Education

Develop an Open Source Lesson

Join the 2026 UC OSPO Collaborative Lesson Development Program

Help build critical open source education resources through Carpentries-trained collaborative lesson development. Work with a team, receive expert training and mentorship, and publish your lesson to reach learners worldwide.

Express Interest as Contributor

Program Overview

What We're Funding

Through grant support, we're funding the development of 4 new open source lessons to fill critical gaps in open source education.

Who Can Participate

Educators, researchers, practitioners, and subject matter experts from UC campuses and beyond. Teams of up to 4 people per lesson are encouraged.

Training & Support

Carpentries collaborative lesson development training (online)
UC OSPO mentorship and guidance
Student developer support
Community of practice

What You'll Gain

🎓

Professional Development

Carpentries lesson development training and hands-on experience

✍️

Publication Credit

Authorship on published lesson with DOI and citation

🏆

Recognition

UC OSPO Lesson Developer badge and community acknowledgment

🤝

Collaboration

Work with peers, build connections, share expertise

🌍

Global Impact

Reach learners worldwide through open publication

🚀

Carpentries Pathway

Potential inclusion in Carpentries Incubator and lesson programs

Current Openings

We recruit in cohorts, so the open slots, focus topics, and application deadline change each round. The latest announcement always has the current details — including which lessons we're looking for and how to express interest.

See the current cohort & how to apply →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have a complete team to apply?

No! You can apply as an individual, partial team, or complete team. We can help match individuals with complementary expertise and interests to form teams.

Do I have to pick from a set list of topics?

No. Each cohort highlights a few priority topics (see the current announcement), but we welcome creative proposals that address other critical areas in open source education. Make a strong case for why your topic matters in your proposal.

How much time commitment is required?

Expect to commit approximately 5-10 hours per week during training and onboarding, then 3-8 hours per week during lesson development. The workload is distributed across your team.

Do I need prior experience developing lessons?

No prior lesson development experience required! That's what the Carpentries training is for. You need subject matter expertise and a commitment to learn collaborative lesson development practices.

What license will the lessons use?

Lessons will be published under an open license (typically CC-BY 4.0), allowing anyone to use, adapt, and share the materials with attribution to the authors.

Can people outside UC participate?

Yes! While the program is led by UC OSPO, we welcome proposals from educators and subject matter experts at other institutions who share our commitment to open source education.

What happens if my proposal isn't selected?

We'll provide feedback and may invite you to participate in future cohorts. You're also welcome to develop lessons independently - we can still connect you with resources and community.

Who owns the intellectual property of the lesson?

Authors retain copyright to their work. By participating, you agree to license your lesson openly (CC-BY or similar) so it can be freely used and adapted by the community.

Interested in the Next Cohort?

Check the current announcement for open slots and the application deadline.

See the current cohort & how to apply →

Questions? Open a discussion on GitHub or email tdennis@library.ucla.edu.