarantine Academy concludes this Friday, May 1, with some discussion about possibly continuing special sessions this summer. In addition to providing unique and accessible learning opportunities early in the pandemic, this endeavor is an example of how a casual network of friends and colleagues can quickly respond to a community need using technology and sharing expertise.

What: Closing sessions of Quarantine Academy
Where: Log-in info available at quarantineacademy.com/about-quarantine-academy/
12 p.m. EDT (Quarantine Academy Kids); 1 p.m. EDT (Quarantine Academy)

For More Information, Contact:
David Billotti
646-732-2733
[email protected]

Related Images

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Quarantine Academy
The Quarantine Academy included services from volunteers who curated the program, taught courses, and even developed logos and web resources

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Young person learns with Quarantine Academy
A young person joins the Quarantine Academy session that featured at-home science experiments for parents and kids

SOURCE Quarantine Academy