Case Study: VIPKid achieves scalable teacher training and improved teaching effectiveness with Coursera for Business

A new model of English instruction to Chinese students

VIPKID, an online platform that connects Chinese students (ages 5–12) with English teachers in the U.S. and Canada, needed to train and retain high-quality teachers as it scaled rapidly—contracting about 5,000 teachers and adding over 1,000 new teachers per month—while maintaining one-on-one instructional quality.

VIPKID partnered with Coursera for Business to sponsor 500 teachers in two flexible TESOL Certificate Specializations (140+ hours), covering certifications that normally cost $700–$1,600. The program’s 500 slots filled in 48 hours; 92% of participants said the training made them more effective and 95% would recommend it, boosting teacher performance and strengthening VIPKID’s teacher pipeline.

VIPKid

Cindy Mi

Founder and CEO