Sure, bookstores, libraries and the Internet provide great opportunities for the determined soul to educate herself.
But there are other fine sources of FREE education as well in NYC.
And they don’t cost anything, kid. No student loans mortgaging away your future, isn’t that great?
Here are a few of them:
Columbia University
OMG, Columbia organizes a ton of FREE events on a variety of subjects hosted by some of the world’s top scholars.
But seats are often limited and many require online registration.
Yes, some of the programs even serve light refreshments.
Can it get any better? Free Education with Free Snacks.
If you lived in Manhattan and refuse to take advantage of Columbia University free lectures, discussions, seminars and book discussions then the word for you is schmuck.
Web site: http://www.columbia.edu/events/today.html
Goethe Institut
Goethe Institut in NYC organizes several events (separately and in partnership with other organizations) focused on German language and culture.
Yes, some of these events are FREE.
The Institute’s recent FREE events included meeting with young German film directors, workshops for teachers, exhibitions by German artists, Book Club discussions and a series on What is Green Architecture?
Don’t forget to check out Goethe Institute’s Events calendar on its web site.
Web site: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/ney/enindex.htm
French Institute: Alliance Francaise
22 E.60th St
New York, NY 10022
Ph: 212-355-6100
French Institute: Alliance Francaise holds some FREE Kid and Family events like storytelling in French, craft workshops, animation films etc.
Good idea to expose your children to a different culture and let them learn that there’s a big world outside of Manhattan.
Check out the French Institute’s web site for their calendar of events.
Web site: http://www.fiaf.org
Cooper Union
30 Cooper Square
(Fourth Ave between 5th St and 6th St)
New York, NY 10003
Ph: 212-353-4100
Subway: 6 to Astor Pl; N, R to 8 St-NYU
FREE
Thanks to the generosity of inventor and industrialist Peter Cooper, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was established in 1859.
Every undergraduate student gets a full tuition scholarship.
But competition is intense as only a total of 205-220 students are admitted each year for programs in Architecture, Engineering and the Arts.
Cooper’s web site provides a wealth of information for prospective applicants.
Even if you don’t aspire to be a full-time student at Cooper, you can still benefit from the tons of lectures, exhibitions and other events organized by Cooper. A lot of them are free.
Web site: http://www.cooper.edu
City University of New York
CUNY is the largest urban public university serving over half a million students at 24 centers in New York City.
Notable alumni include former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Senator Barbara Boxer.
CUNY hosts tons of lectures, discussions, performances, recitals and screenings.
Guess what? A lot of those events are FREE.
Recent free events hosted by CUNY included The Economic Crisis in the Euro-Zone, Sunflowers in the Dark: Human Trafficking and Prostitution, screening of Vincent Who? and Tango lessons.
Check out CUNY web site for the event calendar and venue.
Web site: http://events.cuny.edu
New York Public Library
At its various branches, the New York Public Library system hosts countless events for children, teenagers/young adults and adults.
For a single day (May 14, 2012), we found 165 pages of events listed on the NYPL web site.
Dance lessons, computer basics, French for beginners, adult yoga, watercolor painting, Tae Kwon Do workshops, Microsoft Excel…..hey, the list is endless.
If you’re not taking advantage of the New York Public Library system, we suggest you quickly make an appointment with a shrink to find out what’s wrong with you.
Web site: http://www.nypl.org/events
Access Restricted lecture series organized by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Recent discussion/lecture topics include At the Intersection: Art, Money and Politics; From Radio Row to the Freedom Tower: Arts and the Evolution of Lower Manhattan.
The council also offers free training and workshops for artists of all disciplines.
Make sure you check out the LMCC web site for details on their various programs.
Web site: http://www.lmcc.net
New School
Organizes lots of lectures, exhibitions, recitals, music concerts and other and performances.
Most of them are open to the public and many of them are FREE.
Some of the paid programs too are not that expensive, $5-$10.
Seating is limited, so get there early.
Web site: http://www.newschool.edu/eventlist.aspx
Cheap Knowledge about New York
Yes, I know it’s considered unfashionable to pay for any kind of online content these days.
After all, what could be more cheaper than going online and reading what you want, when you want, wherever you want. On FREE WiFi if you can manage it.
But one of the cheapest forms of acquiring knowledge about New York City is surely via the Sunday New York Times.
For $5, you get so much for so little.
Besides the previous day’s news of the metropolis and the world beyond, the Sunday New York Times has a cornucopia of well-written articles covering business, book reviews, arts, films, and so much more.
Of course, there’s always the whiner who’ll say we can get it all free on the Internet.
But if more of you take that attitude, the New York Times will cease to exist before long.
And that would be a significant loss indeed for all of us.