Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

OpenStax Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Providing Open Educational Resources

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/10/24

OpenStax, which expands access of K–12 and higher-education resources and research-informed educational tools, is celebrating its 25th anniversary as 2024 comes to a close, according to a news release. The educational initiative from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved students nearly $3 billion in educational costs since its launch in 1999.

OpenStax launched in 1999 as Connexions, an OER (open educational resources) repository open to the public at large to find and piece together instructional materials. In 2012, the company transitioned to OpenStax and published its first open-license, peer-reviewed college textbook. And in August of this year, OpenStax began a partnership with Google to provide its resources to Google’s Gemini AI tool.

“Celebrating 25 years of OpenStax is a testament to the power of open education and the collective commitment to making learning accessible to all,” said Richard Baraniuk, founder and director of OpenStax. “From the seeds of an idea to building a large library of OER and now to creating personalized, interactive learning tools that meet students where they are, we have been continually inspired to make an amazing education accessible to all.”

The OpenStax library consists of more than 70 comprehensive digital learning textbooks featuring culturally relevant and standards-aligned resources for both students and teachers. The organization formally expanded into the K–12 sphere in 2021.

“We’re grateful to the faculty, schools, students, funders, authors, advocates and partners who have walked this path with us and helped make OpenStax what it is today,” said OpenStax Managing Director Daniel Williamson. “We pioneered an industry built around open resources, an industry that has been shown to drive innovation and increase competition, ultimately allowing for improved student access to high-quality learning materials. Our success is a reflection of the work done by the OpenStax team, the open education community and a vast ecosystem of partners and institutions.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.