Project History: National Coordination on Open Education
The Open Education Association Development Project is nearing the end of its development phase and will soon become the Open Education Association. The launch of a national association for open education in the U.S. builds on more than two decades of progress in the open education movement, shaped by the collective work of hundreds of people across the community. It is also the result of a two-year collaborative process that started with an idea thrown out during a conference session. This post documents how that effort took shape and led to the creation of the Open Education Association.
November 2023 — Future Directions for Open Education Advocacy
The idea of a national association for open education first emerged during a session at the 2023 Open Education Conference. Participants reflected on the progress the field had made and the challenges that remained—such as sustaining funding, advancing supportive policies, and strengthening coordination across states and institutions. The discussion generated interest in connecting these efforts more effectively at the national level.
February-March 2024 — Do We Need a National Open Education Strategy? An “Open” Conversation
To continue the conversation, DOERS, SPARC, and the regional interstate higher education compacts (MHEC, NEBHE, SREB, and WICHE) co-hosted a national discussion series that examined the need for a national strategy. These sessions underscored that the open education movement is united by openness as a shared approach, as opposed to any single common goal. Therefore, what was most needed was not one central plan, but stronger coordination among existing efforts.
May 2024 — How Might We Improve National Coordination on Open Education Advocacy?
Building on those insights, the group convened a workshop at the Hewlett Foundation’s education grantee meeting focused on strategic coordination in open education. Guided by objectives drawn from community input, participants mapped current initiatives and identified opportunities where national collaboration could add value.
September 2024 — National Coordination on Open Education: A Community Conversation Series
Over that summer, the group of organizations was invited by the Hewlett Foundation to develop a proposal for next steps. They collaboratively formed an interim steering committee to guide the process and organized another national conversation series to gather additional community input on a proposed structure for the work.
October 2024 — Proposal for National Coordination on Open Education
Drawing from those discussions, the interim steering committee released a public proposal outlining the mission, objectives, and guiding principles for a grant-funded coordination project. SPARC was selected to submit and administer the grant if approved.
February 2025 — Announcing Next Steps on U.S. National Coordination on Open Education
At the end of 2024, the Hewlett Foundation awarded the grant to support national coordination on open education in the U.S. In early 2025, the project formally launched as the Open Education Association Development Project. A new steering committee was appointed, and work began on a national needs assessment and field mapping effort.
July 2025 — National Needs Assessment Survey Results
With responses from more than 1,000 participants across all 50 states and over 100 interviews, the findings revealed a strong and connected community. Respondents identified several areas where greater coordination and shared infrastructure could strengthen existing work and broaden impact.
August-September 2025 — Working Sessions
With a clearer sense of direction, the project hosted a series of open working sessions to shape plans for association membership, the first year of activities, and organizational structure. Discussions also focused on sustainability and how to balance the importance of membership dues with keeping participation accessible.
That brings us to today. As we prepare to remove “Development Project” from the initiative’s name and begin operating as the Open Education Association, it stands as a community-built effort grounded in shared goals and collaboration. Its foundation reflects the collective input of the open education community, and its next chapter will continue to be guided by those it serves.
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