Staying connected to teachers and fellow students away from the classroom can be difficult. While universities have begun to embrace online materials and communities over the years to help students study, consideration for the user experience of these networks often falls by the wayside. StudyHall, a St. Louis-based startup, is aiming to bring schools onto a centralized learning network where users can find the answers they’re looking for quickly and connect with other students across the globe.
The company was founded by Ross Blankenship, a Washington University alum who realized that both students and schools could benefit from having a simplified, connected learning network. Students on StudyHall can form hold study groups using video chat, compare notes from class, work on projects together, and even connect with students from other institutions.
“Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom,” said Blankenship. “Lectures are very important, but so is the collaboration that happens among students afterward. Students deserve the opportunity to continue their discussions outside of class, not only with their classmates, but with students from other universities around the world.”
During his time at Wash U, Blankenship attended startup events on campus and began to learn about the growing community of entrepreneurs in St. Louis. Blankenship eventually launched StudyHall at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, where it was named a startup finalist. StudyHall ran a beta program during the summer at Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Cornell, and Wash U. The platform is scheduled to launch at 15 more universities over the next few weeks.
In the future, the team will work to bring the platform to more universities, and even high schools within the next few months. The company plans to launch the learning platform globally following many requests from students and universities abroad.
“StudyHall was inspired by the idea that learning and education have the greatest long-term impact on one’s life — an impact that can shape one’s future career, family, and long-term well being,” said the St. Louis company. “We are inspired by the connections our platform has already made for students seeking help from classmates, locally and globally.”
