18 Free Online Classes And Certifications 2021 – Photography, Design, Coding, Business, Baking, And More

MCO 2.0 was announced just 2 weeks into 2021, flushing hopes of starting the year right down the drain for many. However, being confined at home shouldn’t stop you from working towards being a better version of yourself in the new year! If you’re feeling restless or unproductive in these uncertain times, perhaps it’s time to pick up a new skill or hobby that may boost your morale and improve your professional skills and career prospects.

We’ve done some research and compiled 18 platforms that offer a wide-variety of free online classes, certifications, and materials that are perfect for helping you become a more creative, competent, and knowledgeable person. Whether you’re looking to hone your skills in Marketing, Science, coding, photography, writing, baking, or even learn a new language – you’ll find something for you here. Stay hungry, stay foolish even while you #stayhome!

Google has launched a series of free digital marketing courses perfect for those looking to bolster your knowledge in the field. You can also get a Google Analytics or Google Adwords Certification for free!

Learn from faculty experts from one of the top universities in the world – Harvard University is offering free courses in a wide variety of subjects including Data Science, Law, Biochemistry, Creative Writing, Law, Food Science and more.

Explore new skills, unleash your creativity, discover new passions, and be inspired by checking out over thousands of free courses available on Skillshare. These online lessons span across a wide-range of categories including Design, Photography, Writing, Crafts, Technology, Business, Animation, and a lot more. Sign up for a 2 months free trial during this special #stayhome period.

Always wanted to learn a new language? You can do so for free on Duolingo, a language learning platform that allows people to learn 35+ languages in a fun and addictive way! Navigate bite-sized lessons and practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing for a language of your choice. Some of the most popular languages are Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean! Besides learning on their website, Duolingo also has an app for you to learn easily even while you’re on-the-go.

TED-Ed provides a collection of lessons that aim towards helping everybody learn something new, everyday. What’s cool is that the courses they provide span across a huge range of subjects and are suitable for all sorts of age groups including children! The lesson videos are crisp and engaging – allowing viewers to explore big ideas in TED-style talks.

With the objective of helping everyone make the most out of these times, Nikon is providing their Nikon School Online courses for free to help creators stay inspired, engaged and grow despite the uncertain circumstances. These courses normally cost about $40 each and now don’t cost a single cent. Learn everything from the fundamentals of photography to how to snap amazing portraits, landscape photographs or even how to produce a music video kind of film. Start learning now so you can take beautiful photos once it’s ok to travel again!

The World Health Organization has launched a series of free, self-paced, multilingual online courses where you can learn from public health experts about topics including COVID-19, infection prevention, risk communication, and more. The learning is totally flexible and you’ll also receive a free certificate upon completion of the course. Equip yourself with life-saving knowledge that you can carry with you your entire lifetime.

Learn from thousands of skilled instructors and industry experts for free! Besides usual courses about specific subjects, you can also take courses that will motivate you and even help you land your next job. For instance, you can take a course on how to find a job during challenging economic times, learn how to manage stress and achieve a work-life balance, or discover tips on how to stay motivated while job hunting.

These courses are especially helpful for those looking for a career change or fresh graduates and university students.

Obtain high quality knowledge and education for free by diving into the abundance of free online courses offered by UC Berkeley. Some courses we find interesting include Marketing Analytics, Blockchain Technology, Business Writing, and Statistics. You can also hone your soft skills by learning how to build resilience, empathy, emotional intelligence, and more which will definitely be beneficial for you in life and at work.

Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace that offers over 100,000 courses on all sorts of subjects. The platform is offering some courses for free to make learning accessible to the public during these unprecedented times, you can literally learn everything from how to code, manage your finances, and develop a website on the site.

Learn at your own pace on this online learning platform with on-demand video lectures, hands-on projects and self-paced quizzes that will help you grasp complicated subjects effectively. Coursera is offering a wide variety of free courses (an initiative to allow people across the globe to learn for free in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic) suitable for all age groups including high school students, college students and those looking for career development.

Though this isn’t a course nor certification, we still decided to add in onto the list as it may be of many’s interest! Netflix has released a series of 20+ hours worth of educational documentaries watchable on Youtube for free. Learn about topics such as nature, politics, science, society, and design from these videos without having to get a Netflix subscription if you don’t already have one!

Learn piano at home for free on HomeSchoolPiano! The site is providing 30 days of free access to their Level 1 Lessons for those who’d like to try something new. Learn a new therapeutic musical skill while you #stayhome during these tough times – the lesson is perfect for even absolute beginners and you’ll get to learn flexibly at your own pace.

Get 2 months’ unlimited access to thousands of free online art and craft classes! New classes are released every day from creative experts across the globe – learn to paint, knit, sew, make jewelry, and more, all on one platform.

FutureLearn partners with top university and specialist organizations to provide hundreds of courses on a diverse range of topics. Access 44 free short courses in collaboration with universities and companies such as Accenture, British Council, King’s College London, Coventry University, and more. This is your chance to learn from world class instructors – you’ll also receive a free, downloadable digital certificate upon completion of any of the courses.

Learn graphic design online at your own pace with Canva, a graphic design platform founded in Australia. Learn the basics of graphic design, how to brand your business with design and even how to create presentation slides that will impress your audience! The videos available on the Canva Design School site are easy-to-follow, fun to watch, and will definitely teach you how to create great designs easily and in a fun way.

Take free introductory classes on how to start marketing your business on Facebook! These courses will help you build a solid foundation on launching social media ads, engaging with your audience, and using the platform effectively to achieve your business goals. If you’re someone looking to start a business, this one’s for you.

This one’s another bonus that we decided to add onto the list considering the relevance of it in these challenging times. Calm is the #1 app that helps people with sleep, relaxation and meditation. The app assists people in reducing stress and anxiety – it’s recommended by psychologists, therapists and mental health experts. You can enjoy guided meditation sessions, relaxing music, Sleep Stories, and stretching exercises that will hopefully help you get through your day easier. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed during these times, do check this out and hopefully it can make you feel better.