2026 Open Education Award for Excellence Nominee

Open Education Global (OEGlobal) is a dedicated international non-profit organization that serves as a global advocate for open education. It comprises a diverse community of educators, students, researchers, innovators, activists, and policymakers who are united in transforming education systems worldwide. Since 2008, OEGlobal has been at the forefront of the global Open Education movement, promoting the application of open principles across all educational areas.

This certifies the recipient has been nominated for an award by the open education community and will be considered in the review process for the awards issued in September 2026. Regardless of the selection of winners, Open Education Global celebrates and shares the efforts all nominated open educators.

"Genios Bolivarianos" has been nominated in the Open Practices Awards category (Open Educational Pathways for Youth Talent and Higher Education Access).

"The reason this nomination deserves to be recognized with a 2026 Open Education Award for Excellence is that Genios Bolivarianos turns open educational practice into a pathway for social transformation. Led by the Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador, the initiative opens the university to its territory by connecting public and private schools, teachers, students, families, and community actors around a shared purpose: recognizing youth talent, expanding opportunity, and strengthening educational trajectories in Durán. Its open practice value lies in making academic merit visible, shared, and actionable. Through scholarships, technology incentives, recognition, and transparent competency based evaluation, the project builds an open bridge between secondary and higher education for students whose potential might otherwise remain unseen. It also generates evidence on student performance, helping local institutions understand learning needs and guide support. In a community facing social and security challenges, Genios Bolivarianos shows that open education is not only about access to resources. It is about opening institutional capacity, knowledge, and opportunity for the public good."

See nommination details: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lDZMBE3zs6qiz1BGmYX0dyJyzavTqK_oZDrPU9h51RU