Skillshare is an online learning platform offering thousands of creative and professional development courses, commonly used by homeschoolers as an affordable supplement for art, design, and elective subjects.
What Is Skillshare?
Founded in 2010, Skillshare is an online learning community providing access to over 32,000 video courses taught by creative professionals and industry experts. Unlike traditional educational platforms, Skillshare emphasizes project-based learning with bite-sized classes averaging about one hour each. Courses span three main categories: creative arts and design, business and entrepreneurship, and personal development. For homeschooling families, it functions as an affordable elective resource—one subscription covers unlimited courses for all family members, making it cost-effective for households with multiple students.
Key Takeaways
- Over 32,000 courses covering creative, business, and personal development topics
- Annual subscription around $168/year provides unlimited access for the whole family
- Project-based learning with hands-on assignments
- Best suited for middle school and high school students
- Works as supplement for electives, not replacement for core curriculum
How Homeschoolers Use Skillshare
Most homeschool families use Skillshare to fill elective requirements that parents may not feel qualified to teach themselves. Graphic design, illustration, animation, photography, video editing, and creative writing courses offer professional instruction difficult to replicate at home. Some families assign one Skillshare course per term as an official elective credit, while others use it for enrichment alongside core academics. The project-based format means students produce tangible work—portfolios of art, edited videos, or completed design projects—rather than just watching videos passively.
Course Categories Worth Exploring
The creative track dominates with over 6,800 courses in art, design, illustration, and animation—areas where Skillshare truly shines. Photography and video production courses help students develop media literacy and practical skills. The business section covers entrepreneurship, marketing, and freelancing—useful for teens interested in starting ventures or understanding how businesses operate. Personal development courses address productivity and organization, though these tend toward adult professional development rather than student-focused content.
Considerations Before Subscribing
Skillshare works best for older students who can work independently through video content. Younger children may lose interest without more interactive elements. Course quality varies significantly since instructors don't require credentials—preview classes before assigning them. Many advanced courses require expensive software (Photoshop, Illustrator) or art supplies, so factor material costs into planning. Courses aren't accredited, meaning students receive completion certificates but no recognized credentials. Finally, Skillshare now requires annual commitment—monthly subscriptions were discontinued in 2025.
The Bottom Line
Skillshare offers homeschooling families affordable access to professional-level instruction in creative and technical subjects. For families seeking quality elective content—particularly in art, design, photography, and digital media—it provides genuine value. The platform works best as supplemental enrichment rather than core curriculum, and suits self-directed middle and high school students most naturally. At roughly $14 monthly for unlimited family access, it's worth considering if creative electives are on your radar.
