Next up in the ‘Meet the CC Summit Presenter’ series, we sit down with Dan McGuire. Founder and Executive Director of SABIER, the Stone Arch Bridge Initiative for Education Resources, a nonprofit that enables philanthropy and foundation funding to go directly to supporting teachers and students to be able to use free, openly licensed content on open source learning management systems. Dan taught elementary grades at Marcy Open School in the Minneapolis Public Schools for 15 years after spending 16 years in sales management for telecom and computer companies in local, regional, and international markets.

Based in: Minneapolis, U.S.

Summit Session: GeoGebra + Illustrative Mathematics = Great Teaching and Learning

How did you get involved with Creative Commons?

As a teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools looking for ways to improve teaching and learning.

In the future, what is something you would like to see at CC Summit?

More elementary and secondary teachers and a few administrators.

Why are you an advocate for Open?

Open licensing enables equity, accessibility, more creativity, and more collaboration.

What is your proudest achievement?

Making GeoGebra’s Illustrative Mathematics in an LMS available to the global community.

What is the best part of what you do? What is the most difficult part of what you do?

Collaborating with really smart and creative people who care deeply about education. Making governmental orgs aware of the possibilities that OER provides for them.

What tool/platform/app are you loving right now?

GeoGebra. It is an incredibly powerful and fun education tool. 

What’s one new trend that you think the CC community should look out for?

Governments waking up to the possibility of making learning resources equitable and accessible. 

What is the biggest setback you have experienced? How did you overcome it?

Not getting a hit the whole first year of Little League baseball. I practiced to be able to get hits.

If you could only leave people with one message from your summit presentation, what would it be?

Open source learning management systems need to be more widely understood and used.

What was the best career advice you ever received? What was the worst career advice you ever received?

1) Go for it.  2) Working for a big corporation provides security.

What would you like to say to Creative Commons on our 20th anniversary?

Thank you!

What does ‘Better Sharing, Brighter Future’ mean to you?

More people working on ways to peacefully solve the world’s problems.

Only 2 days to go until the 2021 CC Global Summit on September 20-24. Join us from wherever you are as  we explore the latest developments in the Open Movement, celebrate 20 years of Creative Commons, and consider what the future of Open holds. Register here >>

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Our next presenter in the ‘Meet the CC Summit Presenter’ series, Kate Thornhill, believes that information should be available for all, and with its availability, we should know how it is made by being good digital stewards. Kate has worked at the University of Oregon Libraries in the Digital Scholarship Services Department since 2018. At the University of Denver Library and Information Science, she teaches digital libraries and digitization for the online master’s degree program. Before becoming a professional digital scholarship librarian, she received her master’s degree in library and information science from Simmons University in 2013. She has been devoted to developing and sustaining digital services as a hybrid between a librarian, archivist, and web technologist throughout her career. Her specializations are digital library services, emphasizing digital special collections and archives, and digital humanities project development, maintenance, and pedagogy. At UO Libraries, she regularly works with humanists and social scientists to advance their research and classroom practices by working through intellectual property rights, digital assets management, web development, and computational thinking issues and challenges. Before UO Libraries Digital Scholarship Services, she worked at Oregon Health and Science University as the Interim Director of Curatorial Services and Repository Librarian. She was also the Digital Scholarship Librarian at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design Library.

Based in: Eugene, Oregon, United States

Summit Session: Open as a High Impact Practice: Centering Open Pedagogy and Public Scholarship

Why are you an advocate for Open?

Information should be available for all, and with its availability, we should know how it is made by being good digital stewards.

What is your proudest achievement?

Graduating from college!

What is the best part of what you do? What is the most difficult part of what you do?

Best part is getting to learn new technologies and how to use them for social good. The most difficult part of my job is not being integrated more into my university’s degree program designs.

What is your favorite GIF?

via GIPHY

What tool/platform/app are you loving right now?

CollectionBuilder. It’s a static website development app that allows you to build digital exhibits using GitHub pages.

“Information should be available for all, and with its availability, we should know how it is made by being good digital stewards.”

What’s one new trend that you think the CC community should look out for?

When building open digital humanities projects in a classroom, think about maintenance for the technologies and what does it really mean to use “free and easy tools” before starting an initiative.

If you could only leave people with one message from your summit presentation, what would it be?

Plan your classroom digital projects with digital librarians.

What would you like to say to Creative Commons on our 20th anniversary?

Keep up the good work!

What does ‘Better Sharing, Brighter Future’ mean to you?

Think critically about cultural sensitivities before you share openly. It can make futures brighter, but also bring stronger partnerships and collaborations.

Only 2 days to go until the 2021 CC Global Summit on September 20-24. Join us from wherever you are as we explore the latest developments in the Open Movement, celebrate 20 years of Creative Commons, and consider what the future of Open holds. Register here >>

The post Meet the CC Summit Presenter: Kate Thornhill appeared first on Creative Commons.

We’re 4 days out from the 2021 CC Global Summit! Featuring next in our ‘Meet the CC Summit Presenter’ series, we meet Nigerian Chimdi Chukwukere—a Research Assistant and first class History & International Relations graduate. Chimidi is passionate about International Development, especially the provision of access to quality education for children & youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Chimdi believes in investing in the skills and career development of youths, especially those from less-privileged backgrounds in Africa. Because of this, he created and currently manages an online community where I provide helpful personal and professional development resources to more than 200 African youths. 

Based in: South Orange, United States

Summit Session: How Open Data Can Drive Transparency and Transformation In Virtual Universities

Why are you an advocate for Open?

Because everyone deserves a chance to have access to world-class knowledge.

What is your proudest achievement?

Being a part of a Graduate Diplomacy Students contingent that advised the US government’s National Security Council, and the Department of Defense on Great Power Competition & Counterterrorism earlier this year as part of our National Security Fellowship.

What is the best part of what you do? What is the most difficult part of what you do?

The best part of my job as an academic researcher is being able to produce knowledge that has a policy effect. The most difficult part is asking the right questions and figuring out how to find answers to research questions.

What tool/platform/app are you loving right now?

Currently, I’m loving my iPhone Notes. It’s been helpful for jotting down quick ideas and thoughts.

What’s one new trend that you think the CC community should look out for?

Increase in virtual learning and remote working. Meaning that more free resources will be sought after.

“Shared prosperity and equal access to all will increase the world’s chance to live in peace.”

What is the biggest setback you have experienced? How did you overcome it?

The biggest setback I faced was the pandemic. As an international student who was alone and far away from home during the pandemic, I overcame the emotional challenges I faced through my faith in God.

If you could only leave people with one message from your summit presentation, what would it be?

Everyone can get an education, and virtual universities are one way to make education accessible to all.

What was the best career advice you ever received? What was the worst?

Best career advice: Diligence always pays, and even if you have to take a step back to achieve your goals, do it now and you will be happy you did, years to come.

Worst career advice: Don’t worry too much, what will be will be. 

What would you like to say to Creative Commons on our 20th anniversary?

Thank you for the work you’re committed to doing. Millions all over the world have been educated and helped through Creative Commons initiatives.

What does ‘Better Sharing, Brighter Future’ mean to you?

Shared prosperity and equal access to all will increase the world’s chance to live in peace.

Join us from wherever you are for the 2021 CC Global Summit on September 20-24, as we explore the latest developments in the Open Movement, celebrate 20 years of Creative Commons, and consider what the future of Open holds. Register here >>

The post Meet the CC Summit Presenter: Chimdi Chukwukere appeared first on Creative Commons.

Next up in our ‘Meet the CC Summit Presenter’ series, meet long-time Wikipedians Ariel Elinson and Laliv Gal. Ariel is an accomplished graphic designer and lecturer. With the support of Wikimedia Israel, he launched the VIPs Photography Project for Wikipedia. Ariel and Laliv will be presenting together at Summit. Laliv is a former board member of Wikimedia Israel, and a leader and active member of the Wiki-Woman local project. She has been volunteering for the VIPs Photography Project for Wikipedia for 6 years. Their session at the 2021 CC Global Summit will introduce their work photographing public figures in Israel, and the main goal of this unique project. This project focuses on creating and promoting high-quality, free and open content that can be used on Wikipedia articles and in other media.

Based in: Israel

Summit Session: Very Important People become Commoners

How did you get involved with Creative Commons?

Ariel is the initiator of the VIPs photography project for Wikipedia with the aid of the Wikimedia Foundation in Israel, and Laliv is a volunteer at the project. Together we upload as many CC released photos as we can.

How many times have you been to CC Global Summit?

This is our first one! We are excited.

In the future, what is something you would like to see at the CC Summit?

We would like to hear about other ways to create high-end, good quality photos for the public use in other countries.

Why are you an advocate for Open?

We are advocates for Open because we believe in creating and sharing high quality visual content.

What is your proudest achievement?

Contributing hundreds of new photos to Hebrew Wikipedia articles.

What is your favorite GIF?

via GIPHY

What tool/platform/app are you loving right now?

Wikipedia, Of course!

What’s one new trend that you think the CC community should look out for?

Making video content more accessible for people use.

If you could only leave people with one message from your summit presentation, what would it be?

Create great content!

Only 6 days until the 2021 CC Global Summit kicks off on September 20-24. Join us virtually for a week of discussion, collaboration, creativity and community building. Register here >>

The post Meet CC Summit Presenters: Laliv Gal & Ariel Elinson appeared first on Creative Commons.

Next up in our ‘Meet the CC Summit Presenter’ series, we sit down with social entrepreneur, Comfort Onyaga. ​​Comfort is a market systems development expert with over five years of field experience and a proven track record in her field. As a social impact entrepreneur, Comfort believes that Africa can become self-reliant through homegrown solutions to socioeconomic problems. This philosophy inspires her to drive inclusive economic growth and continue to impact humanity a day at a time. Comfort is a multi-hyphenate who has founded a nonprofit organization and private sector companies as follows: Founder & Executive Director, CLICE Foundation; Founder & CEO of Izanu Africa, an Agritech Startup; JustComfort, a fashion line for children and teens, Co-Founder, Policy Sharpers, and the coordinator, Ngozi Nwozor- Agbo Initiative (NNAI), and Multi-stakeholders Partnership Initiatives for Advocacy on Countering Trafficking in Persons (MULTIPACT). She is also an Alumna of the Founder Institute, Utiva Product School, and the Tekedia Mini-MBA Institute. As a founding member of Policy Shapers, she and her team participated in the maiden edition of the Stanford Open Data Project and emerged top three in the Policy and Advocacy Tract. Comfort was recently nominated for the World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leaders, Class of 2022.

Based in: Lagos, Nigeria

Summit Session: How Open Data can drive Transparency and Transformation in Virtual Universities

How did you get involved with Creative Commons?

My team saw the ads on DevCom and we decided to apply! 

In the future, what is something you would like to see at the CC Summit?

A physical Summit if possible.

What is your proudest achievement?

Been nominated for the World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leaders Class of 2022 sometime this year. 

What is the best part of what you do? What is the most difficult part of what you do?

The best part of what I do as the Founder of CLICE Foundation is working with my team to impact humanity, and the most difficult part of it is fundraising. 

What is your favorite GIF?

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What tool/platform/app are you loving right now?

LinkedIn: I’m able to network and connect with professionals in my field seamlessly. 

What is the biggest setback you have experienced? How did you overcome it?

My biggest setback was graduating from the Founder Institute in 2020, and I overcame it by quickly creating a team of like-minded persons to help me with most of my assignments, which were real-time tasks. 

If you could only leave people with one message from your summit presentation, what would it be?

We all have a right to access data when we need it, because data is the live wire of the future.

What was the best career advice you ever received? 

To build and grow CLICE Foundation during my formative years, rather than dump it for an offer another organization proposed in 2018.  

What would you like to say to Creative Commons on our 20th anniversary?

The best is yet to come. Phenomenal strides await the Creative Commons. 

What does ‘Better Sharing, Brighter Future’ mean to you?

It means collaboration for accelerated growth, because it takes collaboration to share, and this will ultimately birth growth in leaps and bounds.

Not long to go until the 2021 CC Global Summit on September 20-24. Join us from wherever you are as we explore the latest developments in the Open Movement, celebrate 20 years of Creative Commons, and consider what the future of Open holds. Register here >>

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