TSV is a non-traditional learning community that runs on barter. Anybody can teach a class, and students sign up for classes by agreeing to bring barter items that the teacher requests.

Trade School celebrates practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange. It is a place of learning, connecting, and sharing. We believe that everyone has something to offer. We think of ourselves as the middleman or facilitator of making education accessible in Vancouver by bringing together venues, teachers and students.

To begin, a member of the community proposes a class they would like to teach through our website. We work with them to set up a time and venue, and then spread the word. Students sign up for their class by agreeing to fulfill one of the teacher's barter items, whether it’s a batch of cookies, or advice on lawn care. On the day of the class, everybody meets at the scheduled time and venue and shares in a great lesson while meeting new people, leaving full of inspiration, and maybe even thinking about what they could teach in the back of their mind…

Vancouver is full of people willing and wanting to learn and share knowledge. TSV eliminates the barriers of money and exclusivity, making education more accessible to everyone. Whether someone just wants to teach their grandmother's chicken noodle soup recipe, or they want to learn how to handle accounting for a small business, Trade School's barter system allows anyone to take part in instructed learning, all the while highlighting the social enjoyment of connecting through sharing.