Celebrating the 2026 Open Education Awards for Excellence Winners
On Sept 2, the seeds that were planted back in June came into full bloom. From a record field of more than 200 nominations, narrowed to a shortlist of 48 finalists, OEGlobal is proud to reveal the winners of the 2026 Open Education Awards for Excellence — the newest additions to a Hall of Fame that has celebrated the very best of Open Education since 2011.
These winners span the globe and the full spectrum of Open Education work: the people who lead it, the assets we share, and the practices that make sharing possible. Each award represents countless hours of generosity, creativity, and commitment to a more open world. We invite you to explore their accomplishments — every profile below links to the work that earned this recognition.
If you were not able to join us live for the celebration, the recording is now available.
People of Open
The People of Open category honors the individuals whose leadership and dedication move Open Education forward.
- Gabriella Paolini — Italy
- Girish Bhuteja — Canada (student, Conestoga College)
- Javiera Atenas — United Kingdom
- Jonathan Lashley — United States
Open Assets
The Open Assets category celebrates the openly licensed resources — “what we share” — that expands access to knowledge.
- Cosumnes River College ZTC Faculty Resources — United States (CCCOER)
- Open Praxis — Turkey (Anadolu University)
- The GHOSHEH Model: An Open Instructional Design Model for Creating Open Educational Resources — Palestine
- Virtual Language Environment (AVI) — Mexico
Open Practices
The Open Practices category recognizes the innovative approaches — “how we share” — that put openness into action.
- Digital Ethnography Jember: Open Cultural Heritage for Education — Indonesia
- K-12 Studio — Canada
- HAN University’s Comprehensive OER Strategy Development and Implementation — The Netherlands
- Sharing Is a Challenge: 16 Obstacles Overcome to Enhance Sharing — Europe
Special Awards for Contributions to Open Education
Our highest honor – Special Awards – recognizes sustained, extraordinary impact on the Open Education movement.
- Haruo Takemura — Japan
- Paul Stacey — Canada
- Stephen Carson — United States
- MIT OpenCourseWare — United States
Explore, celebrate, and share
Congratulations to every 2026 winner — and to the entire Open Education community whose nominations made this such a remarkable year. Take a moment to explore their work for yourself: read the projects, meet the people, and share the recognition widely. When we celebrate Open Education, we help it grow.
Discover the full Hall of Fame and this year’s winners on the Open Education Awards for Excellence portal, revisit the shortlist of 48 finalists, and join the conversation in OEGlobal Connect.
We are all winners
The Open Education Awards for Excellence are about far more than crowning winners — they are a celebration of an entire community. Every nomination is an act of recognition, and this year that recognition reached further than ever. So alongside this year’s winners, we want to honor:
- The shortlist of 48 finalists — outstanding individuals, open assets, and open practices.
- The 204 people and projects nominated from 49 countries, each one a seed of recognition planted by the community.
- The 42 committee members who read and reviewed the nominations with such care.
- And everyone who supported and cheered the program on. Share the news across social media and add your congratulations in OEGlobal Connect.
From seeds, to saplings, to trees — thank you for helping the garden grow. 🌱🌳