From baking bread to cooking to exercise classes, people are taking advantage of their extra time at home due to COVID-19 to learn new things.
Although we can’t attend classes or connect in person, there are more educational offerings online than ever before that allow us to share our knowledge and make connections.
One of the most popular online learning platforms globally is Skillshare, which has reached more than 8 million people all over the world.
Lockdown learning platform
Skillshare allows experts of all kinds to create online courses on design, creative writing, leadership, and more.
Because course creators using Skillshare — such as the award-winning authors Roxane Gay and Mary Karr — are well-respected in their fields, paying them quickly and accurately is a crucial part of the business model.
There’s no room for error, so Skillshare uses the payables platform Tipalti to make sure those payments are sent on time.
The Shareable team browsed through the thousands of courses available on Skillshare, and found courses on teamwork, creativity, leadership, and change-making that can brighten up your quarantine and support creators.
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A class on advocacy for sharing activists
Whether you are a seasoned activist or simply passionate about a social cause, this course will help you take simple steps to become a stronger advocate. In this course, you’ll complete a small scale advocacy action plan that covers committing to developing effective action, choosing the right action for you, setting achievable goals, crafting your message, and defining your audience.
Learn more: “7 Simple Small Steps to Small Scale Advocacy Action”
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Keep it simple
Minimalism is a cornerstone of sustainability and the sharing economy — possessing less decreases our ecological impacts, and we can share things with others rather than having to own them ourselves. This course by author Erin Boyle is an introduction to the positive benefits of minimalism and how to get started with it.
Learn more: ”Everyday Minimalism: Find Calm and Creativity in Living Simply”
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Be the change you wish to see
Do you have a vision for your community, or see a problem that could be served by a nonprofit? In this class, a seasoned consultant walks you through all of the tools you will need to start your own nonprofit. You will learn about naming your organization, registering and fulfilling your legal obligations, how to staff your organization, and how to fundraise for your new venture.
Learn more: “How to Start A Nonprofit Organization”
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Journaling prompts and “writing for self-discovery”
Writing is an act of self-care, says Yasmine Cheyenne, a mental health and spiritual-wellness writer, speaker, and coach. Her course offers six journaling prompts, and a toolbox of styles, that aim to improve mental health and well-being.
As many of us navigate the stresses of COVID-19, natural disasters like wildfires, and a contentious presidential election, self-care is more important than ever, and enables us to be better involved as members of our communities.
Learn more: “Writing for Self Discovery: 6 Journaling Prompts for Gratitude and Growth”
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Being a team player remotely
If you’re new to working with others remotely, as so many of us are doing these days, there’s absolutely a learning curve to this skill. When every member of a working team lives in different parts of one city, country, or scattered across the globe, we have to participate in “remote collaboration.” This course breaks down the complexities of remote collaboration into compact, bite-sized modules, providing you with the key ingredients you need to foster tightly-knit, high-performing teams. This is also a great course for anyone who spends time working in groups and teams as most of the strategies covered are fully applicable to any collaborative context, online or in-person.
Learn more: “Online Teamwork: Manage Remote Teams & Master Remote Collaboration”
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Freelancing? Put a price on it
As we have covered extensively at Shareable, freelance workers and gig workers are often not paid as well as they deserve and have limited support systems and labor rights.
In this course, author, educator, and artist Peggy Dean will teach freelancers tips for pricing their work at a rate that is fair and equitable.
Learn more: ”Pricing Your Work: How to Value your Work as a Freelancer”
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The power of your voice
The internet is an incredible resource for creating community and sharing resources and ideas. But in order to have impact online, you need to have a unique voice and perspective.
This course by Youtuber and content-creator Nathaniel Drew helps students find and hone their voices to create a powerful online presence.
Learn more: “Creativity Unleashed: Discover, Hone and Share Your Voice Online”
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Communication counts
Good communication is the foundation of strong relationships and positive change. If you want to become a better communicator, this course by educator Alex Lyon will be perfect for you. Strong communication skills can help you become a force for good in your community.
Learn more: “Communication Skills: Become More Clear, Concise and Confident”
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Everything you need to know about events
We couldn’t pick just one events-focused course here because there is so much depth within this category. Courses here range from where to start when planning an event to organizing an amazing retreat, to how to get parents to volunteer for school events. The skills covered in these courses could easily be applied to sharing events such as swaps, repair cafes, and activism and advocacy-related events.
Learn more: Check out courses in the events category
Plugging into platform power
If you’re hoping to learn something new this fall, check out one of these courses on Skillshare, or teach one yourself if you’re a creative!
For Skillshare and other businesses that rely on paying many vendors accurately and on time, the payables platform run by Shareable partner Tipalti is crucial.
Learn more about Tipalti and its work to support creative businesses all over the world.
*Tipalti is a Shareable Sponsor and this article includes affilliate links.
