Apple’s Fabulous Worldwide Free Education Initiative

I must admit I do love the latest bright shiny object and in the tech world there are so many fabulous products to be dazzled by.

I buy the latest and greatest and may browse through its manual to get the gist of use. It should be no surprise that when watching a friend using their Iphone, for example, I am often astounded that it has functions or shortcuts I knew nothing about.

Well the clever team at Apple have gone one better than the owner’s manual, they have launched a fabulous worldwide FREE education initiative in all of their 495 Apple Stores around the world, including all 22 Apple Stores in Australia. These are not just courses for people like me who could definitely learn a trick or two about the orchard of apple devices in my home but courses ranging from photo and video to music, coding, art and design, and more.

There is something for everyone.

There are programs for the young all the way through to the young at heart. The hands-on sessions will be led by highly-trained team members, teaching sessions from basics and how-to lessons to professional-level programs.

How many courses?

The initiative is called Today at Apple and sessions will take place in every Apple Store every hour during store hours. In Australia, there will be over 1,000 hours of free courses on offer each week, starting now.

Naturally they cover the basics on their products iPad, iPhone, Apple ID and iCloud, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPhone and iPad Intermediate, Mac Intermediate.

They will help you get started with the basics and walk you through the fundamentals of your device. Learn how to navigate, stay up to date and feel confident about your products.

However, they take it to the next level by offering “How to” sessions:

• Edit and Mix Music on a Mac
• Sketch, Draw and Paint with iPad
• Edit Photos on iPhone
• Shoot Photos with iPhone
• Record Video with iPhone
• Get Started with Coding
• Edit Video on Mac
• Grow Your Business

And it doesn’t stop there. You can take part in a some more creative experiences.

Photo Walks

Explore the world around you and improve your iPhone photography skills on an inspiring photo walk. We’ll take you to new places, show you how to create stunning shots, experiment with the latest accessories and share our best photography and editing tips.

Sketch Walks

Go on a fun walk to new locations and learn how to sketch, paint and draw with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. Get back to basics and explore drawing techniques, and join other artists to create collaborative artwork.

Studio Hours

Bring a project you’re working on or want to get started, and our Creatives can help. Drop in anytime for 90 minutes, or stay for the whole session.

Kids Hour

An adventure awaits each week as kids create fun, hands-on projects. Designed to spark imagination and creativity, kids will explore coding, story-telling, illustration, movie making, music and more. What a fabulous way to engage the kids whilst you sneak in an hour of power shopping time.

Teacher Tuesdays

Connect with teachers like yourself to collaborate and learn new skills through hands-on projects. We’ll explore all the ways you can engage students aged 5 – 18, manage your classroom, and create learning experiences using iPad.

How to be involved?

Head to apple.com/au/today to select your local store and register for courses of interest. The initiative lasts for two weeks, from the 17th to the 30th of May, 2017, I will definitely be taking advantage of this fabulous initiative. Who knows, I may even be able to work out how to master my iphone 7+.