Recognized for Open Empowerment
The Open Empowerment Award is granted to Angela DeBarger in recognition of her kindness, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication to the open education community. Angela’s strength lies in her ability to build authentic relationships and create meaningful connections among people, organizations, and contexts. Through her generosity of spirit and her encouragement of others, she has empowered countless individuals and organizations to continue their work, support one another, and grow the field of open education worldwide. Her vision and humanity have left a profound and lasting impact on our community.
Angela has dedicated more than two decades to advancing access and opportunity in education through research, philanthropy, and leadership. Her journey spans from curriculum and assessment design to project-based learning at Lucas Education Research, where she focused on ambitious learning goals, classroom–community relationships, and resource relevance. This path led her to open education, where she became a strong advocate for learner agency, ownership, and deeper learning through open licensing.
As a Program Officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Angela has stewarded a diverse portfolio of initiatives in open education and deeper learning. Guided by the foundation’s principles of openness and transparency, she has strengthened global collaboration, influenced frameworks such as the UNESCO OER Recommendation, and amplified diverse voices, while keeping learners and communities at the center of her work.
Angela’s leadership is marked by an extraordinary ability to bring people together. She has inspired and supported administrators, educators, and learners alike, helping them sustain their efforts and strengthen the field in lasting ways. Her legacy is one of empowerment, inspiration, and a deep belief in education as a space for care, self-discovery, joy, and purpose.
Learn More
- Follow on LinkedIn
- Angela DeBarger (Hewlett Foundation)
- Angela DeBarger on Open Minds podcast (Creative Commons)
