Learning knows no bounds! If you are looking for an activity to do while at home, there are many free online learning courses and activities that you can take part of, right here in Calgary. As more and more businesses and companies move to virtual platforms to practice social distancing and keep our community safe, you can still access a variety of learning courses from companies and local businesses during this difficult time, including the following courses:

Gale Courses (Calgary Public Library) 

Calgary Public Library (CPL) users can access the hundreds of virtual instructor-led courses offered by Gale. Courses cover a variety of topics like computers, drawing, finance and music. All CPL users are able to access two of the six-week courses per year – simply visit the Gale website, choose your course, enter your information, and then complete your library sign in process. For more information, visit the library page here. Not a CPL member? Learn how you can sign-up online for free here.

Barre Exercises (Barre Body Studio)

For those looking to keep up their fitness and physical activity while at home, Barre Body Studio in Calgary is offering online fitness lessons through their social media platforms. These 50-minute courses will be hosted by a variety of Barre instructors and will focus on helping people stay fit with workouts that combine exercises from yoga, Pilates and dance. Visit their Facebook page to see their previously-streamed classes and stay up to date on new releases.

Lynda Courses (Calgary Public Library)

 CPL users also have access to LinkedIn’s online courses on Lynda.com. These online courses can also be accessed on your mobile device and tablet by downloading the Lynda app. The courses provide users with professional-led video tutorials to help people grow current skills or learn new ones. From tutorials on popular computer software to other topics in music, design and programming, there are many skills to learn through this platform. Users will simply need to follow the instructions on the CPL page to download the Lynda app or access the website, create an account, and then sign in as an organization. From here, they will be directed to enter their CPL credentials and will have access to the online learning courses.

 Music Production for Kids (Beat Drop)

Kids can learn the basics of music production for free with Beat Drop’s online beginner course for children and youth ages 8-15. From Tuesday – Friday at 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., registrations will be able to learn about everything that goes into producing music – from how it is structured, to playing chords, using effects, and everything in between. The course is streamed live over four days, so users will need to have access to a computer, web browser and internet to complete the course activities, which are led by an Ableton-Certified Trainer. Learn more and register here.