Category

Grade Level

Program Name and Description

Core Subjects (Math, Science, English/Language Arts, History, etc.)

All

The Mott Foundation has collaborated with afterschool providers to develop the FREE Mizzen application. The app offers content from organizations like Jazz at Lincoln Center, After-School All-Stars, and more, to OST educators to use with their students remotely. Mizzen also includes Pro Tips, scheduling, and communications tools to support programming. Afterschool providers will find activity playlists and multi-week modules on topics such as SEL, STEM, art, literacy, entrepreneurship, and youth voice.

All

IXL is offering FREE access to their robust curricula for K-12 educators. Their lesson plans and activities cover core subjects such as Math, English, Spanish, etc. IXL is also providing guides for teachers making the transition to distance-learning.

All

PBS Learning Media has created FREE PreK-12 online resources for teachers to use to engage their youth during school closures while meeting their class standards. The online list is broken down by grade level and subject, and includes videos, interactive lessons, and creative activities.

All

Great Minds is providing educators and students FREE daily instructional video lessons for English language arts (Grades K–8), math (Grades K–12), and science (Grades 3–5) as well as weekly materials that feature early readers called Geodes® (Grades K–2). Great Minds is also offering FREE  written materials for math (Grades K–12).

All

Core Knowledge is providing FREE access to its online and printable curricula in the subjects of Language Arts, History and Geography, and Science. Core Knowledge has teacher and student guides, as well as other FREE lesson plans in core subjects.

All

Legends of Learning is giving educators and families FREE access to its online Math and Science games to boost learning from home.

All

Grades K-5

SplashLearn is an online Math platform that is offering FREE home access to teachers, students, administrators, and families during the health crisis in order to continue supporting our youth in the area of mathematics. Students will dive into math operations via engaging online games or through the SplashLearn app.

Grades 3-8

The Walking Classroom is a nonprofit program aimed at getting youth moving and walking without sacrificing instructional time. Students listen to creative and educational podcasts that align with state standards, and cover topics in English language arts, science, social studies, and more! The FREE lesson plans and quizzes help educators lead discussions and test comprehension.To learn more about the program, click here.

Grades 5-9

Read to Learn is promoting literacy in students grades 5 to 9 by using interactive, individualized, and creative online games. Read to Learn is FREE and also hosts mini reading lessons, and worksheets for teachers and parents to use at home.

Grades 6-9

Flinn Scientific is offering FREE virtual Science at Home learning opportunities for students and educators to participate in during the public health crisis. Click here to review the upcoming webinar events and access the activities’ materials.

STEM

Project Exploration has launched the STEM@home Program STEM activities for youth to do at home with minimal resources. The organizations has printed out these guides and made packages with materials to send to students via mail. To learn more about the program, watch their video teaser here. To subscribe to the organization, click here.*Please do not forget to register for the STEM@home program.

The Homewood Science Center has created the PopUp Science At Home program to encourage students to participate in STEM programming during the COVID-19 crisis. PopUp Science at Home includes low cost kits (approximately $1) and downloadable activities from their website. Click here to access them.

All

SparkShop has developed an engaging STEM activity guide for youth to do while at home. The organization focuses on educating 4th and 5th grade students on STEM competencies, but the guide is great for all ages. Click here to review the downloadable e-book. Activities are available in English and Spanish!

All

Science Olympiad is highlighting their free STEM activities through YouTube videos. To watch the first video on the Gummi Bear Long Jump, click here. To review the second video on how to construct a Straw Tower, click here.

All

The YMCA Metro Chicago has released its Y on the Go initiative that engages youth, providers, and families in STEM activities and exercise via Facebook and the organization’s website. Click here to access the program.

All

Apple has compiled free videos, apps, and books to facilitate remote learning. Join them for an introduction to resources that can be useful to your staff and program this summer. Complete the survey here to register for the webinar. **Note: Apple hardware (e.g. iPad, iPhone) is required to access these resources and dates are to be determined.

• Everyone Can Code: Resources that help teachers introduce students to real Swift code

All

In collaboration with the Chicago Southland STEM Network, Homewood Science Center has compiled a variety of FREE STEM learning activities for educators, youth, and families. Resources include: virtual field trips, online games and tutorials, printable worksheets, hands-on activities, and more! If you would like to share STEM materials, please do so using their website.

All

Code.org has FREE online STEM courses for a range of ages! 

All

How To Smile. has over 100 STEM activities for a variety of ages that educators can incorporate into their distance learning plans.

Grades K-8

CodeMonkey is providing FREE and full access to their online coding curricula in order to support educators interested in engaging their students during school closures. Teachers can assign their students coding challenges and activities, and track their progress remotely. Submit a request to CodeMonkey here to gain access until April 30, 2020.

Grades 3-10

National Geographic has an online Robotics program to expose students to math, engineering, and robotics. It is a browser-based game that challenges students to take on the role of an engineer at RoboWorks, a robotics factory.

Grades 5-8

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) is providing FREE weekly emails with STEM activities and ideas to keep youth engaged with science while at home. Click here to subscribe.

Grades 3-5, Grades 6-12

Girls Who Code is providing additional FREE coding curriculum through its Girls Who Code Clubs. There is no need to enroll students or launch a Club right away. Apply here. In the application, please indicate whether you want to launch both 3-5th and 6-12th grade Clubs to gain access to both curriculums.

Grades 6-8

TechGirlz has more than 60 FREE workshop topics that provide youth and girls the opportunity to learn new programs and skills! Each lesson lasts between 2-3 hours and can be utilized as an afterschool program or in-class activity. Each workshop comes with a detailed lesson plan and instructor slides. The curriculum can be downloaded here.

Grades 6-8

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences has created the LabXChange program to foster scientific exploration in youth and students, as well as support educators by providing FREE distance-learning resources relating to STEM.

Grades 6-12

Girls Who Code is offering FREE weekly educational activities relating to computer science and coding for educators, families, students, and girls to do at-home during the pandemic. Download the Code At Home Program here.

Grades 6-12

Khan Academy is offering FREE online courses on: Computer Programming, Computer Science, AP Computer Science Principles, and Coding (via its Hour of Code Program).

Grades 9-11

Girls Who Code is offering a FREE virtual summer immersion program for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade girls and non-binary students interested in gaining computer science skills, learning how to apply this knowledge in their communities, and preparing for a career in the tech sector. Participants will interact with representatives from influential companies like AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Disney, and more. Need-based stipends of up to $300 are available for those who qualify. Click here to learn about the program and to apply. 

Art

All

Apple has compiled free videos, apps, and books to facilitate remote learning. Join them for an introduction to resources that can be useful to your staff and program this summer. Complete the survey here to register for the webinar. **Note: Apple hardware (e.g. iPad, iPhone) is required to access these resources and dates are to be determined.

• Everyone Can Create: Project guides that help teach students to develop and communicate their ideas through the arts

All

Weird Enough Productions is releasing hundreds of pages of FREE Comics, Lesson Plans, & Activities for Teachers & Caregivers!

Grades 5-12, Beyond K-12

Share Skill. hosts a range of FREE online art videos, tutorials, and classes in different disciplines such as animation, illustration, graphic design, etc.

Music

Grades K-5

ABCYa has an online Melody Maker where kids can create their own minimalist melodies.

Grades 5-12, Beyond K-12

Share Skill. promotes learning about music by sharing classes and videos on music composition, guitar playing, singing, etc.

Grades 6-12, Beyond K-12

WURRLYedu is offering culturally relevant content and interactive digital tools to make music education fun, effective and accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

All

eSchool News Article: 8 Awesome Podcasts for Youth, Families, and Teachers

eSchool News has published an article featuring several podcasts for children, families, and teachers to utilize in order to process emotions, become curious, review situations of potential concern, and learn more about the science. These podcasts are great resources for afterschool programming and hybrid or virtual facilitation.

All

The National Association of School Psychologists has guidelines for talking to your students of all ages about COVID-19.

All

Wings promotes Social Emotional Learning skills in students and youth by developing activities teachers can use in their virtual classes. Wings has digital resources, lesson ideas, and examples.

All

The Student Training & Education in Public Service organization has developed an in-depth guide for providers and families to use in order to support youth that have experienced, or may currently be experiencing, trauma. This guide is FREE and hosts a variety of information regarding trauma, how to recognize its manifestations in students, and resources for those seeking professional help. Click here to review the guide.

Grades PreK-3

Reading is Fundamental has created a collection of SEL activities and materials for teachers to use to explain the COVID-19 outbreak to students remotely.

Grades PreK-3

The National Math Foundation, Futures without Violence, Ridgeland School District and Share My Lesson are offering a FREE Professional Development webinar on helping children through trauma. Learn how to use specific children’s books to develop the social & emotional learning of PreK – 3rd graders here during the COVID-19 outbreak.

College and Career Development

Grades 6-12

Nepris is opening up its Live Virtual Industry Chats and Video Library to educators and students, now through April, to connect its vast network of industry professionals to engage students in their distance-learning and prepare them for their future.

Grades 6-12

220 Leadership is offering FREE access to its Leadership program for youth, which promotes critical thinking skills in young folks and fosters life skills necessary in the 21st century. Click here for activities you, youth, and your students can do at-home during the COVID-19 health crisis.

21st CCLC

All

You For Youth is offering technical assistance, professional development resources, and FREE materials relating to STEM and other topics, for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) programs.

Birth to Youth Activities

Ages 0 to 3

Zero to Three has created a list of resources that include webinars, activities, online courses and professional development opportunities. To review the materials, click here.

Ages 0 to 9

Cox Campus has developed FREE video-based courses and at-home learning resources for OST providers. These resources are geared towards providers that teach students between the ages of birth to 9, and cover a wide variety of topics. Click here to access the video courses. Click here to review their online materials.

Miscellaneous

All

All

All

Khan Academy is using its FREE online resources to aid educators in making the transition to at-distance learning. Click here to access its exercises, quizzes, and tests, as well as instructional videos to help students learn or review material. Khan Academy has a library of standards-aligned lessons covering K-12 (ex: early college math, grammar, science, history, AP® courses, SAT® preparation, etc.).

All

BOOST has compiled more than 2500 FREE resources with links to the platforms, which are sorted by grade level and category.

All

The American Federation of Teachers is sharing a variety of curricula, lessons, activities and other materials for educators, parents, families and students to do at-home during the COVID-19 health crisis. Resources are sorted by subject and/or by grade level.

All

Amazing Educational Resources has developed a FREE online catalog of educational materials for students to do at-home and virtually. Resources include (but are not limited to): digital workbooks and resources, virtual field trips to museums, zoos, and aquariums, STEM curricula, etc. Resources are sorted by subject and/or by grade level.