The class your child needs.
The community to bring it to life.
Pods & Tutors gives families more voice in what their children learn. Tell us the class, subject, skill, support, or experience you want for your child. We help identify compatible families and instructors to bring small-group learning opportunities to life.
For homeschool and traditionally schooled families.
What would your child love to learn?
Your child may need help with math. Or they may want to learn photography, robotics, AI, creative writing, Spanish, financial literacy, science, entrepreneurship, music - or something no one nearby is currently offering.
Pods & Tutors starts with what families want to create, not just what already exists.
NOW FORMING IN CONNECTICUT
AI Ready
A practical, hands-on AI literacy and digital discernment program for students in grades 6–8.
AI Ready helps middle-school students understand how AI works, use it thoughtfully, question what it produces,
protect their privacy, recognize misinformation and manipulated media, and create responsibly. The program is
human-led, beginner-friendly, and designed around the principle: think first, use AI second.
Grades
6-8
Format
Small-group recurring pod
Class length
90-minute core class
Optional lab
30 minutes
Experience level
Beginner-friendly; no coding or prior AI experience required6-8
Location
Fairfield County / exact location based on participating
families
Schedule
Forming now based on family availability
Status
NOW FORMING
Your child's education can include more
Parents should not be limited to the classes that happen to already exist.
Maybe your child needs stronger math instruction. Maybe you want them exposed to robotics, violin, financial literacy, coding, Mandarin, astrophysics, entrepreneurship, photography, sewing, debate, or organic gardening.
Maybe they need a private tutor. Maybe they simply learn better in a small group.
Pods & Tutors gives parents a voice in creating the education they want their children to experience.
You choose the possibilities. Community helps make them possible.
One family's idea can become a community
Share the subject, interest, schedule, format, and general location.
What began as one family's idea becomes a shared learning experience.
That is a pod.
Tell us what your child wants to learn
Share the subject, interest, schedule, format, and general location.
We look for compatible families
We identify families interested in similar learning experiences
We connect the group with a trusted instructor
Teachers, tutors, and subject-matter experts can help bring the class to life.
The pod launches
Once the group, instructor, schedule, logistics, and pricing are confirmed.
Learn your way
Small-group Pods
Recurring small-group learning built around compatible family demand.
Private Tutoring
One-on-one learning for academic support, acceleration, skill development, or specialized instruction - online or in person.
Workshop & Micro-Classes
One-time or short experiences that do not require a full term.
Courses
Multi-session learning for academic, enrichment, or specialized subjects.
One child. A small group. One afternoon. A full term. The format should fit the learning.
Learning doesn't have to happen Monday through Friday,
8 to 3
Pods & Tutors is designed around family schedules - not a traditional school bell.
Weekday mornings
Weekday afternoons
After school
Evenings
Saturdays
Sundays
School holidays
Spring break
Summer
One-time workshops
Weekly classes
Short courses
In person
Live online
A homeschool family might form a Tuesday 10 AM science lab. A group of traditionally schooled students might meet Thursday at 4:30 PM. A family might want Saturday morning tutoring. A subject-matter expert might teach a one-day workshop during winter break.
The schedule is part of the request.
Where will classes happen?
Pods & Tutors first helps bring together the families and instructor. Depending on the class, participants, and availability, learning may take place:
Online
At an approved community or partner space
At an instructor-approved teaching location
Or at another location confirmed during formation
The specific location is confirmed before a family enrolls and the pod launches.
What could become a POD?
If enough families want it, it could become a pod.
Math
Science Labs
Photography
Robotics
AI
Writing
Languages
Entrepreneurship
Financial Literacy
Music
History
Art
Test Prep
Workshops
Something Entirely New
Astrophysics
Sewing / Needlepoint,
Debate
Organic Gardening
There may be a class only you can teach
Teach algebra. Teach astrophysics. Teach violin. Teach financial literacy. Teach needlepoint. Teach the subject you've taught for twenty years - or the subject you've never been given the chance to teach.
Families tell us what they want for their children. Instructors tell us what they know and what they would love to teach.
Pods & Tutors brings those possibilities together.
Your expertise could become their favorite class.
Who is it for?
For Families
Homeschool
Public School
Private School
Parochial School
Charter / Magnet
Hybrid Schooling
Other Learning Arrangements
For Instructors/Experts
Current teachers
Former teachers
Tutors
Coaches
Artists
Graduate Students
Skilled Professionals/Subject-Matter Experts
Built from lived experience
I'm Ayo Haynes, founder of Pods & Tutors and a homeschooling mom.
I've seen what happens when the right learning community comes together - and what happens when it doesn't.
A photography pod I wanted to create never launched because I found the instructor but not enough families. An all-girls science pod my daughter loved ended when the instructor moved abroad. And I watched a homeschool basketball class grow into a real community and eventually a travel team.
That led me to ask:
What if families and instructors had an easier way to find one another and bring the right class to life?
That question became Pods & Tutors.
Community matters. Trust does too.
Pods & Tutors is building a review and verification process for adults who may work with children. Instructor interest does not equal approval to teach.ents for that role will be reviewed.
Potential instructors are reviewed before approval.
Instructor approval may include identity verification, criminal-background screening, credential or license verification when applicable, experience review, and references.
Requirements may vary by role and location.
Families receive clear information about the instructor, schedule, location, pricing, and participation before a pod launches.
Technology may help organize demand and potential matches, but instructor approval and pod-launch decisions remain human-reviewed.
We are building for flexibility without treating trust as optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pods & Tutors only for homeschool families?
No. The Connecticut pilot is for homeschool and traditionally schooled families.
Does my child have to need academic help?
No. Families may be looking for academic support, enrichment, a specialized subject, a new interest, or simply a different small-group learning experience.
Can we request a class that does not exist yet?
Yes. That is central to the idea. Tell us what your child wants to learn, and we will look for compatible family interest and potential instructors.
Can I request private tutoring?
Yes. Families may request one-on-one tutoring online or in person, depending on instructor availability and location.
When can classes happen?
Weekday mornings or afternoons, after school, evenings, weekends, holidays, school breaks, summer, or other mutually workable times.
Will classes be online or in person?
Both are possible. Format is part of the family and instructor matching process.
Where will classes meet?
Locations vary by pod and may include online, partner/community spaces, instructor-approved teaching locations, or another confirmed location. The location is confirmed before enrollment.
Where will classes happen?
You will know where the class is taking place before committing to enrollment.
How are instructors screened?
Instructor interest is followed by a separate review and verification process before approval. Requirements may include identity, background, credential/license, experience, and reference checks as appropriate.
What do you want your child to learn next?
From core academics and tutoring to music, astrophysics, needlepoint, AI, entrepreneurship, and subjects we have not imagined yet - tell us what you want for your child.