Curated by our high school intern Kathryn, these resources can keep you interested and learning when you're stuck inside.
Submit your suggestions to Thinkabit@vt.edu
Academic Earth – VARIETY - Links to thousands of free university-level lectures and course
materials from over 20 highly regarded universities.
Alison – VARIETY - Free online courses in all subjects. There is a course called
all about the coronavirus.
Boolean Girls – PROGRAMMING - Register for our free, live instructor-led online series.
Kids learn to Code, Build, Invent, and Animate, and each episode is age-appropriately
tailored for ages 8 to 18.
Codecademy – PROGRAMMING - Learn in‐demand skills like coding in different programming
languages, web development, design, and data science. Free access to basic lessons, with the
option to pay for more advanced courses.
Coursera – VARIETY - provides a wide range of courses created by various colleges and
universities, including many that are free.
Duolingo – LANGUAGES - If you or your child are interested in learning a new language,
Duolingo offers free online learning tools in 36 languages.
Edx – VARIETY - Access to free online courses delivered by a consortium of leading colleges
and universities. Learn college‐level content in computer science, engineering, and robotics,
among others.
Khan Academy – VARIETY - free YouTube instructional videos in a wide range of content
areas, including all levels of mathematics, English language arts, science, history, computer
science and programming, and SAT preparation. Content is aligned with state curriculum
standards, and parents can view and track their children’s progress.
Local Libraries – VARIETY - explore the many other digital resources your local library likely
offers. Many public libraries provide free access to e‑books, streaming films and music, digital
magazines, and even language learning resources, such as Mango.
Lynda.com – VARIETY - available for free through many public libraries, Lynda.com has an
array of online learning resources in subject areas ranging from photography to business to
web development. Log into your local library for access details.
Marginal Revolution University (MRU) - ECONOMICS – Economics isn’t always taught at
the K‑12 level, but the dynamic, self‐paced introductory economics courses offered for free
through MRU are likely to pique your older child’s interest.
Mystery Science – SCIENCE - Mystery Science has free memberships for up to one year.
Video lessons are complemented by hands‐on experiments and downloadable activities.
No Red Ink – WRITING - free, online writing and grammar resource helps students of all
ages to practice and refine their writing skills. Parents can sign up as a teacher (you can
use your home as a school), create a learner profile for your child, and then allow a
child to log in to the student account and get practicing.
Open Culture – VARIETY - Access 1,500 free, online audio and video courses from
recognized universities, and access more than 1,000 free audio books.
Prodigy Math – MATH - Free and used by many schools for online math support. This
uses a video game‐style interface to engage learners. Users create characters and
conquer challenges using math aligned with their skill level and grade-level competencies.
The paid version offers more math and allows parents and teachers to customize
additional features.
Smithsonian Institution – VARIETY - An example of what many museums are offering,
the Smithsonian Institution’s open access Learning Lab offers free, online resources and
activities for learners.
TED‐Ed – VARIETY - a free collection of high‐quality videos on a variety of topics for
learners of all ages, including supplemental materials, discussion questions, and
opportunities to probe deeper. Register as an educator and you can help to customize
your student’s learning experience, or let your kid explore independently.
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