This practical toolkit is designed to support open education leaders and community members across states and districts interested to increase awareness of OER and digital equity. It contains talking points, sample newsletter or website language, and sample social media posts, for anyone to use and adapt in their communications.

In October 2022, the #GoOpen National Network launched an important strategic policy action to advocate for integrating OER into digital equity implementations and this toolkit supports the network's communications strategies.

Funded by the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58), the Digital Equity Act of 2021 requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish grant programs for promoting digital equity, supporting digital inclusion activities, and building capacity for state-led efforts to increase adoption of broadband by their residents. As states craft their Digital Equity Plans, they have a unique opportunity to leverage OER to support equity and capitalize on improved digital infrastructure.

The #GoOpen Policy Letter and Guidance documents were shared with state level IT and broadband infrastructure leaders across the country and are available as resources featured in the #GoOpen Hub on OER Commons.

The GoOpen National Network is launching an important strategic policy action to advocate for integrating OER into digital equity implementations at a time when states are specifying their Digital Equity Plans.

Funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58), the Digital Equity Act of 2021 requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish grant programs for promoting digital equity, supporting digital inclusion activities, and building capacity for state-led efforts to increase adoption of broadband by their residents.

The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program will be making distributions to states based on their populations, demographics, and availability and adoption of broadband. The Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program will also support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband. This federal funding can provide an unprecedented opportunity to realize the full educational potential of expanding digital access and inclusion not only through connectivity and IT devices, but also through the integration of OER.

The GoOpen National Network is disseminating this letter to state leads of broadband, IT and digital equity to consider OER in their Digital Equity Plans during 2022-2023.

The letter can be copied and customized for those interested in communicating and advocating with state leaders about OER awareness and the potential benefits of OER integration into state plans.

Read the accompanying GUIDANCE document: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/goopen-guidance-maximizing-the-impact-of-digital-access-and-inclusion-by-using-oer?__hub_id=97

BACKGROUND: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”, P.L. 117-58) requires State Digital Equity Plans to identify barriers to broadband and device equity and accessibility. The plans must also feature objective measures of educational, workforce, health, and other benefits derived from closing connectivity gaps. Requiring or encouraging open licensing of digital materials, such as high-quality educational materials, is a powerful policy strategy for magnifying the educational and other social impacts of broadband access and inclusivity. With this goal as our guide, the #GoOpen National Network encourages you to work with the education leaders in your state to make open educational resources and other openly licensed materials a key element of your state’s Digital Equity Plan.