DIGITAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE This list as of 8:30am on 4/21/20, items added since the last post are marked with NEW! We have made the URLs visible so you can copy/paste this page - feel free to share.If you have additional resources please email: Alison Barlow at abarlow@stpeteinnovationdistrict.com
ABC Mouse - membership-based service that includes stories and other materials. Free members while schools are closed: SCHOOL7771 (we couldn’t verify this but they do offer 30 days free on the home page).
NEW! Disney Bedtime - fans can hear messages from their favorite Disney characters before bed. Parents call 1-877-7MICKEY (764-2539).
Olaf's Storytime – the actor who plays Olaf in Frozen reads bedtime stories on Twitter. Use #GadBookClub to find the videos.
Operation Storytime - celebrities are using #operationstorytime to tag themselves reading kids' stories. Here’s a link to an article that includes several of them.
Kitchen Science - A great blog about science, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This one is about making ice cream - and it is a great companion to the virtual tour of a dairy farm (see lower on this list).
Paper Airplanes – a video on how to make 5 paper airplanes that are promised to fly far. Great tool to talk about construction, engineering and scientific principles (plus its fun!).
Google 3D Animals - on your phone open google. Then type in an animal such as "tiger" in the search bar. Under the results, you should see a choice "view in 3D." Select that and then you will see a tiger in 3D (might take a second to come up).
Schoolhouse Rock - brief videos about vocabulary, civics, and other topics.
Cell Phone Hot Spot - if you are not eligible for the Spectrum free 60-day offer - consider checking with your cell phone provider. Many are extending data plans for free or reduced cost so that users can use a phone as a hotspot to connect a laptop or tablet to the internet.
JSTOR - digital library for scholars, researchers, and students (some are free to the general public, other parts are being opened up to students at participating universities).
College Pen Pal - an article that explains a new program that connects students from any university / college created by students at USF St Petersburg (article includes a link to sign up).
Catalyst Jobs - available jobs in nonprofits that need to be filled immediately. Workers need only apply once to the job they want most; the St. Petersburg Foundation will work on fitting applicants with other jobs if their first choice is filled.
St Pete College's Technology Class - free course on technology essentials overview including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Hospitality Certificate Program from Florida Atlantic University - free certificate to hospitality and tourism workers. Five online sessions in April and include hospitality law, career competencies, marketing and revenue management, and service excellence. DEADLINE to register is April 7th.
Class Central - Classes from eight different universities / colleges that are available for free with a wide range of topics including computer science, math, design, and personal development.
The Florida Holocaust Museum - new interactive weekly educational series at 1:00pm ET on Tuesdays (Testimony Tuesday featuring a Holocaust Survivor or a Second Generation Survivor), Wednesdays (Artifact Wednesday featuring an artifact from the collection), and Thursdays (Lesson Thursday featuring various lessons and educational themes).
Circus Arts - the Circus Arts Conservatory team (in Sarasota) has launched CAC Connects, a new online platform designed to bring performance, training, education, and outreach.
NEW! Google Arts & Culture - an online platform dedicated to providing public access to the collections of some of the world’s most preeminent art museums, developed by Google, has partnered with over 500 global art institutions to open their virtual doors to the public.
National Theatre - starting April 2 every Thursday from 7pm UK time, you will be able to watch live British theatre. This link takes you to their FaceBook page for details.
Pinellas County Library Cooperative (includes St Pete Library system) - Overdrive/Libby program for downloadable books and audiobooks (requires a library card).
Fact-Checking COVID-19 - Poynter Institute (in St Pete) and fact-checking organizations around the world have compiled a database of misinformation about COVID-19.
Fighting Chance Fund - City of St. Petersburg has created the Fighting Chance Fund – an emergency grant for St. Pete’s negatively impacted independently owned and operated small businesses.
CARES Act - information about the new CARES Act which includes the Paycheck Protection Program. This new program will allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees access to funds to pay operating expenses, rent and to keep their employees working for the next two months. If certain conditions are met, these loans will be forgiven. Reach out directly to your bank to determine the next steps.
There are many quotes about innovation and how it is fostered. I have several hanging in my office. We recently looked to these as we were deciding the name for our new breakfast series. Our brainstorming kept coming back to the concept that ideas are the beginning - they create the "spark" that fuels innovation.
Congratulations to Sarah Gilbert, Chief Operating Officer of Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital for being named a 2024 BusinessWoman of the Year honoree. We are also thrilled that Sarah has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Innovation District.
Even with an extra day in the month, I am running late with the February newsletter. Its been a busy and exciting time. Last Tuesday we announced a new project - Catching the Blue Wave: Accelerating America’s Ocean Economy.
