A big part of keeping everyone safe during COVID-19 is staying home and working remotely when possible. Along with schools and other organizations staying closed, it is import to ensure everyone stays healthy, both physically and mentally. The below list has opportunities to access a variety of experiences and resources from home:
Resources
STAY HOME. HIT PLAY.
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Citadel are launching Stay Home. Hit Play., a weekly video series that will bring engaging, educational programming from Chicago institutions to students and families across the city. Viewers will take virtual field trips to places like the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the DuSable Museum of African American History, and many others. Along with each episode, students will find corresponding worksheet activities to further engage with each museum experience. The series will premiere Wednesday, April 29, on www.HitPlayChicago.org, and will air Friday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. on WTTW (11.1) and on Monday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m. on WTTW Prime (11.2). Subsequent Stay Home. Hit Play. episodes will air each Wednesday online and Fridays and Mondays on TV, and all segments and related student worksheets will be available on the series website: https://hitplaychicago.com/.
CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY
- Chicago Public Library (CPL) cardholders can access library resources and information, including eBooks, audiobooks, music, video and online resources, 24/7 on their website.
- Don’t have a library card yet? Apply for an eCard to access eBooks, audiobooks and online resources.
- Patrons with smartphones can access CPL on the go with their mobile app.
- Other applications accessible with a CPL card include:
- Brainfuse: Live homework help from 2:00 – 11:00 pm in English and Spanish
- Hoopla: Streaming and downloadable audiobooks, music, video and eBooks
- Flipster: Read current and back issues of six of their most popular magazines: Bloomberg Businessweek, Ebony, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, People and Scientific American.
- Mango Languages: Lessons in 70+ languages, including English
- Overdrive: Downloadable eBooks, audiobooks
- RBdigital Audiobooks: Downloadable audiobooks
- RBdigital Magazines: Latest issues of more than a hundred popular magazines.
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- Enrichment Learning Resources: prepared enrichment activities to support student learning while schools are closed due to COVID-19
- Digital resources
- Activities to stay active at home
- High school recommended reading and podcasts
CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT
- Storytime with Ms. Eileen
- Art Project: How to Make a Baby Yoda
- Wellness Team’s Tips for Home
- Activities by the Park District: Coloring Sheets, Bingo Boards, Word Searches, and more!
- More on Chicago Park District Instagram and Facebook
- Take a Virtual Ballet Conditioning Class
- Mindful Meditation at Palmisano Park
- Garfield Park Conservatory Digital Tours
- Lincoln Park Conservatory
PEDERSEN-MCCORMICK BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
- New online platform – the BGCC Virtual Club for virtual lessons, activities, and challenges for embers and their families at home.
- Pederson-McCormick Club Facebook group for staff updates, community resources, and more!
- Sign up for the Facebook group by clicking the subscribe button
- To sign up and become a virtual club member you can click here (scroll to the bottom and click “Become a Member”
WEISS HOSPITAL
Senior Exercise Classes via ZOOM!
Computer: https://zoom.us/j/5552594442; password: 5225
Telephone: 312-626-6799; meeting ID: 555-259-4442# and hit # again for access
- Monday & Saturday at 9:00 am and Wednesday at 8:30 am – Zumba
- Tuesday at 9:00 am – Chi Gung
- Tuesday at 10:15 am – Tai Chi (immediately following Chi Gung)
- Tuesday at 6:00 pm – Yoga (make sure you have a mat)
- Wednesday & Friday at 10:00 am – Exercise with Paul
- Thursday at 9:30 am – Chair Yoga
LOCAL PARTNERS
- Quarantine with CircEsteem
- Virtual Yoga with Third Space
- Music Class for Kids ages 1 -4 with Third Space
- Illinois Environmental Council Lunch & Learn Series
- The Northside American Job Center at Truman College is offering job readiness workshops online! Access the webinars and learn more about job fair events on their Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
- Families & Caregivers- This free resource provides your children with 20 days of exciting articles and stories, videos, and fun learning challenges
- Administrators
- Educators
OTHER RESOURCES
- The New York Times is offering free digital access for high school students from April 6 – July 6.
- Khan Academy- A free resource for students, teachers, and parents. This website offers exercises, quizzes, and tests so students can practice and master skills and instructional videos to help students learn or review material.
- Audible Audiobooks: free access to a variety of audiobooks in six languages while students are at home
- ST Math– a PreK-8 visual instructional program that leverages the brain’s innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems.
- Funbrain- For kids in grades Pre-K through 8, offers hundreds of free interactive games, books, videos, and printables that help kids develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving, and literacy.
- Brain Pop- Content, learning games, and creativity tools empowers your child to build, apply, and share knowledge in an engaging and safe space.
- Duo Lingo- An always free language learning program.
- Prodigy- A curriculum-aligned math game loved by children in Grades 1‑8.
- Math Playground- Math and logic video games for children.
- PBS Kids- Educational games and videos for children.
- Math Game Time- Education games for kids.
- NASA Kids’ Club- Videos, games and materials for kids to engage with science at home.
- Amazing Space- Resources and games for kids to learn about space.
- Who Was?- Activities and quizzes based around famous people, events, and places in history.
- NAT GEO Kids- Educational Resources, games, and quizzes for kids.
- Smithsonian for Kids- Educational Activities and Games for kids.
- Hello Kids- Coloring pages, games, and activities for kids.
- Jumpstart- Educational video games for kids.
- Science Kids- A website full of science experiments, cool facts, free games, quizzes, videos, photos and science fair project ideas.
- Funology- A parenting toolbox with hundreds of ideas on how to entertain and teach kids.
- Mystery Science- Free science lessons for parents and teachers to use.
- Open Books-Writing and literacy activities for kids.
- Cool Classics- Activities and Book readings for kids.
Virtual Tours
SHOWS & MUSICALS
- The National Theatre: stream a free play every Thursday (then available for one week)
- April 2: One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean, starring James Corden
- April 9: Jane Eyre, adapted by Sally Cookson
- April 16: Treasure Island, adapted by Bryony Lavery
- April 23: Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, starring Tamsin Greig
MUSEUMS
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Adler Planetarium
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- Field Museum
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chicagoland Buildings
- National Gallery of Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- High Museum of Art
- Museum of Fine Arts (Houston)
- Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- Digital Workshop – Open Studios, Fridays at 11:00 am
- Digital Workshop – Story Time, Wednesdays at 11:00 am
- Exhibit Tours
- Smithsonian Institute
- NASA
NATIONAL PARKS
- Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
- Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
- Dry Tortugas National Park, Floridaj
ZOOS & AQUARIUMS
Network Access
Looking on behalf of a student who has been moved to e-learning? Check out isbe.net/keeplearning for more. Chicago Public Schools also has information on internet access and turning your mobile device into a hotspot.
COMCAST
- Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free (including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers). Visit www.xfinity.com/wifi to see hotspots, and select the “xfinitywifi” network name.
- Pausing Data Plan: Comcast is pausing its data plans for 60 days (starting March 14) and giving all existing customers Unlimited data.
- No Disconnects or Late Fees: Comcast will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact the company to inform them that they cannot pay their bills during this period.
- Internet Essentials Free to New Customers: Internet Essentials, Comcast’s broadband adoption program, will be free for 60 days.
AT&T
- All AT&T consumer home internet wireline customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet, can use unlimited internet data.
- Internet access is available through the Access from AT&T program for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month. Eligibility access is expanded to households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start.
- New Access from AT&T customers will receive two months of free service.
SPECTRUM
- Spectrum is offering free internet to students. Starting March 16, free broadband and Wi-Fi access will be offered for 60 days to households with K-12 or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.
