Photo by Rob Shenk.

Over the years, I’ve learned Greek (er, attempted to), mapped a section of Rock Creek Park using a weather balloon, and picked up basic lock picking—all for free, and under the tutelage of volunteer teachers. Free or very low-cost classes can be found around town all year round, but the offerings seem to balloon in the summer. Go get yourself some education; no student loans required.

Knowledge Commons DC: The city’s most reliable free way to pick up obscure skills and offbeat knowledge is back with a June/July session. Full disclosure: I used to volunteer for KCDC and remain a huge fan. But who wouldn’t be, with classes about topiaries, comics journalism, Pluto, and D.C. neighborhoods from the 1800s coming up? All classes are free, but registration is required and spots go fast.

DC Department of Parks and Recreation: That garden plot isn’t going to grow itself. Pick up tips on soil biology, aquaponics, and managing pests, among many other topics, at DPR’s Garden Workshop Series. More than 50 classes will take place through Sept. 30, and they are all free.

Global Language Network: The summer session for GLN begins today, but there are still spots open in many of the classes. Brush up on your high school French or take up Swedish just because you can. You’ll pay a total of $100 plus a $150 refundable deposit (you get that back if you don’t miss more than two classes) for six weeks of learning.

The Bike House: More clinic than class, The Bike House offers a welcoming space to learn how to repair a bicycle at your own pace. Through November, people can bring their bikes to Annie’s Ace Hardware (1240 Upshur St. NW) on Saturdays from 12-3 p.m. and the Bloomingdale Farmer’s Market (1st & R St NW) on Sundays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and get advice from volunteer mechanics. The Bike House also hosts a four-week long beginner maintenance class. Look for the next one in July.

Washington Area Bicycling Association: We mentioned this one in our “Best Classes To Make You Feel Like A Kid Again In D.C.,” but it is worth repeating. In addition to an absolute beginner lesson, WABA offers a “city cycling” class meant to inspire confidence on the streets in riders of all skill levels. Advance registration is $10 or it is free to show up on the day.

Digital Commons at MLK Library: It is always worth it to keep an eye on the offerings at your neighborhood library, but you should also check out the variety of techie classes and workshops at the central library’s Digital Commons space, the new Fab Lab, and the soon-to-open Studio Lab. For those interested in creating the next Serial, for example, there is a three-week audio storytelling workshop that begins on Thursday.

Free yoga: Sure you could take a $17 yoga class and complain that the yoga tax is making it even more expensive, but there are a surprising amount of free or discounted classes around town. The Active Life DC blog maintains a list of them.

DCTV: The only D.C. station dedicated entirely to local programming offers a series of journalism and production classes during its Summer Workshop Series. Members (the yearly fee is $30) can take classes in technical directing, community reporting, and vlogging for a nominal fee of $25 for D.C. residents and $35 for non-residents. Longer series on videography, Final Cut Pro, and technical training are in the $85 to $180 range for D.C. residents.

Hear Me Code: Women teach other women the basics of coding at these free, monthly classes. They pride themselves on offering a welcoming environment for women who might not think they are tech-savvy enough (85 percent of attendees have never coded before), and the 12-month curriculum focuses on the practical applications programming.

The curriculum consists of twelve lessons over twelve months and focuses on practical applications to real-world programmin

What else am I missing?