The Open Education Conference List and Webinar Calendar are two of the initial deliverables curated by the Open Education Association Development Project (opened.org). The Project has been developed in response to requests from the open community for a central place to find and share information. The list includes annual events with a primary focus on open education. Email contact@opened.org with questions, and if you have an event you would like to submit you are invited to do so using the suggestion box. 

The OERizona Network invites proposals to present at the 8th annual OERizona Converence, scheduled to take place online February 19 and 20, 2026. This conference brings together people interested in sharing and discovering innovative teaching and learning practices, connecting with other educators, and further exploring how open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy can enhance student success. The 2026 Conference Theme is "Surviving and Thriving." The CfP is open through November 16, 2025.

The Northeast OER Steering Committee is excited to announce the upcoming Northeast OER Summit, a two-day, multi-state collaborative virtual event for new and experienced OER advocates offering groundbreaking ideas, reasearch, and best practices in Open Education. The conference will be offered virtually through UMass Amherst. The deadline for proposals is January 5, 2026.

This year’s theme is building Bridges: Linking Local Foundations to Global Horizons. Suggested topics include

1. Collaborations Driving Open Education Initiatives
2. Artificial Intelligence
3. Automatic Textbook Billing and Homework Access Codes
4. Data, Assessment, Evaluation, and Advocacy
5. The Future of Open

• When: March 25 - 26, 2026
• Where: Online
• Cost: [2025 conference was $50, 2026 registration cost not yet posted]
• Who Should Attend: People engaged in open education initiatives, including students, faculty, librarians, instructional technologists, administrators, and other campus leaders.
• Registration: opens soon
   

The Oklahoma Learning Innovations Summit (OKLIS) will be March 5-6, 2026. March 5 will be virtual, and March 6 will take place on the campus of Rose State College, Midwest City, OK. The 2026 OKLIS theme is "Beyond the Horizon: Leveraging Innovation and Readiness". Registration is free.

Presentation Tracks

Innovative Teaching and Learning:

Reimagining pedagogy for a changing world. Focus: Creative instructional practices, authentic assessment, and clasroom innovations that equip learners for the workforce.

Tools for Transfomative Learning

Practical innovations that power teaching, connection, and creativity. Focus: Exploring emerging tools, platforms, and practices that enhance how we design and deliver learning.

Readiness and Resilience:

Preparing faculty, students, and institutions for what's next. Focus: Building capacity and confidence through faculty development, student empowerment, and institutional adaptability.

Partnerships and the Future Workforce:

Connecting classrooms, careers, and communities. Focus: Collaboration between education, industry, and community to align learning with real-world needs.

Submit a Proposal

After two years of collaboration across the open education community, we are pleased to share that the Open Education Association Development Project has become the Open Education Association: a new national organization dedicated to strengthening and connecting the open education field across the U.S.

Now entering its first year of work, the association will focus on turning shared goals into collective action—building practical tools, shared resources, and coordinated efforts that strengthen the systems supporting open education. Early priorities include expanding awareness among decision-makers, increasing access to funding and recognition for practitioners, and supporting collaboration across states and institutions. Over time, the association will help ensure that the progress made in open education is connected, visible, and built to last.

The Open Education Association will officially launch at its first annual meeting on December 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET, where we’ll introduce the organization and its plans for the year ahead. We invite you to be part of celebrating this milestone.  

What: Introducing the Open Education Association 
When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 3:00pm Eastern / 12:00pm Pacific
How: Register Here

Membership is open, and we invite you to be among the first to join the association and help shape its future. You can also participate in upcoming working and information sessions to learn more and share your perspective on its next steps. 

Save the date for the 2026 conference! It will take place Friday, May 29 at Arapahoe Community College.

Sign up here for Colorado OER Conference updates.

From the Oklahoma Council for Online Learning Excellence communication committee: Would you like future copies of our Oklahoma Online Higher Ed Newsletter sent directly to your email address? If so, please add your email to our subscription list by filling out this form.

Planning ahead? Join Creative Commons in one of the 10-week online courses in open licensing, open practices and the ethos of our shared, digital commons. And, get CC-Certified as an expert in open licensing! 

Courses include readings, quizzes, discussions, and practical exercises to develop learners’ open skills. Participants get personalized engagement with expert facilitators and copyright lawyers in the field, and offer a 1:25 (max) ratio of facilitators to course participants.

Currently they offer CC Certificate courses for Open Culture/ GLAM, Academic Librarians, and Educators. However, courses are open to everyone, from university students and entry-level professionals to experts in the fields of library science, education, and cultural heritage.

Learn more about the CC Certificate program.

From Kathy: I took this course a couple of years ago. It is well done, and I was especially grateful for the people I met and the ways in which it broadened my scholarly network.