It all started over breakfast.
The UJU team originally came together over coffee, croissants and a mutual prep period. All four UJU team members worked as Elementary School Specialist teachers out of Carol Morgan School in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 'Breakfast Club' conversations would typically span over various topics, but would always come back to "what if we started a YouTube channel?". Each of us talented in our own right, we knew if we combined forces we could create a resource that would be a hit with lots of teachers and students.
Humble beginnings.
In March 2020, everything changed. Teachers around the globe had to create new and engaging ways to connect with their students online. Coach Mambru was no different, having to switch her PE classes to Zoom.
On a $50 budget, Coach Mambru bought a green screen, lights and a tripod. Most of the early videos were recorded in her sunroom using her cellphone.
Brain Breaks
The videos evolved over time. What started as workouts became games. The main goal was to create movement activities that could be used in any classroom. Moreover, games that provided choice were key; Would You Rather, This or That, 4 Corners and Trivia games were among the favorites.
Many teachers needed movement breaks in the classroom that still provided safe social distancing. All of our games are developed with that in mind; games that can be played in an in-person or a blended/online platform where limited space may be available.
Future Plans
After 35,000 subscribers and 5,000,000 views in one year, the future looks bright for UJU. In the coming year we plan to fully launch our UJU Teacher Tech Shop and UJU Original Music - both made especially for teachers.
