Any resident of an HCA Live Community can join our classes. HCA Live Communities are those apartment communities in the HCA housing portfolio where we are providing online classes during this period of quarantine and social distancing. See Where We Teach for a complete list. We are working hard to expand into more communities, so if yours is not one of them right now, do check back with us in future.
A live class is a class where students meet their teacher in an online classroom. You can see and hear each other in real time. Any live class that you take through HCA Live helps you earn virtual badges.
These are pre-recorded classes created by our instructors covering various subject areas. If you are a resident of an HCA Live Community, we recommend that you watch these classes to earn virtual badge points; however, be sure to watch them from start to finish to ensure you get the credit.
For every live or on-demand class that you take through HCA Live you will earn points towards various virtual badges. We have badges that you earn for taking classes in any subject; for example, you will earn your HCA Enthusiast badge after taking 5 classes. We also have badges that you earn for taking multiple classes in specific subjects; for example, you will earn your Master badge after taking 5 art classes. Every badge has a unique design and will be displayed on your screen each time you log in through HCA Live.
While we do ensure that every resident has the supplies they need to participate in class, there may be a few items that you'll need later on down the line as you advance in your classes and skillsets. Virtual badges help you earn those additional class supplies in real life! Certain badges unlock supplies that we will send to you to help you continue to grow as an HCA Live student.
Yes. We try our best to reach as many HCA Live Community residents as possible through our live group classes, but we do also offer a few 1-on-1 or private live classes with each of our instructors. These are available for certain subjects (e.g. computer literacy) and circumstances (e.g. new students). When you sign up for a class, the class title will tell you whether it is a group or 1-on-1 class.
All HCA Live classes, whether they are on-demand or live, in a group or 1-on-1, are 100% FREE for residents of HCA Live Communities.
First, you need a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera and Internet connection. If you do not have one, please contact us to see what we can do to help!
Second, you need to create an account with HCA Live. It is free and takes just 5 minutes. Simply click the Book a Class button to get started. Once you are logged into your account, click on the word "LIVE" on the blue menu bar to view a listing of our live online classes that month.
Third (and optional): We use a video chat platform called Zoom to make our live classes possible. You can run Zoom in your Internet browser without having to download any Zoom software, but there are a few limitations. If you are comfortable with technology, we recommend that you download the free Zoom software on the device you plan to use for class at https://zoom.us/support/download.
Glad you asked! We will happily schedule a 1-on-1 orientation for any new student who wants to practice accessing class in advance on their device. If you have trouble accessing a class at any point thereafter, we will gladly offer you a refresher. Simply Contact us to let us know your interest and availability.
We design many of our HCA Live classes to require very few materials, many of which are common household items: a chair, a pencil, printer paper, etc. For certain classes that are part of a series, we may send you a supply kit with the items that you will need. We won’t turn away any HCA Live Community residents for lack of supplies, so please let your instructor know if this is a concern for you.
Classes sizes can vary, but our largest classes have no more than 10 residents in attendance. We keep our class sizes relatively small so we can maintain a quality experience for everyone involved.
Our staff typically add live classes to HCA Live one month at a time. So for example, June classes will appear on the "LIVE" class page around the end of May. As such, you can sign up for a class from as much as 30 days in advance, to as little as a few minutes before class.
Of course! We encourage you to try out different classes to see what you like the most. From art to yoga to theatre and more, we are sure there’s something for you.
If you need to cancel a live class, please login to your HCA account to do so 24 hours in advance so we can make your place available to another resident. Our instructors put a lot of time and effort into designing their classes for the attendance that they anticipate, and we want to make sure that all our HCA Live Community residents can benefit from it
When you sign up for a live class online, you will see that class listed on the first page you see after logging into your HCA Live account: the "MY HOME" page. Before class starts, you will see a purple "Coming Soon" button next to it. Once class starts however, that button will be pink with the text "Join Now." Click the button to open the online Zoom classroom where class is being held (it's a hyperlink!). If you haven’t used Zoom before or are new to online classes, we recommend that you contact us after creating your HCA Live account to set up a 1-on-1 orientation.