by Karen Cronin
This summer our high school and college students may not be working the jobs or internships they had planned on. Restaurants may have few customers, so they will not need as much staff. Summer camps are cancelled in many towns, so they will not need counselors. Many college internships have been cancelled because company employees are working from home. So that leaves many high school and college students without jobs this summer. So, what can they do? Enter Universal Class and Rosetta Stone!
Universal Class has hundreds of online classes library card holders can take for free. It can be accessed through the Red Bank Library website under Resources -- Research Databases. All classes are taught by professional instructors. The classes are grouped into several categories, such as, Accounting, Business, Computer Training, Real Estate, etc. Within each category are classes associated with that particular subject. All classes are self-paced, so you can take your class when it is convenient for you. Some classes have assignments and exams so you can chart your progress. Many classes have the option for you to audit only which does not require assignments or exams. At the end of each class you can print out a certificate that shows you completed that particular course.
Let’s say you have a student who is interested in or majoring in Education. They could click on the “Teacher Resources” category and find several classes to take on several subjects. For example, under this category are Autism 101, Basic English-Speaking Skills, Behavior Management 101, Building Children’s Reading Skills, and more. Patrons can take up to five courses at a time, and have six months to complete each course.
Another option for students this summer is learning a new language or brushing up on a language that they are familiar with. Rosetta Stone, the library’s language learning program, can be accessed by library cardholders through our website under Resources – Research Databases. Rosetta Stone offers 30 languages in an online format that is self-paced. Many of the languages offer options as to how you want to learn. There is a reading and writing focus, speaking and listening focus, as well as other types of learning options. Rosetta Stone teaches its students to read, write, and speak the language of their choosing.
This summer there may not be a lot of jobs to be had for our high school and college students. But the library has opportunities for our students to learn new skills or brush up on existing skills for free! Next summer when our students are interviewing for colleges, internships or post college jobs and they are asked what they did during the summer of 2020, they will be able to list the classes and skills learned through their library with Universal Class and Rosetta Stone.
Karen Cronin is a Library Assistant at the Red Bank Public Library. She currently moderates the library’s monthly Cookbook Club. Karen is Rutgers University alumnae (go Knights!).