Online classes: education during COVID-19

Part of the au pair experience can be to meet a specific educational requirement. Because of the whole COVID-19 situation, it seems impossible to meet those requirements. Colleges are closed and traveling is also not an option. The agency you came with might still require you to complete your education. To make it a little easier for you, here are some online classes you can take right now.

Silver Bay

Usually Silver Bay offers weekend travel classes but they switched to online classes for now. Each of them are worth 36 hours/3 credits.

On their website, you can see the different classes they offer. Each class consists of four different topics with assignments and additionally, you have to write two homework essays. They give you plenty of time to finish everything and you can also ask for a deadline extension if needed.

Ivy League

Even if you’re not from the United States, there’s a big chance that you’ve heard of some of these Ivy League schools, like Yale and Harvard. Maybe you even dreamed about studying there some day. Well, this dream can become a reality now. Due to COVID-19 you can choose between 450 free Ivy League courses.

You can check them out on their website. Some of the options include business, social sciences, health, education and personal development. They all vary in length, so you might need to do a few (depending on how many hours you still need to do). Most of them have the option of getting a certificate for a fee. You should check with your agency what kind of proof of completion they need from you.

Coursera

Since most of the time you need to take classes at an “accredited post-secondary institution” these courses won’t count towards your educational requirement. If you’re bored though and are looking for something to do, they offer a lot of different, free courses. They have everything from languages, art, and music to science, business, and IT.

So, if you have time on your hands and don’t want it to go to waste, it’s worth checking out their website. They all vary in length and are mostly self-paced.

If for some reason, none of these options work out for you, your LCC should have more information for you. You might also want to check with your agency what kind of certificate need from you to prove that you did the course. They might also be able to give you a few suggestions on where you can get your hours.