The Academy for Virtual Teaching
Learn to teach your craft online, without becoming a video editor or a marketer to do it.
For quilters, crafters, and artists who are ready to reach students beyond their own zip code. Start with simple video, a clear plan, and a community of teachers who have already walked this path.
You already know how to make something beautiful. People have probably told you for years that you should teach it. The part that stops most makers isn't talent, it's the tech, the camera, and not knowing where to start. That's the whole reason this place exists. We help you turn what you already make into a real online teaching business, using the phone in your pocket and the window light you already have. You don't have to go viral. You don't have to be polished. You need a clear next step and people who get it.
What is the Academy for Virtual Teaching?
The Academy for Virtual Teaching helps quilters, crafters, and artists build an online teaching business from the skills they already have. We teach the practical side of teaching online: making simple video, running live Zoom classes, pricing and selling a workshop, and reaching students around the world. We are working artists and teachers ourselves, not influencers or gurus. Most people start with our free community and a short free course, then move into paid courses when they are ready.
The Academy was founded by Lyric Kinard, a working artist and educator of more than 25 years who was named International Association of Professional Quilters Teacher of the Year. It grew out of the Global Quilt Connection, which she co-founded during the pandemic to help craft teachers keep teaching when in-person workshops disappeared.
Free, On-Demand Mini-Course!
Don't Leave Your People Hanging!
Make Your Graphics WORK For You
VIDEO is the Key to Your Art, Craft, and Quilting Business!
Fast-Track Your Teaching Business
Interested in how
VIDEO EDUCATION
can fit into your business?
You are in EXACTLY the right place!
Sign up to learn more.
Do I need a big audience to start teaching my craft online?
No. Some of our teachers started with a few hundred followers, or none at all. A small, interested audience who trusts you will outsell a huge one that barely knows you. What matters is that the right people can find you and that you have something clear to offer them.
What equipment do I actually need to teach quilting or craft on video?
Less than you think. Most of our teachers start with the phone they already own and a window for light. You can add a tripod and a simple microphone later. Better clarity beats better gear, and students care far more about learning from you than about production polish.
I freeze up the second a camera turns on. Can I still do this?
Yes, and most people feel exactly that way at the start. Being nervous on camera doesn't mean you aren't meant to teach. It means you're new to the camera, which is a skill you can practice like any other. We give you small, low-pressure ways to build that comfort until it stops being the thing holding you back.
Is it too late to start teaching my craft online in 2026?
No. The number of students looking to learn online keeps growing, and there is room for your particular voice and approach. Someone out there learns best the way you teach. The teachers who count themselves out are the only ones who are truly too late.
How is this different from just posting free videos on YouTube?
YouTube is one piece, and a good one for being found. But a free channel isn't a business on its own. We help you build the whole path: the free content that helps people find you, the paid workshops that pay you for your knowledge, and the simple systems that connect the two. YouTube brings people in. The business is what you build once they arrive.
What does it cost to get started with the Academy?
Our community is free to join, and so is our short course on making your first promotional video. From there, paid courses range from focused, lower-cost classes like the Video Making Crash Course up to our full program for building a complete teaching business. You can start free, learn what you need, and invest more only when you're ready.
the academy COMMUNITY
join amazing quilters, crafters, artists, and shop owners,
dedicated to creating effective video for marketing and teaching.
- A supportive community!
- Connect with colleagues who GET it!
- Ask questions in a safe welcoming, environment!
- Enjoy Guest Seminars from industry experts.
- Get honest reviews on the latest equipment.
