As part of its response to COVID-19 school closures, Varsity Tutors today announced that it has partnered with celebrity personalities from the worlds of entertainment, sports, and science to launch “StarCourse” – a series of live, online celebrity-led classes. These classes will be available for free to kids and parents as part of Varsity Tutors’ Virtual School Day.
Students attending the free live classes will have the opportunity to take a class with Emmy Award winner Julianne Hough, two-time champion of Dancing with the Stars and creator of KINRGY; to learn health and wellness practices with gold medal gymnast, Aly Raisman; to study all things space with Leland Melvin, a former NFL star turned NASA astronaut; and to talk neuroscience with Mayim Bialik, a PhD scientist and star of the hit show The Big Bang Theory. Each of these celebrity instructors will host their own live classes throughout the month of May.
“These live classes are a phenomenal addition to the Virtual School Day initiative that we’ve established for families impacted by coronavirus school closures,” said Brian Galvin, Chief Academic Officer for Varsity Tutors. “During this time, we feel families are looking for ways to keep their children both engaged and learning. We’re thrilled to be able to work with the celebrity instructors as they share their knowledge and expertise in the subjects they’re passionate about.”
“People were born to move, create, and imagine,” Hough said. “Through my class, I hope to help kids connect with all three pastimes. I’ll be teaching two movement classes that blend choreography and fitness, and that allow kids to express themselves creatively while doing it.”
Bialik added, “Neuroscience is definitely esoteric, but I think there are aspects of it that can be brought down to the level of an interested child easily. My class is a chance to lift the clouds around neuroscience and help kids discover all that’s interesting about this area of study.”
World champion gymnast Raisman noted, "I spent a lot of time as a gymnast working on my balance and strength, which was a big part of my success in the gym. Now, I have learned to apply the same basic principles to my everyday life and I want to help encourage people of all ages to prioritize their overall health and wellness. "
“After injuries ended my football career, I decided to attend graduate school and study engineering thanks to a former professor’s influence,” Melvin said. “I want to pay that example forward and inspire students to reach for the stars.”
The celebrity-led classes are a part of a bigger Varsity Tutors initiative to provide access to engaging, interactive classes for free. In March, Varsity Tutors launched Virtual School Day—a remote learning program that includes live classes and educational resources intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning. Virtual School Day provides students with over 50 hours per week of instruction. Each class is led by an expert tutor with experience in the course topic, as well as familiarity with virtual instruction. Classes refresh weekly, with age-appropriate options for grades K-12.
Parents interested in registering for the celebrity-led classes or Virtual School Day should visit www.virtualschoolday.com to sign up.
