List of Free Online Resources for Canadians During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Dealhack Canada Guide to Free Online Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic is a compilation of online courses, software, academic journals, and apps that you can access for free during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can download and print this guide in PDF format so you can access it even without Internet access.

Classes in all levels are suspended in compliance with the quarantine procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, students and teachers can still continue their education and at home thanks to an abundance of free online learning resources.

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Online Learning Resources

Achieve3000: Achieve3000 is offering free access for all its digital learning resources for educators and students of all levels (source). Printable materials are also available for those who have limited Internet access (source).

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU): The CMU Computer Science Academy offers free daily webinars to high school teachers. Webinars include Intro to CS Academy, Remote Learning Pedagogy, and overviews for the CMU's CS0 and CS1 courses (source).

Curriculum Associates: Curriculum Associates offers free printable activity packs on Reading and Mathematics for K-8 students. Available in English and Spanish languages (source).

Digital Promises: Digital Promises allows free access to select online learning programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some learning tools and projects are always free (source).

Edge Foundation: Students who need learning assistance at home can get request for free tutor services from the Edge Foundation. Call 888-718-8886 or 206-632-9497 for inquiries (source).

edHelper: edHelper.com provides free learning resources for PreK-12 students. Printable workbooks are available for Mathematics, Spelling, Critical Thinking, Coding, and Reading Comprehension (source).

Educational Insights: Educational Insights is offering free learning resources for children ranging from 12 months to 8 years old. Printable activities include worksheets, coloring pages, and puzzles (source).

Education Modified: Education Modified is provides two research-based resource bundles for parents of students: Help Your Child Do Schoolwork at Home and Activities for Home Learning. Both bundles are printable and available in English and Spanish versions (source).

EduMotion: EduMotion offers free SEL Journeys Learn@Home lessons for  K-5 students. Elementary schools must register to receive a shareable code for their students and teachers who have an EduMotion account (source).

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: ERAU-WW is having a 9-week online course entitled "Aviation is Your Future" to students who are 8-17 years old.  This course is free and discusses the principles and terminology of aviation,  functions and parts of different aircraft types, and future benefits of space exploration (source).

Exploratorium: Exploratorium is providing an online learning toolbox for students who want to access free science activities and public health lessons at home (source).

Flinn Scientific: Flinn Scientific is uploading science lab experiment videos that can be performed at home. The videos will have a scheduled release and will include real-time FAQ segments from Flinn Scientists (source).

Formative: Formative is offering free accounts to schools and districts for remote learning purposes when they register online. Call 1-833-463-6761 for more inquiries (source).

Gale: Gale provides open access to all their health-related eBooks, online articles, and training materials to K-12 teachers and librarians (source).

Generation Genius: Generation Genius is extending the free trial of teacher accounts for the rest of the semester. Additional free videos are available for access, and subscription fees have been reduced (source).

Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code uploads free, downloadable Computer Science activities for students who want to learn HTML and CSS. Choose between beginner intermediate level activities (source).

Great Minds: Great Minds provides free activity worksheets on English language and arts (K-8), science (grades 3-5), and mathematics (K-12). All resources are downloadable and printable (source).

InferCabulary: The InferCabulary visual vocabulary app lets K-12 students use their critical thinking to interpret a series of images with captions to infer word definitions. Schools can request for a free 2-month access for this app (source).

inquirED: "Together When Apart" by inquireED is an inquiry-based course on home-based learning that is free for teachers and students. Teachers who have an inquirED account can watch free webinars every Wednesday and access a virtual lounge every Thursday (source).

IObit: IObit allows all users of their AdvancedCare 13 program to access the Internet Boost feature, even if they are not subscribed to the Pro edition. The AdvancedCare 13 app deletes junk files on Windows devices to clean up disk space and improve performance (source).

iRobot: iRobot provides free online and offline STEM-based coding projects to K-8 students. Access to paid premium content is available for a limited time when you use the code LEARN at the home screen of the iRobot Root Coding app (source).

ISS National Laboratory: The ISS National Laboratory is providing free lesson plans and videos on space observation, life sciences, engineering & robotics, and other topics.

Johns Hopkins: Johns Hopkins is offering free registration to their online 3-hour Teach-Out course on understanding the epidemiology of COVID-19 (source).

K12 Inc: The K12 Big Universe reading platform contains over 17,000 free eBooks for K-12 students. Grade 9-11 students who want to earn credit while exploring for potential career opportunities can enroll in free summer programs (source).

Kahoot: Kahoot! Premium accounts are free for a limited time to schools affected by COVID-19. This allows higher education students to access additional features of the Kahoot game-based learning software (source).

KinderLab Robotics: KinderLab Robotics offers a free "No KIBO? No Problem!" booklet to students who are 3-7 years old. This booklet contains STEM activities on engineering, design, and coding that do not require a KIBO coding robot (source).

Kiron: Kiron provides teachers with free interactive online courses that can help them enhance their competency for remote learning (source).

Labster: Labster provides free access to their virtual learning program for high school students. Students who request for a free temporary license will be able to access over 100 laboratory experiments in physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering (source).

LabXchange: LabXchange is an online platform from Harvard University that offers free access to hundreds of educational resources for students, teachers, and researchers (source).

Learning Resources: LearningResources.com provides free STEM worksheets, at-home experiments, and other learning materials for preschool and grade 1 students. New activities are uploaded every day (source).

MIND Research Institute: The MIND Research Institute is offering free access to its ST Math program for home use until June 30, 2022. ST Math can serve as a supplementary tool for children to help them understand math concepts and problem-solving (source).

Mindantix: Midantix is providing free brain teasers, puzzles, and problem sets that students can use to improve their cognitive thinking skills. New activities are being uploaded every week (source).

National Geographic: National Geographic Free learning resources for K-12 students are available online. Students and teachers can watch hosting live video broadcasts in the Explorer Classroom on weekdays at 2:00 PM EDT, where they can ask questions to Nat Geo Explorers.

NoRedInk: NoRedInk offers free premium access to teachers and grade 5-12 students until the end of the current academic year. The features included in NoRedInk premium are Quick Writes, Premium SAT/ACT practice tests, Premium tutorials, grammar and writing exercises, and Premium Guided Drafts (source).

Omni Calculator: Omni Calculator offers more than 1000 free calculators for all conversions and equations. Students can read the creatively written explanations on each calculator so they can learn more about the formulas and the concepts involved in the equation (source).

Open Future Institute: The Open Future Institute has launched a stand-alone program called COVID-19 QUESTion Project, in partnership with the Fetzer Institute. This program provides support to teachers so they can strengthen the social and emotional well-being of their students during school closure (source).

OpenStax: OpenStax offers a digital library of peer-reviewed textbooks for students in high school and college. in humanities, social science, business, mathematics, and science (source).

OpusYou: OpusYou offers a 30-day free trial for music students who want to subscribe for free lessons. A series of orchestra performance videos are also available for viewing anytime.

Peekapak: Peekapak allows open access to its interactive learning platform for preK-5 students who are affected by school closures. Free resources include activities, games, and lessons that help students learn more about COVID-19 (source).

Project Exchange: Project Exchange is currently having a free 12-week online cultural exchange program that broadens the worldview of international students and improves their English speaking skills. Students can participate through Google Drive, Slack, and Zoom (source).

Reading Horizons: Reading Horizons is live-streaming webinars and video tutorials for students and parents every Tuesday through Thursday, until the end of the current school year. These videos are archived and uploaded to the Reading Horizons YouTube account for replay purposes (source).

Reading is Fundamental: Reading is Fundamental is offering a free resource library of reading guides, activity calendars, and other materials for teachers and students. Quick guides on literacy practices are also available to families of students who are affected by school closures.

Renaissance: Renaissance is providing open access to its compilation of online resources that includes Accelerated Reader, myON Reader, and myON News. Teachers can also access the Freckle program for differentiated instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (source).

Renzulli Learning: Renzulli Learning is open access to new and current subscribers until the end of the current academic year. Students who have an account choose from over 50,000 project-based learning activities that they can perform under teacher supervision. For those who wish to extend their membership through the 2020-2021 school year, a discounted rate is available (source).

Ringbeller: Ringbeller is creating and uploading 5-minute videos to their YouTube account, which can be viewed anytime for free. These videos are about remarkable leaders who use their imagination for educational purposes, and were previously exclusive for classroom use only (source).

Rocketbook: Rocketbook has uploaded free, downloadable resources in their Dropbox account. These PDFs worksheets include graph paper, music note sheets, letter dot-grid sheets, and lined paper for educators and students (source).

SAS: SAS offers 30 days of free access to its Learning Subscription and Academy for Data Science. Students can use this program to improve their skills on data analysis. Online technical support and software labs are also available for free (source).

Scholastic: The Scholastic Learn at Home program is a 4-week curriculum of activities on science, math, and social-emotional learning for preK-9 students. Teachers and parents can also register for distance learning guides (source).

Science News for Students: Science News for Students offers a free library of relevant resources for grade 9-12 students, which can be accessed in the Coronavirus Outbreak Collection. More than 200 STEM-related exercises are available for free to high school teachers who conduct online classes.

SimX: SimX allows free access to two of its multiplayer virtual reality training cases for HTC Vive and Oculus Quest. Healthcare workers and students can use these VR cases to learn and practice triage procedures, the evaluation and inpatient treatment of patients with COVID-19, and the proper use of personal protective equipment (source).

Smart Sparrow: Smart Sparrow offers free access to its collection of online STEM activities called Inspark Smart Courses. Educators can integrate these courses into their STEM curriculum using the Smart Sparrow program. Student progress for each Smart Course can also be tracked using Smart Sparrow (source).

SMART Technologies: SMART Technologies provides free access to both the self-paced and teacher-led options of the Learning Suite Online program. The Collaborative Workspace allows students to do online activities together on a shared digital canvas. Students can also use the Shout It Out feature to share ideas and content from their devices, for the purpose of discussion and evaluation by teachers (source).

Smekens Education: Smekens Education has uploaded free Literacy eLessons on social-emotional learning, writing, and reading for K-12 students. The videos are uploaded every week and can be watched through Vimeo and YouTube (source).

Soundtrap: Soundtrap is extending the free trial of its Education edition to 120 days with no additional fees for students and teachers. This online recording and editing studio is used to create, share, and edit music files as well as access a library of podcasts, audio stories, and literacy training classes (source).

STEM Education Works: STEM Education Works offers free robotics worksheets and Dobot tutorials for students (source).

Studies Weekly: Studies Weekly is providing free access to online learning tutorials and lesson plans for teachers. These resources can be added by teachers to their social studies and science curricula for K-6 students (source).

Super Teacher Worksheets: Super Teacher Worksheets is a digital library of K-5 printable activities on grammar, writing, reading, phonics, math, science, and social studies. Teachers and parents can access all content through a shared, public account by signing in with the username temporaryaccess and the password stayhealthy (source).

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Online Classroom Support

CirQlive: CirQlive is an online integrated learning platform that helps teachers organize class schedules and group meetings. For a limited time, this program is free for 90 days and includes free consulting services for school faculty members (source).

Classtag: ClassTag is a platform that helps teachers communicate with parents of students who attend online classes through voice and video calls. Teachers who use ClassTag will get a chance to win free educational materials (source).

Creative Fabrica: Explore a wide range of coloring pages to keep children engaged and creative during their time at home (download up to 10 products for free).

Edmentum: Edmentum allows K-12 teachers to register for one year of free access to the Study Island practice and assessment tool. No credit card details are required (source).

GoGuardian: GoGuardian provides free access to all its remote learning support tools until the end of the semester. Those who are currently subscribed to GoGuardian will receive additional remote learning resources (source).

Gravic: Gravic's Remark Test Grading Cloud program lets teachers scan and grade online quizzes, exams, and evaluations. A free 60-day subscription is offered to K-12 schools (source).

Hand2mind: Hand2mind provides free STEM worksheets and video tutorials on English literacy and mathematics for K-5 students. Visit their website to view the weekly upload schedule (source).

Managed Methods: Managed Methods is offering 30 days of free access to its cloud-based monitoring software for K-12 school districts. Additional training and support is available for students who want to use this software to protect their email apps, G Suite, and Office 365 from security risks (source).

Maths Chase: Math Chase is a digital library of free online games for students who want to practice mathematics. Activities include multiplication tables, even and odd numbers, basic arithmetic, prime numbers, place values, and sequences (source).

McGraw-Hill: The McGraw-Hill official website offers digital support to K-12 educators who are transitioning to distance learning during school closures. Instructional materials and video tutorials are available for free (source).

Menlo Security: Menlo Security is offering a free software license to schools upon request. Faculty, staff, and students can use this program to protect the email links and attachments in their messages and to connect their devices directly to the Internet without using a VPN (source).

Microsoft: Microsoft Office 365 A1 is free for school staff, faculty members, and students. This license includes the full, online version of MS Office with email, video conference features, Microsoft Teams that can be personalized for classroom use, and other MS support tools (source).

Mobile Guardian: Mobile Guardian offers free access to teachers who want to use the program to regulate the mobile device usage of students during online classes. This program can be used to remotely manage screen time and filter websites that are accessed by Android, iOS, and ChromeOS devices (source).

OurPact: OurPact offers 3 months of free access to its device monitoring software. Parents can use this program to regulate the screen usage of their children's devices. Register for an account or download the OurPact app for Android or iOS to claim free temporary access (source).

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Communication & Internet Services

Bloomz: Bloomz is a free app that helps teachers communicate with students and their parents during home-based learning. Schools affected by COVID-19 can request for free Bloomz Premium accounts until the end of the semester (source).

Hargray: Hargray offers free router installation and 60 days of free Internet to households of K-12 and college students who do not have a subscription. An Internet speed upgrade discount is offered to current Hargray subscribers (source).

Loom: Loom records the user's screen and audio during video calls and allows controlled viewing, editing, and instant sharing. K-12 students and teachers who have a verified account can upgrade to Loom Pro for free, granting full access to additional video capture features (source).

Pronto: Pronto is allowing free access to its chat and video messaging app throughout the spring and summer semesters of 2020. The Pronto app includes features such as real-time one-on-one or group chat, file storage and sharing, task management, and announcements (source).

Remind: Remind is a free app that teachers can use to send messages and share files with students and their families. A special subscription plan for teachers allows up to 10 classes for each account, with a maximum capacity of 150 participants per class. Remind can also be integrated with Box, Flipgrid, Google Classroom, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, SignUp, and SurveyMonkey (source).

RingCentral: RingCentral offers 3 months of free access to its call, message, and video conference features. K-12 schools and community colleges that are affected by school closures can organize RingCentral conference calls that can accommodate up to 200 participants (source).

TalkingPoints: TalkingPoints is a text messaging and translation app that is giving away free temporary accounts to Title 1-funded schools and districts until the end of the current school year. Teachers who request free app access can send text messages with two-way translation to English and non-English speaking families (source).

TeamViewer: TeamViewer offers free access to its Blitz platform, which can be used for file sharing, video conferences, and screen sharing. Teachers can use Blitz to set up video conference calls with up to 50 students (source).

Teamwork: Teamwork offers free access to its remote work management and chat messaging app. Teachers can use this software to assign projects and assignments, share files, and monitor the learning progress of their students (source).

Windstream Enterprise: Windstream Enterprise is offering up to 5 months of free access to OfficeSuite UC with SD-WAN for qualified subscribers. Teachers can use HD Meeting to set up video conference calls with up to 100 students (source).

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Academic Journal Access

Elsevier: Elsevier allows open access on all COVID-19 related journals on their website. Priority publication is given to journal submissions that are related to the novel Coronavirus (source).

Journal Storage (JSTOR): JSTOR is offering free expanded access to most of the unlicensed journals in their Archive and Primary Source collections. Open access is also allowed to 26 Public Health journal archives (source).

MUSE: Project MUSE is offering free access to all its eBooks and journals on COVID-19. Visit their website to view the specific duration of free access for each publisher (source).

New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM): The NEJM is allowing open access for all their journal articles, guidelines, commentaries, and clinical reports on COVID-19 (source).

Oxford University Press (OUP): OUP allows free access to all of their online articles and published journals that are related to COVID-19 (source).

Wiley Online Library: Wiley Online Library allows free access for all of its published journals, online articles, and book chapters on Coronavirus research. Journals that are published on Monday through Thursday can be viewed for free within 24 hours of publication (source).

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

Coaching4Good: Coaching4Good is providing free 30-minute professional life coaching sessions for people who work in small business, healthcare, education, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations (source).

DoYogaWithMe: DoYogaWithMe is offering free access to their premium content for 2 months. Create an account and choose the "free" option when you redeem your subscription (source).

Down Dog: The Down Dog apps for 7 Minute Workout, HIIT, yoga, and other exercises are free for healthcare workers, teachers, and students in K-12 and college until January 1, 2022. Register online to qualify, and download the Down Dog app to create an account.

EkhartYoga: EkhartYoga is providing 12 free online classes on meditation and yoga techniques. No credit card details are required during registration (source).

Glo: Glo offers free online video classes on Pilates, yoga, and meditation.  meditation, Pilates, and yoga. No registration is required (source).

Peloton: The Peloton exercise app is extending its free trial to 90 days. Download to access indoor exercises for yoga, cardio, strength training, meditation, and more (source).

YMHC Education: YMHC is offering a $5 discount for each purchase of the mental wellness workbook “In This Together: My Life During a Global Pandemic”. A minimum order of 20 copies is required to redeem this discount (source).

Go to: Online Learning Resources, Online Classroom Support, Communication & Internet, Academic Journal Access, Health & Wellness

Enjoy Your Stay at Home!

Visit the official website of the Government of Canada for official guidelines and important reminders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. For global updates, check out the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO). If you have any questions or suggestions about this guide, feel free to leave a comment below.

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