The Michelson 20MM Foundation is pleased to support California State University, Dominguez Hills with a 2025 Open Educational Resources (OER) Spark Grant. This grant funds a new student fellowship that will promote OER policies and adoption across five CSU campuses.

The Challenge: Textbook Costs and Student Voices

College textbooks remain unaffordable for many students. There is a solution, though. OER reduces costs, increases flexibility, and lets students take ownership of their learning. The student perspective, however, often remains underrepresented in OER adoption efforts.

A Regional Fellowship for OER Advocacy

CSU Dominguez Hills is changing that. The university will lead a regional OER student advocacy fellowship in partnership with:

• CSU Channel Islands
• CSU Fullerton
• Cal State LA
• Cal State Northridge

Through this project, each campus will hire one student fellow to lead local outreach and advocacy.

Empowering Students to Lead

Fellows will promote OER and Zero-Cost Course Materials through events, peer engagement, and collaboration with faculty and staff. They will also work together as a community of practice, sharing strategies and supporting one another throughout the year. At the same time, fellows will receive training and mentorship from the campus Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) coordinators. 

“Students have the power to drive OER adoption and shape policy across their own campuses, but need support and resources to do so,” said Cailyn Nagle, Senior Program Manager for OER at Michelson 20MM. “Fellowships like this one create lasting, student-driven change.”

Scaling for Systemwide and Statewide Impact

The project has potential for systemwide impact. Since the CSU AL$ coordinators meet monthly, there is an organic platform to scale the model across all CSU campuses. The CSUDH team also anticipates that there will be opportunities to present at national OER conferences. 

This program will directly impact students at five minority serving institutions in Southern California. These campuses serve over 121,000 students, who will benefit from affordable, accessible course materials.

To measure success, the team will track:

1. Hiring and training five fellows and launching a shared outreach strategy
2. Student and faculty engagement, including coordination with the CA State Student Association 
3. Campus resource mapping to sustain OER advocacy beyond the grant period

This project aims to become a model for student-driven OER advocacy throughout California and nationwide. By centering students, this initiative promotes equity, leadership, and lasting systems change. Stay tuned for more in the coming year.

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About the Michelson 20MM Foundation

Michelson 20MM is a private, nonprofit foundation working toward equity for underserved and historically underrepresented communities by expanding access to educational and employment opportunities, increasing affordability of educational programs, and ensuring the necessary supports are in place for individuals to thrive. To do so, we work in the following verticals: Digital Equity, Intellectual Property, Smart Justice, Student Basic Needs, and Open Educational Resources (OER). Co-chaired and funded by Alya and Gary Michelson, Michelson 20MM is part of the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations.