FAQ

1) Which courses can I take? 

Interested in brushing up on your high school math skills that you’ve since forgotten? Want to take a science course for high school credit? We’ve got a course for you! The eLearning Café offers a wide range of courses in virtually all subjects.  Some of these are long-term, “blended” courses (part face-to-face instructors and part online content delivery) and some are simply informal workshops offered for the general public.

You can take blended courses either for school credit or to simply advance your personal knowledge. We offer these classes to any learners aged 5 to 99. Challenge us to find a course that won’t work for you… we haven’t been stumped yet! See courses for a partial list of courses offered by the eLC.  Call us if we can help you find a high-quality course you’re interested in that is not on this list.

 

2) How and when can I get started?

Call 775-831-2423, email elearningcafes@gmail.com, or come by the cafe to talk to the staff.  If you are taking the course for school credit, please bring your school transcript. Your principal and school counselor will sign off on a permission form which you can obtain at the eLC, which ensures you will get school credit provided you pass the class.  Let us know if you are in sports programs at school so we may select an NCAA-approved course for you.  These are carefully selected, proficiency-based courses developed around current advances in teaching and learning, which means you will gain solid proficiency in a course before finishing the course.  This is not the place to come for “easy credits.”

If you are not intending on receiving credit for this course, you do not need outside permission or authorization to take the course. Depending on the course, however, we may ask you to complete a baseline assessment to ensure that we start you at the correct level. Typically you can start within 2-48 hours of signing up.

 

3) How much will it cost? Are there scholarships?

Students enrolling in a blended learning course through the eLC receive a discounted course rate. Course costs can vary from free to $490. Prices vary based on provider and course length, however, the biggest driver of course price is whether you intend to receive credit for the course or not. Click here to see course prices. You typically pay for the course when you sign up, but payment plans are available. Please contact Kathryn about this possibility at elearningcafes@gmail.com.

The eLC can offer scholarships to qualified students taking our blended learning courses. To help us determine your financial need, we require all applicants fill out either an application (available at the eLC office) or provide proof that your child receives subsidized lunch. If you have questions about this process, please contact Kathryn at elearningcafes@gmail.com.

 

4) How can I get credit for these courses?

The eLC has a memorandum of understanding with the Washoe County School District that facilitates the transfer of credits from the eLC to Middle and High Schools. You will need to bring a form (obtainable at the eLC office) to your school and have your principal and school councilor sign off on it, thereby giving their permission for you to take an eLC course.

The eLC only offers blended courses that are accredited by the Washoe County School District and the NC2A (if need be) and, furthermore, meet a standard of quality set by the eLC in terms of its ability to engage students with evidence based teaching methods.

 

5) How long does the course last?

All eLC blended courses are self paced, so they last only as long as it takes the student to satisfactorily master the course content. Often times the student’s schedule or deadlines imposed by their school will dictate the timeframe they have to complete their course.

 

6) How do the labs work?

Most of our blended learning courses integrate some sort of lab work into their curriculum so that students can participate in hands-on activities. For chemistry, botany, biology, earth science and physical science courses, labs take place in the Annex. These labs are open to all students (no matter their age) enrolled in the blended learning course. Don’t worry, lab fees are included in the overall course fee

 

7) I have an interest/area of expertise that I would like to give a workshop on. How can I work with eLC to schedule such a course?

We are always excited when community members offer to share their expertise with others. Whether you are looking to give a lecture on a local environmental issue, initiate a creative writing club, give music lessons, or lead a family arts and crafts project, we encourage the sharing of all types of knowledge within our community. These workshops can be a single session or a series, and last anywhere from an hour to more. To describe your area of expertise/interest and propose a workshop contact elearningcafes@gmail.com.