The document outlines the development of an app called Tearn Up created by Princeton students to address the lack of opportunities at Princeton for learning practical skills from other students. It discusses initial inspiration and challenges faced such as time constraints and lack of incentives. An alpha prototype was successful but faced issues with scheduling classes and ensuring follow through. Further updates included expanding connectivity and credibility through a teaching community with quality control. Feedback was positive about casual skill sharing and looking for ways to recruit more users and teachers through student groups and events. The goal is to continue growing the program and find successors to run it.

2. ELLIE ALBARRAN, SANDY BOLE, JASON CAI, MIKE KOSK, AOI SENJU, SHRIYA SEKHSARIA

3. OUR INSPIRATION
Princeton does not provide students with opportunities
to learn a variety of practical skills

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“But it’s so hard to pick up new skills at a place
like Princeton…”
“Every student group here says you need
‘No experience necessary’ to join, but they
have tryouts, auditions, or interviews to
cut anyone without experience”
- Greg B.
“Classes here are so theoretical, it’s like…
when am I going to use any of
the information I learn here after I
graduate?”
- Jen M.
“There’s a bunch of clubs that could teach
me skills that I want to learn, but I’m
just not able to make the time
commitment to meet each week”
- John D.
“Everyone who comes in is so
specialized, the people who dance here
danced in high school, the people who play
sports here played the same sports in high
school…”
- Ben S.

5. OUR BREAKTHROUGH
Our greatest asset is our own student body

6. TIME
Princeton students are already pressed for time with curricular learning itself.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
We do not have the ability to change curriculum and grant credit.
INCENTIVES
The strongest incentives for teachers are money and college credit, which we cannot provide.
RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS

7. ITERATIVE RESEARCH: EXISTING
EFFORTS
UC BERKELEYPRINCETON RUTGERS

8. IS THERE A DEMAND?

9. HOW MUCH DEMAND?
Overwhelming support for alpha prototype
Opportunities for classes are endless

10. SCHEDULING CLASSES

11. ...though it doesn’t always go well

12. Teaching Table
Tearn Up for Lawn
Parties!
INTERACTING WITH THOSE
INTERESTED
S i g n U p
Sheets

13. BETA PROTOTYPE

14. SUCCESS!

15. PROBLEM

16. CHALLENGES
Attracting more users
Ensuring follow-through
Improving Credibility

17. ATTRACTING USERS

18. EXPANDING CONNECTIVITY

19. ENSURING FOLLOW-THROUGH
Weekly available
class updates

20. IMPROVING CREDIBILITY
Creating an exclusive teaching community
to improve quality control

21. INCENTIVIZING LEARNING

22. CAMPUS RECOGNITION
Other students
Other developers Princeton administration

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USER FEEDBACK
“I think some anonymity would make this app
more attractive to people today. I think people
should advertise their skills anonymously and
then have their identity revealed to their clients
after they are paired together through the
app.”
-En-Wei H. ‘16
You often learn more from other students at
Princeton than you do in classes. This kind of skill
sharing experience helps people get to know each
other and learn things faster in a more casual
way."
- Jacob S. '15, teacher of Photoshop
"Tearn Up is an awesome way to share skills
with others that aren't necessarily taught in the
classroom."
- Meaghan O. '17, learner of Sign Language
"If you know something, you should ALWAYS be
looking for opportunities to teach. It exposes the
things you don’t understand, and makes you look at
things from new angles when students ask
questions."
-Matthew L. ‘18, teacher of Self-Defense

24. WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Recruiting more teachers and learners
Reach out to Student Groups like dance groups to teach;
incentivized by publicity to their group
Setting up a Teaching Table at the Activities Fair
Corporate coffee sponsorship
Setting up an events calendar + class rating system on the
website
Finding successors to run Tearn Up