CCA Awarded Two Grants to Advance OpenEducational Resources (OER) Initiatives

AURORA, Colo. – The Community College of Aurora (CCA) is excited to announce that it has been awarded two grants under the 2025-2026 Colorado Open Educational Resources (OER) Grant Program. These grants will support the college’s efforts to provide affordable and equitable education through the use of OER materials.

A General Incentive Grant will fund a program to assist faculty and instructors in converting courses to OER materials. Additionally, the Colorado History Textbook Grant will fund the development of an open-access Colorado History textbook, enriching statewide educational resources.

OER are teaching and learning materials, such as textbooks and videos, that are freely available to use, adapt, and share. Since 2018, the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) OER Grant Program has been transforming classrooms across Colorado by fostering innovative, cost-saving educational practices. CCA has proudly participated in four grant cycles since 2019.

Allyson Turner, Digital Initiatives and OER Librarian, shared more about the program, stating, “We are in the midst of the 2024-2025 grant cycle as well, finishing up a number of projects. So far, these programs have converted 13 courses at CCA, with more to come. Many of these have been General Education courses, impacting a large number of students. The courses converted through these grants have saved students roughly $556,000 as of Fall 2024.”

Beyond these grant-funded efforts, CCA has championed OER and Zero-Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiatives, resulting in over $2 million in student savings since 2019.

Funding for the Colorado OER Grant Program was made possible through HB 18-1331 and SB 21-215. The 2025-2026 grants will help advance CCA’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality education while reducing financial barriers for students.

The CDHE will distribute grant funds by the end of February. For more information on CCA and its educational offerings, visit https://ccaurora.edu/.

About the Community College of Aurora:

The Community College of Aurora (CCA) provides high-quality instruction and student support services to Aurora and Denver, Colorado. With a vision to aspire to be a college where every student succeeds, CCA is the most diverse college in the State of Colorado. Focused on creating social and economic mobility for its students, the college offers courses on two (2) campuses, online, and through its high school concurrent-enrollment programs. For more information, visit www.ccaurora.edu.

Contact:

Courtney Butler
Director of Strategic Communications and Special Initiatives
Strategic Communications and Alumni Engagement

P: 303-340-7201   |  E: [email protected]