BCcampus is the fortunate recipient of a three-year Education Program Grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The grant, valued at $975,000 USD over three years, will be used to support a variety of open education initiatives and programs in the British Columbia post-secondary system.
This latest grant marks a milestone in the long-standing relationship between BCcampus and the Hewlett Foundation. For several years, the Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of our mission to enhance accessibility and improve teaching and learning through open education. This new commitment builds on a history of collaboration. BCcampus received previous grants in 2015, 2018, and 2021, each playing a critical role in the growth and development of open education initiatives.
The Hewlett Foundation’s consistent trust and support have been instrumental in enabling BCcampus to champion Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practice (OEP). Their vision aligns with our commitment to breaking down barriers for students and fostering innovative pedagogical approaches. This recent grant is a testament to the shared belief in the transformative power of open education and the impact it has on creating a more equitable and effective learning environment.
This new funding will allow us to build on the strong foundation laid by previous Hewlett Foundation support and propel our work into exciting new territories. Over the next three years, we will be focusing on:
- Exploring the intersection of Generative AI and open education: We will delve into the potential of AI to enhance open educational resources, including the development of an AI tutor to support the openly licensed learning materials in the B.C. open collection.
- Improving open education impact data: We will enhance our capacity to collect and analyze data related to the impact of open education across the system, allowing for more informed decision-making and strategic growth.
- Developing open education course markings: In collaboration with institutions, we will work towards implementing clear open education course markings within course timetables, empowering students to easily identify courses utilizing no-cost learning resources.
- Increasing open education capacity: We will focus on expanding the expertise within the system through enhanced training and credentialed learning opportunities for open education practitioners, alongside continued support for open education working groups and Communities of Practice.
- Improving access to open publishing platforms: We will work to streamline and improve access to open publishing platforms for institutions throughout British Columbia.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for their continued partnership and their unwavering commitment to open education. This latest grant is not just funding; it is a reaffirmation of a shared vision and a powerful endorsement of the work BCcampus has been doing. We are excited to embark on this next chapter and further strengthen the open education ecosystem, benefiting students, educators, and the entire post-secondary system in B.C.