Our Kids Member Report

Glen Herbert
Editor/Writer, Our Kids Media
April, 2021

"It was hands down the most incredible experience of my life." That’s what Kate Rowan wrote to us about her experience with her alma mater, UWC Canada in Victoria. When she filled out a review of the school, she joined nearly 400 parents, students, and alumni who have offered their thoughts on their schools. It’s the most detailed and most useful resource of its kind. Each review is templated, and to be added to our site, each must reach certain standards, one of them being length, with each review in excess of 1200 words.

"This is my first year here and I can tell you for sure, there is nothing like it."
—Robi Pardo, Student, Rosseau Lake College

These aren’t at all your average web reviews.

The Our Kids User Review consists of 9 areas, each with minimum word requirements to ensure its usefulness and quality. Most importantly—the reviews are also curated: each is vetted by the Our Kids team prior to going live. We also offer an honorarium to each of the first five reviewers for each school. The reviews appear with your profile, and will also ensure that your school is included in the User Review Hub.

"They all have a sense of pride in the school, and they talk about their experiences with joy and feel secure as soon as they walk through the doors each morning."
— Jennifer Derwey Deane, Parent, Sacred Heart School of Halifax

The material that reviewers offer is invaluable, giving a sense of the life of the school from the perspective of the people that know it best. The reviews add an invaluable dimension to your profile, and because they are hosted on Our Kids, rather than your own platforms, are understood as honest and authentic. Because, well, they are.

"I was excited to go to school."
— Julianne Diab, Alumnus, Olivet School

If you haven’t reached out to your alumni or parents this year already, we’ve put together a toolkit to help you quickly build your review presence on Our Kids.

View the User Review Toolkit

Should you have any questions about this project, and how to make the most of it, including strategies for approaching potential reviewers, you can email us directly by responding to this email. Again, this isn’t impersonal, uncurated, automated. It’s not Google, or Amazon, or Facebook. It’s real people telling their story.

ConnectEd 2021 set to launch May 5

Our partner Microsoft is launching an exciting event. ConnectEd 2021 will explore how advances in technology can help educators and parents improve student outcomes; how digital tools can empower students to take more control over their own education; and how we can harness technology to create engagement, connection, and improve wellbeing.

Plus, join an exclusive immersive field trip to the North American forests with science, natural history, and environmental broadcaster, Liz Bonnin.

Learn more about ConnectEd 2021

Additional savings on Surface devices at Our Kids Store by Microsoft

Our partner Microsoft is including hundreds of dollars of additional discounts on various Surface devices and accessories that’ll help with remote learning.

Visit the Store

If your school is currently looking to upgrade learning tools, we're more than happy to connect you with our Microsoft representatives who can build a proposal suitable for your needs. Please reply to this email with the name and contact information of your IT lead to start the conversation.