Michelson 20MM Foundation Announces Grants to Address the College Textbook Affordability Crisis

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michelson 20MM Foundation is promoting open educational resources (OER) and lowering the cost of instructional materials through grants to educational institutions and organizations in the OER space.

The recipients of the 2021 Michelson 20MM Spark Grants in OER areCalifornia State University Channel Islands(CSUCI), Compton College, the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), and the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC).

"The high cost of textbooks is a major burden on students struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their education," said Phillip Kim, CEO of Michelson 20MM. "The Michelson 20MM Foundation has been at the forefront of advocating for policies and programs that make college more affordable. These OER Spark Grants are part of our commitment to put students first by removing these and other barriers to success."

The projects awarded Spark Grants include: 

• California State University Channel Islands will establish the California Alliance for Open Education (CAopenEd), a research and resource hub for faculty and administrators across all three of California's public higher education systems.
• Compton College has set out to utilize OER in 85-100 percent of all courses and degree programs by fall 2035. The Spark Grant will support building out an OER Adoption Action Plan and conducting professional development opportunities that will set the course for the next 14 years.
• The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education will conduct a study that identifies gaps where the absence of suitable OER prevents Bay Area community colleges from offering Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degrees that align with high-wage, high-demand careers. The study will prioritize areas where students of color are underrepresented.
• The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, a global advocacy organization, will equip stakeholders with awareness and educational materials about automatic textbook billing to ensure that these programs—if established—focus on the needs of students.

About the Michelson 20MM Foundation

Michelson 20MM is a private, nonprofit foundation seeking to accelerate progress towards a more just world through grantmaking, operating programs, and impact investing. Co-chaired and funded by Alya and Gary Michelson, Michelson 20MM is part of the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations. For more information, visit 20MM.org.

CONTACT:     Geoffrey Baum 
                        geoff@michelsonphilanthropy.org 
                        or 310-806-9707

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SOURCE The Michelson 20MM Foundation