Introducing the Open Education Association by Open Education Association

Outreach Program

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:28:29 UTC

One of our first programs will be to conduct outreach to audiences that don't often hear about open education, including key groups like administrators, disciplinary faculty, and policymakers. This will include direct outreach to influential organizations and efforts to organize presentations and exhibits at key conferences that don't typically feature open education. This could include providing travel funding for members to present about open education at new events.

What organizations and conferences should we have on our radar for this program? Where can we reach audiences who need to know about open education? Any other additional thoughts?

Webinar Series

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:28:34 UTC

Potential Topics

Fundraising
Countering objections to open education
Writing strong conference proposals (OE and non-OE)
Navigating burnout
Artificial intelligence
Federal policy briefing

Potential 90-Minute Format

30 minute presentation
30 minute panel
30 minutes of unrecorded breakout rooms

What are your thoughts on the potential topics and format? Any other programming we should organize?

Professional Development

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:28:41 UTC

The association already offers an Opportunity Board that lists many professional development opportunities that already exist. We will explore where the association can best fit in. Ideas we are exploring is how to enhance recognition for open education work through awards or online profiles. We are also interested in exploring a pilot program that supports mentorship and career development during our first year.

What kind of recognition or mentorship programs would you like to see?

Policy Committee

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:05 UTC

Focus: Advise the association on an ongoing basis regarding state and federal policy positions and the development of a policy agenda. The scope of this committee will start small but expand as the association gets more involved in policy.

Communications Committee

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:14 UTC

Focus: Works with association staff to guide communications and content development. This includes the monthly newsletters and OER Digest, as well as helping to improve and expand public resources.

Outreach Working Group

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:22 UTC

Focus: Guide plans for the association to conduct outreach beyond the open education community and elevate the issue with influential audiences, such as administrators, disciplinary faculty, and policymakers. Activities will include developing a list of organizations and conferences to prioritize, and advising on the design of a program to provide travel funding for members to present at relevant events.

Research Working Group

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:31 UTC

Focus: Guide the association’s plans to support open education research. This includes reaching out to other organizations and networks currently working on open education research and making recommendations to the steering committee about where the association can best contribute.

Membership Working Group

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:42 UTC

Focus: Advise the association on how to improve the membership experience, recognizing that membership is brand new. This includes gathering feedback and making recommendations on how to improve processes, information, and engagement.

Professional Development Working Group

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:49:53 UTC

Focus: Advise the association on how to support professional growth and recognition within the field. This includes making recommendations regarding how the association can increase recognition for outstanding work and advising on the potential design of a mentorship program.

Are there any other areas you would like to see represented?

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 20:50:38 UTC

Why did you join OEA?

openedassoc — 2025-12-02 21:44:14 UTC

Tell us a story of why you joined the Open Education Association or fill out our member spotlight form.

Any questions you have regarding the Open Education Association?

openedassoc — 2025-12-03 15:21:07 UTC

Anything we should consider as we enter our inaugural year?

openedassoc — 2025-12-03 15:21:26 UTC

Networking Opportunities

openedassoc — 2025-12-03 16:21:38 UTC

The association will explore opportunities for open education practitioners to connect with each other in informal ways. This can include informal chats, regional virtual meet-ups, and disciplinary focus discussions. We also want to explore infrastructure we can set up to support structured connections.

What ideas do you have?

Resources

openedassoc — 2025-12-03 16:23:32 UTC

We’ve already launched several resources to help connect and support the community.

Webinar Calendar
Conference List
Opportunity Board
Getting Started Guide
State-by-State Support

What ideas do you have for resources? What should we prioritize in 2026?

2025-12-03 22:56:13 UTC

? Library of resources

Perhaps a ? message board, where we can post/share newly-published resources (scope it: those in the past 6 months)?