*Updated 3/18/2020.
As the coronavirus continues to impact our day-to-day lives, schools and businesses around the world have temporarily closed their doors, and the travel world has been halted. We know many spring break travel opportunities have been altered due to these changes and we want to help you take advantage of all digital travel resources available during this downtime. From virtual walk-throughs to digital catalogs, we’ve rounded up some of the best online educational resources to utilize this week!
1) Virtual Online Tours
Living in the digital age definitely has its perks. From Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Yellowstone National Park, get an up-close and personal look at iconic works of art and national parks around the world from the comfort of your home.
Museums
Washington D.C. – National Gallery of Art
New York – Guggenheim Musuem
London – The British Museum
Paris – The Louvre Museum
Florence – Uffizi Gallery
Amsterdam – Van Gogh Museum
Berlin – Pergamon Museum
National Parks
Google Earth Tour of 31 Parks
2) Educational Experiences
Digital Monument Tours – Utilizing 3D technology, Open Heritage works to preserve national monuments around the world online for digital exploration. Check out some historical sites including the Thomas Jefferson Monument in Washington D.C., the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin, and more! – https://artsandculture.google.com/project/openheritage
STEM-Themed Jobs – Discovery Education provides excellent opportunities to learn about STEM jobs in real-time. – https://www.boeingfutureu.com/
Polar Bear Cam – In addition to STEM-themed resources, Discovery Education also offers many online learning opportunities like their ever-popular polar bear cam. – https://www.discoveryeducation.com/learn/tundra-connections/
Aquarium Cams – Enjoy the antics of a wide range of animal friends on live camera feeds from one of the most notable aquariums in the U.S.!* – https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
*If you’re having trouble viewing the cams on the Monterey Bay Aquarium website, head over to their YouTube page for the live streams of the cams!
NASA’s Access Mars – In November 2011, NASA launched the Curiosity Rover to record images of Mars’ surface. Today, we can enjoy the results of that excursion online! – https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/
Yellowstone National Park Virtual Tours – Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nature! Tour Yellowstone National Park digitally today! – https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
Metropolitan Opera – This week, the Metropolitan Opera in New York is offering free digital shows every night from March 16th-March 22nd. Performances include some fan-favorites like Carmen and La Bohème. Streaming begins every night at 7:30 pm EST on the Metropolitan Opera’s home page. – https://www.metopera.org/about/press-releases/met-to-launch-nightly-met-opera-streams-a-free-series-of-encore-live-in-hd-presentations-streamed-on-the-company-website-during-the-coronavirus-closure/?fbclid=IwAR2F9a7vGgZVesd_y5aAtSlkoMTjgNLelsPZ4H4MJGRAECe3mG5a4TgVyro
3) Online Lessons
Skillshare – Learn a new creative craft or how to hone your photography skills for future travel excursions with online classroom opportunities through platforms like Skillshare. – https://www.skillshare.com/
Coursera – For high school or college students, online resources like Coursera offer advanced learning opportunities right at your fingertips! – https://www.coursera.org/
EdX – EdX offers free online classes covering a variety of topics offered by top educational institutions around the country! – https://www.edx.org/
Even though your week may not be going as initially planned, we hope you can enjoy some of these travel-themed online resources as you adhere to state and federal guidelines for staying healthy at home!
