Skip to content

ACT Newsroom & Blog

Hide All News & Blogs View All News & Blogs

ACT is Providing Free Digital Learning Resources for Students and the Workforce Impacted by COVID-19

ACT capabilities assist students across the learning lifecycle and workers facing workplace disruptions during unprecedented times IOWA...

Read this article


ACT capabilities assist students across the learning lifecycle and workers facing workplace disruptions during unprecedented times

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT, a trusted nonprofit partner serving schools and workplaces around the world, announced today a broad-based effort to provide free digital learning and workforce resources to assist students, teachers, schools and workers impacted by COVID-19.

“ACT is driven by our mission and unique abilities to serve students across the learning lifecycle with solutions that meet their individual learning styles, and to serve families who are grappling with the difficulties caused by school closings, the sudden shift to online learning, disruptions in college planning and career uncertainties created by record job losses,” said ACT CEO Marten Roorda. “Our organization has devoted itself to helping people succeed in school and in the workplace over the past six decades. Today is no different. We remain committed to supporting learning and workforce development through the most innovative educational technology and proven solutions.”
The free ACT resources outlined below are part of ACT’s commitment to serving community needs during this challenging time. The resources are adaptable for use in the home, through online learning and in workforce settings.

For Students & Parents

  • ACT Academy: ACT Academy™ is a free online learning resource for students seeking to improve their academic skills through individualized learning plans. Practice tests for PreACT® and the ACT® test are also available.
  • Free live sessions and events: Provided by Kaplan, these ACT test prep sessions and events feature digital learning and live online instruction.
  • ACT Voice-Based Assistant: Amazon Alexa guides users through the ACT registration process, including finding test dates and locations.
  • College Research Worksheet: This free guide, offered through the American College Application Campaign (ACAC), helps students understand match, fit and cost when researching colleges and identifying which schools they want apply to.


For Educators

  • icurio: Through icurio®, teachers receive free, instant access to more than 360,000 curated, vetted and maintained standards-aligned resources from the best open educational resource (OER) providers.
  • ACT | Mawi Learning™ Student Curriculum Programs*: Educators can register for free access to comprehensive SEL curriculum for grades 6-12, as well as a specialized program for English Learners through June 30, 2020.
  • Social and Emotional Learning Home Connections: Parent materials and student worksheets are free core tools and strategies for social and emotional learning that can be used at home.
  • HERA Science: An adaptive learning system for middle school students aimed to develop scientific reasoning and foster confidence in STEM.
  • ACT Academy: Teachers can use ACT® Academy to gauge their students’ mastery of math, English/language arts and science concepts, providing essential feedback for individual learning.


For Job Seekers

  • ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC): A nationally recognized credential certifying essential skills sought by employers, based on scores on the ACT WorkKeys assessments. Free practice tests are available.


For Education & Workforce Advocates

  • ACT State Organizations: Education and workforce advocates can network and share best practices with 18,000+ education and workforce professionals across the country.

To discover more about these resources, visit ACT online at: act.org/covid19

*Resource announced and added to this page on April 22, 2020

Follow ACT

 Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   YouTube   Pinterest


About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career.

ACT Reschedules April 2020 International ACT Test Date to June

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has rescheduled the April 3 and 4, 2020 international ACT test date to June 12 and 13, 2020 in response to the coronav...

Read this article


IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has rescheduled the April 3 and 4, 2020 international ACT test date to June 12 and 13, 2020 in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

ACT will communicate directly with all international students currently registered for the April ACT test. All impacted students will receive an email from ACT in the next few days informing them of the postponement and providing instructions on how to change their registration to June or a later date.

ACT recently rescheduled the April 4 U.S.A. national test date to June 13.

More information will be shared as it becomes available in the days ahead.

To access up-to-date information, additional international test date options, and other frequently asked questions, please visit: http://global.act.org/.

Follow ACT

 Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   YouTube   Pinterest


About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career.

ACT Joins Forces with Hudson Global Scholars and Shorelight to Support International Students Impacted by Coronavirus Outbreak

ACT Passport provides international students with support to help begin their U.S. education on time and remain on track Iowa City, IOWA...

Read this article


ACT Passport provides international students with support to help begin their U.S. education on time and remain on track

Iowa City, IOWA—ACT, Hudson Global Scholars, and Shorelight have joined forces to launch ACT Passport, a toolkit of flexible learning options designed to support international students impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

ACT Passport provides international students who are temporarily unable to travel to the United States the ability to complete their high school education, prepare for studies in the U.S. and even begin their U.S. university education on time.

There are two ways this initiative helps students stay on track. The ACT World High School Program offers high school seniors the ability to complete their senior year online and receive a U.S. High School diploma, and through the ACT Confident Start Initiative, students who have graduated high school can begin their U.S. university studies on time, anywhere they are in the world, and remain on pace to earn first-year academic credits.

“This collaboration is a natural fit that will benefit students, parents and universities,” said ACT CEO Marten Roorda. “ACT is committed to providing navigational pathways that help guide students to success in education and career. Through this agreement with Hudson and Shorelight, ACT Passport provides opportunities and assurance for students whose plans to complete high school and begin study in the U.S. have been interrupted by this very unfortunate situation.”

How it works:

ACT World High School

The ACT World High School U.S. diploma program is designed to provide international students with the required knowledge to earn a U.S. high school diploma and remain on track to attend a U.S. college/university. Students are required to complete six courses online in Math, English, Science, Social Studies, and two elective courses.

“ACT World High School is a great resource for international students being impacted by COVID-19,” said Mac Gamse, CEO of Hudson Global Scholars. “We are proud to join forces with ACT to help students who have spent a lifetime preparing for their post-secondary education.”

ACT Confident Start

With Shorelight’s American Collegiate Live program, students around the world receive live, synchronous instruction tailored to their English language proficiency. UMass Boston faculty teach from a state-of-the-art studio with cutting-edge tools—from infinite whiteboards to student zoom functionality—that create an optimal learning environment. Real-time faculty-led discussions, bilingual support, and academic advising work together to drive student success.

“Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we heard the concerns and anxieties of international students and their families that were facing dramatic disruptions to their academic journeys as a result of travel restrictions. We are partnering with ACT to bridge the gap,” said Tom Dretler, CEO of Shorelight. “Many students graduating high school right now across the globe cannot afford to simply sit out their freshmen year. Our goal is to make sure that they can advance their future goals and join their American counterparts with minimal impacts and delays."

Students and universities seeking more information can visit: http://www.actpassport.com

# # # 



About Shorelight

Shorelight is reinventing the international education experience for students worldwide. Based in Boston, the company partners with top-ranked, nonprofit American universities to build innovative programs, and high-touch, technology-driven services that help talented students thrive and become global citizens.

About Hudson Global Scholars:

Hudson Global Scholars provides the best U.S. education to our school partners and students around the globe through the combination of best-in-class curriculum, highly qualified instructors, and personalized learning experiences. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a U.S. high school diploma and be prepared to enter top universities.


Contact:

Ed Colby, ACT Public Relations

319.337.1147; ed.colby@act.org


Contact:

Carrie Unkel, Hudson Global Scholars

410.428.7901; carrie.unkel@hudsonglobalscholars.com

Follow ACT

 Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   YouTube   Pinterest


About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career.

ACT Reschedules April 2020 National ACT Test Date to June

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has rescheduled the April 4, 2020 national ACT test date to June 13, 2020 in response to concerns regarding the spread...

Read this article


IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has rescheduled the April 4, 2020 national ACT test date to June 13, 2020 in response to concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

ACT will communicate directly with all students currently registered for the April 4, 2020 ACT test. All students registered for the April 4 test date will receive an email from ACT in the next few days informing them of the postponement and instructions for next steps.

“ACT is committed to making every effort to help those students impacted by this test date change, particularly those high school seniors who are facing deadlines for fall 2020 college admission,” said ACT CEO Marten Roorda.

More information will be shared as it becomes available in the days ahead.

To access up-to-date information and additional national test date options, please visit: www.ACT.org. View frequently asked questions here.


Follow ACT

 Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   YouTube   Pinterest


About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the US and around the world with learning resources, assessments, research and credentials designed to help them succeed from elementary school through career.

Top