Northampton Community College has received a $10,000 grant from the PPL Foundation to support NCC’s goal of creating an open source educational environment at the college.

NCC is advancing its commitment to affordable, accessible education through the development of open educational resources, which are freely available, openly licensed teaching materials that can be adapted and shared.

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

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

Leadership for the project includes Marshal Miller, assistant professor of computer science and information technology, and Dustin Briggs, executive director of innovation and strategy, who will guide the strategy, management and implementation of an Open Innovation Office at the college.

“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,” Miller said.

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 redesign of 10 courses using open resources and expanded digital content.

The initiative will help students gain skills working with open source platforms and give them hands-on experience that can strengthen their resumes.