Northampton Community College (NCC) has received a $10,000 grant from the PPL Foundation to support open-source education.

NCC is advancing its commitment to affordable, accessible education through the development of Open Educational Resources, which is freely-available, openly-licensed teaching materials that can be adapted and shared.

According to a March 18 NCC press release, NCC leaders believe that the cost of textbooks should never stand in the way of a student pursuing a career. The resources will allow students to access course materials at no cost while ensuring curriculum remains flexible, current and aligned with workforce needs, stated the press release.

The initiative will begin with several pilot courses launching in the fall with a long-term plan to expand the model in the next three years.

Leadership for the project includes Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Information Technology, Marshal Miller, and Executive Director of Innovation & Strategy, Dustin Briggs, who will guide the strategy, management and implementation of an Open Innovation Office at NCC.

“By empowering faculty to create and adapt open educational resources, we are building an ecosystem that lowers cost to students, while keeping our curriculum innovative and relevant,” said Miller.

The PPL Foundation has provided the initial support necessary to move the project forward.

NCC is awaiting review of a National Science Foundation grant proposal focused on STEM education. If awarded, the grant would support the development of open-source course content from start to finish for science and mathematics classes.

The project would allow for re-design of 10 courses using open resources and expanded digital content.

Open-resource content fosters collaborations between educators at various institutions.

By sharing materials with other colleges and inviting contributions from educators nationwide, NCC aims to build an ecosystem that strengthens course quality and expands access to knowledge.