Schoolhouse Dialogues is a free program from Schoolhouse — the nonprofit peer-tutoring platform founded by Sal Khan of Khan Academy. It pairs students worldwide, ages 14 to 21 depending on the format, for structured 1-on-1 or small-group Zoom conversations on topics they care about. Over 174,000 students from 180+ countries have participated in Schoolhouse programs.
Two formats:
| Format | Frequency | Duration | Description | | -------------- | ------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | One-Time Event | Weekly | 60 min | 1-on-1 with a matched student; new discussion topic every week; guided by a provided discussion guide | | Dialogues Club | Every 2 weeks | 60 min | Same group of students each session; builds community over time; opportunity to become a Club President |
The Dialogues Portfolio:
After completing 3 or more Dialogue sessions and submitting the post-session survey each time, students become eligible for a Dialogues portfolio — showing the topics they discussed, the number of Dialogues completed, and self-selected feedback and reflections. Colleges do not see the content of a student's conversations. Several college partners recognize the portfolio directly as part of admissions; students can also upload it as an extracurricular activity when applying to other colleges.
Who runs Schoolhouse?
Schoolhouse is a nonprofit founded by Sal Khan (founder of Khan Academy) in 2020. It is 100% free with no paywalls or applications, and is backed by partnerships with College Board and other educational organizations.