2026 Open Education Conference

Connect with the OpenEd26 community ahead of the conference! This year, OpenEd is excited to collaborate with OpenCon to facilitate a new community-building event. Join us to reflect on the themes of OpenEd26, make new connections, and participate in a global community of open advocates. OpenCon community-building events facilitate meaningful conversations in virtual groups. Over 90 minutes, participate in structured discussions to connect within a small cohort of participants and the larger group, and learn about future community-building opportunities through OpenCon. We hope to see you at the pre-conference!

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Connect with fellow participants of OpenEd26
• Hear and share diverse perspectives on OpenEd
• Sign-up for additional community-building opportunities

This fall, the Open Education Association in collaboration with organizations and communities across the field is coordinating a process to develop national advocacy priorities for open education. The focus is identifying large problems facing the education ecosystem today where open education is a compelling solution but not yet a large enough part of the conversation. Input from the field is collected throughout the fall through listening sessions, culminating in a national summit in November.

This pre-conference session invites the open education field to explore the ideas and insights gathered throughout the fall and give input ahead of the Open Education National Summit, which takes place two weeks after OpenEd26 on November 10-12. While the process focuses on the U.S. national context, all OpenEd26 participants are welcome to participate in this pre-conference virtual event.

What needs to be in place for open education to become a sustainable, institutionalized practice in K-12, rather than a collection of individual OER projects? Who and what are needed to make Open Education a permanent part of how K-12 schools work? What enables OER to move from a collection of individual resources and programs to effective high-impact practices? What interdependent relationships and alignments across K-12 and Higher Ed will make Open Education stronger across both levels? 
The GoOpen National Network and ISKME are delighted to invite you to this special no-cost 90-minute pre-conference session designed as an interactive conversation.
 The participatory session has the following goals:

• Include and engage K-12 participants in the wider Open Education discussion relevant to the OpenEd Conference and this year’s theme of the Space Between 
• Build understanding around the complex infrastructure, people, and skills needed for effective open education systems for all K-12 students
• Encourage K-12 and Higher Ed participants to collaborate and communicate around shared practices and systems
• Participate in goal-setting to ensure that K-12 becomes an essential component of Open Education’s efforts to articulate national priorities

Join us to explore how policy, infrastructure, leadership, and educator engagement can drive K-12 open education across states and districts, and how bridging the gap between K-12 and  higher education can build a stronger connected learning ecosystem for all.

This engaging and interactive workshop will help attendees orient themselves to the broader field of open education before diving into the sessions at OpenEd26! Join us to learn about open education history, open educational resources, OER development, open pedagogy, and so much more!

Attendees will leave this session with a fundamental understanding of core open education concepts and a solid grasp of terminology to serve them well as they dive into discussions with peers at the 2026 Open Education Conference.