YouTube invests $20M into educational content and creators

YouTube is investing $20 million into educational content creators with its new Learning initiative.

The programme will promote makers of high quality, trustworthy videos.

Malik Ducard, global head of learning, says that YouTube Learning will support both smaller creators and established names. Fan favourites Vsauce and Crash Course by Hank and John Green have already secured funding, along with TED-Ed and Vox.

In order to apply, creators must have over 25,000 subscribers and show expertise in their field. They will have “a scrupulous approach to accuracy”.

Non-profits edX, Goodwill and Year Up are also part of the scheme. edX will bring popular courses to the site, while Goodwill and Year Up are helping to curate playlists that teach job skills.

“We’re committed to empowering both the creators who want to share their knowledge with the world and the users who come to our platform to learn,” wrote YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on Monday. In her blog post she outlined plans to combat fake news and make trusted sources more visible on the site.

A Red camera and filmmaker's equipment