Scroll to see the 2026 CTX Learning Festival schedule, or search by date, area, topic, etc!
Transit Adventure to Yummi Joy
Come learn how to use public transit in Austin while getting a mini-tour of Austin and stopping by the local icon Yummi Joy for a sweet treat, on us.
Meet at the Triangle Park-and-Ride
Facilitator: Alex Terrazas, Movability
Limit 50 attendees
Click here to register (https://movability.ticketbud.com/transit-adventure-to-yummi-joy-a87039b5-8d241bc55221)
Wheelchair accessible
Nest and Nestlings Storytime with Travis Audubon
Join us to learn about nests and why birds build them. Look at real nests created by a variety of birds and try building your own using common nesting materials. Recommended for families with kids aged 3 to 10. Free and open to the public.
Facilitator: Travis Audubon
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Textiles: The History and Methods Behind Fiber Based Arts
Join the Brush Square Museums staff for an exciting dive into the art of textiles! This workshop is designed for participants of all ages, and will explore both the historical significance and the practical aspects of textile production from knitting to weaving. There will also be opportunities for hands-on learning.
Facilitated by Museum staff members Beth CreMeens & Emily Collins
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Housing Opportunities that Stabilize Communities
What does it mean to create and preserve housing opportunities that stabilize communities? This is the mission of Austin Housing, and we want to engage in dialogue with the community about how to access services that bring stability to you and your community. Join us for a hands-on workshop where we explore the resources available through the City of Austin’s Housing Department. Come ready to share your own needs and what stability means to you. Walk away with the ability to connect housing resources with those who need them.
Facilitator: Julie Smith
Limit 70 attendees
Register here, encouraged by not required (www.SpeakUpAustin.org/CTXLearningFestivalHousing)
Wheelchair accessible
Keeping Your Brain Healthy: What Science Says About Aging Well
What really helps protect our brain as we grow older? In this engaging and practical talk, Dr. Duarte shares the latest science on how the brain changes with age—and what you can do to support it. Learn evidence-based strategies related to sleep, exercise, social connection, and overall health that are linked to better cognitive aging. This session will separate myths from facts and focus on realistic, everyday habits that make a difference. Walk away with clear, research-backed tools to help you stay mentally healthy and age with confidence.
Facilitator: Audrey Duarte, Ph.D, UT Austin Memory and Aging Lab
Limit 100 attendees
Wheelchair accessible
The Crafty Adult: 1920s Inspired Beaded Necklaces
Have you ever wanted to learn the beading style of a proper knotted string pearl necklace, similar to the ones made fashionable in the 1920s? Here's your chance. Adults 18+ will have the opportunity to make their own necklace with provided pearl beads and silk string supplies. Max of 20 people per program. For Adults 18+.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Art Workshop/Intro to Watercolor Painting
This art workshop introducing watercolor painting also invites artistic exploration. Participants will discover the joy of creativity. Art making provides an environment for self-expression, self-discovery, and emotional well-being. Painting enhances mindfulness and relaxes. Attendees engage in a tactile activity, and experience dexterity in the age of computers. Anticipate splashes of colors, in coherent juxtapositions, blending of hues, shade, values and tones to form abstractions that fascinations and inspire.
Facilitator: Rubina Anjum
Limit 30 attendees
No registration required
Wheelchair accessible
Free Play Friday
Playing is learning! Play is a great way to help develop and reinforce early literacy skills. This come-and-go program is designed to give caregivers and their children time to explore together. Toys, board books, and a weekly craft will be provided.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Toddler Music Circle
Bring your favorite little one to stretch, sing, dance & explore music with rhythm instruments! Program length can vary. Focuses on the Sing and Play recommendations for early literacy which helps develops gross motor skills, listening skills, and social skills, while introducing new vocabulary.
Join us for a musical storytime just for toddlers full of instruments, songs, rhymes, and dance. Stick around for a short playtime designed to help develop gross and fine motor skills.
Recommended for walking babies and toddlers 1-3 years.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Spin the SDG
Come join us in person for a fun and engaging event where teams will compete in a game in which they spin a wheel containing all 17 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, then answer relevant trivia questions to deepen the Austin community's awareness and commitment to the SDGs. Registration is recommended but not required.
Led by Abby Vandiver and Mya Duncan from Texas United Nations Young Professionals and the United Nations Association of Austin, and facilitated by Aditi Joshi from Austin Sister Cities
Limit 50 attendees
Click here to register (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spin-the-sdg-with-the-united-nations-young-professionals-tickets-1984774707579?aff=oddtdtcreator)
Wheelchair accessible
Great Questions Community Seminar
Join members of our community in asking the Great Questions of humankind through discussions of transformative texts. Participants complete a reading assignment and consider how it helps them ask the Great Questions before attending the event and participating in a conversation with others who have done the same. Students, Faculty and Staff are all welcome to attend. Food and refreshments provided. See more on The Great Questions page of Austin Community College’s website (https://austincc.edu/thegreatquestions).
Limit 300 attendees
Register here (https://forms.gle/3quu4FAZ5Lk14orB7); registration is REQUIRED
Wheelchair accessible
TalkAbout — Signaling Light Jessica Mallios
Join us for a conversation in the gallery with exhibiting artist Jessica Mallios, art historian and curator Erina Duganne, and historian Sara Damiano who will discuss some of the many themes addressed in Mallios’ exhibition, Signaling Light.
TalkAbout is a program that facilitates thought provoking conversations with artists and the people who inspire them. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP strongly encouraged; click here to register.
Facilitated by exhibiting artist Jessica Mallios, art historian and curator Erina Duganne, and historian Sara Damiano.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
The Drawing Comics Workshop
Do want to make comics but don't know where to start? Or do you just want a place to work on comics in a different space?Join us for the Making Comics workshop! Local Comics Artist/self-publisher, Adam Kobetich will share the techniques he has learned from his experience as a Comics artist. We will be practicing our drawing and composition skills and panel layout. We will develop a story line together and create a one or two page comic on the spot. Depending on what we decide to draw, we will learn about creating the illusion of passage of time, or pacing out a scene, or closure and what happens between the panels and so much more! And yes, you can bring your kids.
Facilitator: Adam Kobetich
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Teen Social
Teens 13-18 are invited to take a study break, have a snack, and relax with activities led by our group of teen volunteers!
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Talk Time
Improve your English conversation. ¡Mejore su conversación en inglés!
Come to Talk Time to practice your English conversation skills with other English language learners and English-speaking volunteers in an informal and safe space. No registration is necessary.
Participe en Talk Time: Hablemos Inglés, un programa gratis de La Biblioteca Pública de Austin, donde usted puede venir a conversar en inglés y así practicar y sentirse más seguro. No es necesario registrarse. Este programa se ofrece a cualquier adulto que hable algo de inglés y que quiera practicarlo con otros en un lugar informal y sin presiones.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps
Join EGBI the Central Texas Learning Festival is a celebration of learners of all ages, featuring interactive workshops, engaging exhibits, resource fairs, and dynamic learning experiences throughout the region. Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) is proud to participate in the Learning Festival for the third year in a row.
Learn how to Get Your Local Business on Google Maps, an interactive workshop presented in partnership with Grow with Google. Learn how to ensure customers can easily find accurate and updated information about your business on Google Search and Maps, no matter the device they use.
In this session, you’ll learn to:
Create or claim your Google Business Profile
Manage your business info across Google Search and Maps
Use your Business Profile to connect with potential customers
Facilitator: Monica Peña
Limit 30 attendees
Click here to register (https://CTXlearninggoogle.eventbrite.com)
Wheelchair accessible
Strategic Communication Workshop with CGCS
This workshop will equip community members to learn skills pertinent to strategic communication, including learning how to read a room, establish a presence, and develop and deliver targeted messages. The workshop will be conducted by CGCS's Director Bryan Port, who has over 30 years experience learning and employing strategic communication techniques. Participants will be able to learn and practice skill techniques, receive feedback and enhance their ability to effectively achieve objectives through communication.
Facilitator: Bryan Port
No limit
Click here to register (https://forms.gle/5tYhMHmgY7PjbQN78)
Wheelchair accessible
Turn Your Idea Into Income
Join us for an interactive tour of EGBI, where aspiring business owners are guided to turn their ideas into profitable ventures, and existing business owners gain the tools and strategy needed to take their organizations to the next level.
EGBI has been ranked the #1 Business Accelerator in Central Texas for three consecutive years by Austin Business Journal.
During this experience, you will:
Learn about no-cost and low-cost training, coaching, and business support resources
Hear real stories from local entrepreneurs who have overcome barriers to start and grow successful businesses
Explore the different stages of the entrepreneurial journey
Discover how a business accelerator can help you launch, stabilize, and scale
Whether you are dreaming about starting a business or looking to grow an existing one, this experience is for you
Facilitator: Monica Peña
Limit 30 attendees
Click here to register (https://LearnBizAccelerator.eventbrite.com)
Wheelchair accessible
Books and Babies
A lapsit storytime program especially for non-walking babies 0-12 months and their caregivers. Very short stories are interspersed with songs, rhymes, and fingerplays for babies and parents. A brief playtime follows. Program length can vary.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Texture Collecting Workshop
In response to our current exhibition, Jessica Mallios' Signaling Light, we are offering a workshop where participants will explore the concept of texture collecting. This is an opportunity to engage with archival art practices in relation to space and location. This activity is a reflection of Mallios' work where she has utilized texture rubbings to record the landscape of a lighthouse as part of her multimedia exhibition.
Through multi-channel video, photographs, and drawings, Mallios reflects on themes of labor, gender, and technology. Filmed over five years at lighthouse sites across the United States, the work weaves asynchronous accounts of keepers and diverse landscapes.
Facilitator: Kalle Duncan
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Spanish-English Storytime
This all ages storytime uses both English and Spanish to present books, rhymes and songs. Some material is presented in English while other material is presented in Spanish, allowing for a natural transition between stories and activities and exposing children to both languages in an inviting environment. Recommended for ages 0 to 5. Program length can vary.
Esta hora de cuentos es para niños menores de 5 años y sus cuidadores. Se presentarán libros, rimas, y canciones en inglés y en español. Presentaremos algunas cosas en inglés y otras en español empapando a los niños en los dos idiomas.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Fantasy Book Club
Escape into other worlds and join us at the Central Library for a discussion of a different fantasy book each month.This month we're reading Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Teen LGBTQ+ Craft Space
Join other teens to make pride-themed arts and crafts, all while creating a safe queer community space at the library!
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
Business in a Box – From Idea to Action
Ready to turn a big idea into a real business?
Business in a Box is a high-energy, hands-on lab for students curious about entrepreneurship and how AI can accelerate the journey from concept to execution.
This interactive experience brings together entrepreneurial-minded students, faculty, industry practitioners, and subject-matter experts to help participants define a novel business problem, adopt a founder’s mindset, and explore practical tools—like Google Gemini—used by today’s entrepreneurs. Whether you’re just starting to explore entrepreneurship or already shaping an idea, this lab meets you where you are and helps you move faster.
Participants will preview the Business in a Box Playbook, a starter pack designed to help kick-start a venture while learning how to use AI as a true co-worker—supporting roles like market researchers, CFOs, marketing & communications managers, project managers, product managers.
Executive Champion:
Dr. Monique Reeves, Futurist & Executive Vice Chancellor, Austin Community College District;
Facilitators:
Dr. Andrea L. Kehoe, Head of Product, Austin Community College District;
Mr. Harshal Shah, CEO, The Venture Build, Program Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Austin Community College District;
Mr. Abel Rincon, Student Entrepreneur and AI/ Automation Specialist
Limit 50 attendees
Click here to register (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxEvud9Q1fDonGxk3VrRwF4rqTz_YQI4gI1WJaCbuGeeVjsw/viewform)
Wheelchair accessible
Depoliticizing Hunger: Central Texas Food Sovereignty Movement
The session features student-led presentations by ACC Introduction to Sociology students that highlight how cooperative networks—between farms, food banks, gardens, markets, and community organizations—can build more equitable and resilient local food systems. Attendees will gain insight into how service-learning can move beyond volunteerism to deepen students’ understanding of inequality, institutions, and collective solutions, while also strengthening relationships between higher education and community partners.
Facilitator: Professor Jackie Burns and ACC Service-Learning
No limit
Register here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegJMDBN6cmeXegJiJDKCCKnNAt-RogYFDNs_XVBNhk7d3P2Q/viewform)
From Complex to Clear: the ACC x iFixit Technical Communication Showcase
Have you ever struggled to follow complicated instructions when trying to fix a gadget or appliance? Join students from our ACC Technical Communications course (ENGL 2311: Technical and Business Writing) as they showcase their collaborative projects with iFixit, a global platform dedicated to making repair accessible. Students will demonstrate how they take complex technical processes and transform them into clear, user-friendly, and accessible plain language instructions. See examples of their work and get a plain-language demonstration of a common repair task! Discover the power of technical writing in everyday life and learn a few tips for writing better instructions yourself.
Facilitated by Professor Alex Watkins’ ENGL 2311 Course
Limit 50 attendees
Register here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJMsGFjjI8O9Q0KgwBztuq39Xx8Vn0EYdm2NQwmq4xjBPFLg/viewform?usp=header)
Wheelchair accessible
Pop Culture Pop-Up: Decoding Movies, Memes, and More
Join us for a lively, hands-on pop culture pop-up class led by Honors Composition I students from Austin Community College. Together, we’ll explore how music, movies, memes, social media, and other pop cultural practices, shape the stories we tell about ourselves and our communities. This fun, interactive session invites participants of all ages to decode familiar cultural artifacts, challenge common assumptions, and consider how pop culture influences us. Through fun games, small-group activities, and collaborative discussion, attendees will discover new ways of seeing the media they love—and the media that shapes us all. No background knowledge required!
Facilitator: Dr. Brinda Roy, Austin Community College Honors Program
Limit 40 attendees
Wheelchair accessible
All Ages Storytime
Storytime for children aged 5 and under and their parents, featuring stories, songs, fingerplays, rhymes, and crafts or other extension activities. Program length can vary.
No limit
Wheelchair accessible
The Diversity and Influence of Hispanic Style and Fashion/La diversidad y la influencia del estilo y la moda hispana
This workshop explores personal style and fashion influences across the Spanish-speaking world. We will examine how clothing, hairstyles, body modifications, and ways of dressing shape perceptions of Hispanic cultures and communities, with a focus on Mexico and Puerto Rico. Learners will discuss cultural values related to fashion and personal expression, and consider how style can challenge societal norms or support social justice. Participants will engage in hands-on group and individual activities, along with guided conversations designed to strengthen their Spanish-speaking skills. Current ACC Honors Spanish students will showcase some of their own work involving fashion and style.
Facilitators: Professors Marcel Pons Ventura & Ramiro Juárez, Austin Community College Honors Program
Limit 40 attendees
Wheelchair accessible