Too many teachers know the reality of the opportunity gap, and too many students live that reality. In addition to existing and systemic educational inequities, COVID-19 has exacerbated the crisis disproportionately affecting Black and Brown students as well as traditionally marginalized populations. OpenSciEd exists to change the status quo and remove the predictability about who succeeds and shows affection for the STEM fields.

The high cost of quality science materials often prevents districts from adopting the best curricula, and those who invest in good programs do it at the expense of adequate professional learning that helps teachers make necessary instructional shifts. Being freely available, OpenSciEd creates an environment where districts don’t need to make this compromise.

We believe that the best materials are rooted in the standards; created, reviewed, and approved by the science educator community; and field-tested to ensure their equity, efficacy, and usability. Our materials carry a creative commons license, which helps foster equal access to excellent, flexible materials that teachers can customize and adapt to meet the needs of their students. Our work is guided by the vision for science literacy described in the Next Generation Science Standards and supported by 10 partner states in the development of the materials.