Sector: Social
Website: https://eduspace.edu.pl/
Brief description of the organisation/initiative
Eduspace is an online platform dedicated to the education and support of young people (aged 12-19). The platform offers preparation for exams, courses, additional lessons with teachers for young people who have learning difficulties or want to develop their interests. The courses prepare both for the matura exam in the Polish education system and for the international exam. In addition to giving the knowledge, the platform also offers tutoring, predisposition diagnostics and psychological support. Young people are exposed to great stress during education, they often have to deal with it alone or their parents do not know the tools to help their children. Eduspace gives both access to knowledge and mental support, employing specialists in many fields, both teachers and psychologists.
The huge value of Eduspace is inclusiveness. The platform provides access to education and support to people from all over Poland, also from smaller towns and villages, which have limited access to specialists. The online services can also be used by people with disabilities, with mobility difficulties, for whom it may be difficult to travel to a tutor.
Challenge overview
The company began to operate during the pandemic. The new conditions forced the owners to do a quick pivot and change the business model. Instead of creating a place in Warsaw, as originally planned, an online platform was created. During the pandemic, people have found it is easy and convenient to use remote assistance. People acquired a positive attitude towards online cooperation, which made it easier for owners to acquire their first customers. In retrospect, the lack of the need to rent a space in Warsaw, and not covering large costs at the beginning, made the start and success of the project easier. Thanks to the online activity, it was possible to reach customers and specialists all over Poland, not just one city.
Establishment of the organisation/initiative/enterprise
The idea arosed in the co-founder’s head based on his own experiences. Piotr was a private teacher for 6 years, he saw that there was a greater demand than the supply of this type of services on the market. Piotr at one point experienced burnout and felt that he was unable to comprehensively help his students. He gave them knowledge, but they also came with psychological needs, doubts about what to do in the future, what field of study to go to, or questions about their strengths and weaknesses. He finished his studies and together with a friend who was also in the process of making decisions about the future, they decided to start a business instead of going to work “for someone else”.
Management structure and governance
The activity functions for profit as a company. The board includes two co-owners. They are in charge of management, organisational and administrative matters. Accounting is outsourced, marketing activities are also outsourced to a marketing company.
The second pillar of the company is the hired teachers, tutors, psychologists and specialists – 25 people in total.
Principles of work, objectives and activities
The platform connects students and teachers, tutors and psychologists. The main scope of work is therefore the employment of specialists, connecting them with the specific needs of beneficiaries, enabling them to conduct meetings using the platform, and constant monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the support offered.
The core of the business is customer acquisition and recruitment of employees-specialists.
In addition, there are administrative, financial, accounting, promotional, etc.
The company is managed by partners with quarterly, semi-annual and annual goals. The nearest annual target is 200 students, 100 teachers and experts. Management is carried out in accordance with the Kanban methodology. It consists in the division of competences and tasks and mutual reporting of progress. Weekly, 2 review meetings are held on Monday and Friday to monitor the implementation of tasks in the team and analyse the conclusions.
Target groups
The clients are students of primary and secondary schools who want to take advantage of additional classes beyond the program offered in schools. They are people aged 12-19. The second group of recipients are parents of students who want to help them acquire knowledge, understand strengths and weaknesses, analyse competences and gain tools for support and psychological support. The clients are people from all over Poland, both larger cities and rural areas.
Innovation
The company’s innovation is offering online support, but most of all, a holistic approach to the client and his needs. Both competency and psychological aspects are important. This helps the students to achieve their individual, long-term goals. So the product and business model are innovative. In addition, the company is the first which offers online tutoring in Poland.
The company’s case study shows that even in such a traditional and crowded area as education, you can find a niche and propose innovative services.
Key partners
The strategic partner is a psychological company that works with clients. In addition, entrepreneurs are currently focused on creating their strong and recognisable brand.
Impact and Evaluation
The proposed solution gives a lot of positive impact in the field of education. It is crucial to help young people understand who they are, who they want to be, and how they can get there. This makes learning and growing up a pleasure, not an unpleasant necessity. Parents of children in difficult adolescence can also receive support and receive constant feedback about their children.
Moreover, Eduspace is inclusive. It is addressed to students from all over Poland, also from smaller towns and villages, which have limited access to specialists and for pupils with disabilities.
As EduSpace is based on relationships, it is important to constantly verify quality. Teachers are selected and evaluated. As lessons are individual, the co-owners have developed measures of quality and satisfaction for both teachers and students. The parents also receive cyclical feedback about the child and are asked about their satisfaction with the cooperation. Students’ diaries are filled in to assess their potential and needs.
Piotr and Oskar conduct the evaluation both on the basis of questionnaires and direct telephone interviews.
Recommendations
It is individual and depends on the legal regulations and culture in a given country. In Poland, the curriculum is adapted to the Polish education system and prepares for the international matura exam, which theoretically would be easier to implement in other countries.
On the other hand, in some countries tutoring is prohibited or the education system is so good that students do not need outside help. New markets should be thoroughly explored and countries with similar education cultures and needs should be attempted.
Lessons Learned
The biggest lesson Piotr learned from running the company was to learn more about himself. Piotr got to know himself better, he understood what motivates him and stops him, how persistent and resistant to stress he is. It also showed him that he can be a workaholic when he does what he likes. It was important for him to get to know the network of other young people with great ideas, determined, just like him. Running the company has taught him to adapt quickly, to rely less on his beliefs and to listen more to feedback and learn from mistakes.
References
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.