OERizona Network, Including Yavapai College, Named Finalist in Education Awards

“This award is a mechanism for recognizing open education work around the world,” said Yavapai College Director of Academic Initiatives Megan Crossfield, who also serves as OERizona Network Board President. “It will raise awareness of the OERizona Network and build momentum for the movement here in Arizona.”

Yavapai College is an active force in the 15-member OERizona Network, a coalition committed to providing educators and learners access to high-quality learning materials. They achieve this through practices that include Open Educational Resources (OER), a tool aimed at eliminating high textbook costs by creating curricula from free, openly licensed materials.

In this way and others, the OERizona Network is strategically dismantling educational barriers through access to affordable resources. In 2023-24, OERizona schools saved Arizona students more than $8 million in textbook costs, with more than $1.2 million in savings at rural institutions.

The OERizona Network was named a finalist in the Open Education Awards for Excellence’s “Open Practices/How We Share” category. OERizona Network institutions include: Yavapai College, Cochise College, The University of Arizona, Maricopa Community College District, Northland Pioneer College, Northern Arizona University, Arizona Western College, Pima Community College, The University of Arizona Global Campus, Mohave College, Tohono O’Odham Community College, Coconino Community College, Arizona State University, and Central Arizona College.

The Network was originally founded through the Open Maricopa/Maricopa Millions project, and strengthened by Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona initiative, a project funded by a $2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).

“Yavapai College and the Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona project acted as a catalyst for expanding and growing the Network to include all the rural community colleges and one tribal college.” Crossfield said. “Together, we’re helping break down barriers and expand access to higher education across Arizona and beyond.” QCBN

By Lisa B. Rhine

The Open Education Awards for Excellence (OEAwards) is a global organization that has honored outstanding contributions to the Open Education community since 2011. The OEAwards are organized by OEGlobal.

For more information about Open Education and the OEAwards, visit https://www.oeglobal.org.

Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over one hundred degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.

Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D. is the president of Yavapai College.