Dear
Cynthia,
Educational resources when you need them most
As jobs
become increasingly complex and careers more and more unpredictable,
education has grown ever more vital to our success individually and as a
society of humankind. Yet only a tiny fraction of the worlds population has
access to educational resources, whether due to economic, geographic, or
political barriers.
Meanwhile, traditional universities compete with an increasing number of
for-profit schools--some of uncertain reputation--and new nontraditional
educational web projects appear online every day. As the pace of change in
higher education grows, it's more and more difficult to decide how to
choose the right educational option, or to be certain the option you do
choose will be the right one ten years from now.
Whichever educational choices you make, MIT OpenCourseWare provides the
resources you need to complement traditional studies, learn independently,
brush up on old skills or acquire new ones. With 2,100 courses in 33 academic
disciplines, MIT OpenCourseWare shares the entire knowledge base of one of
the world's leading educational institutions.
A comprehensive resource for challenging times
In this
uncertain environment, MIT OpenCourseWare remains an unparalleled resource
for learners worldwide. An e-mail we received from Marlene, an OCW website
visitor from the US, shows how powerful a resource OCW can be during
difficult times:
"I
used OCW during a time of lengthy unemployment to keep my statistics and
mathematical skills up to date. Although I wanted to donate, I could not -
no job.
Because I kept my skills up, I was able to procure a good position in a
growing organization where I can now use those skills. And now I am happy
to be in a position to contribute to the ongoing development and
maintenance of OCW."
Supporting individuals and institutions
MIT
OpenCourseWare also provides comprehensive resources that can help
educational organizations around the world manage crisis and change. We've
recently been participating in efforts to help rebuild the Haitian higher
education system, which was devastated by the earthquake of January 12,
2010. Through efforts led by the Universit dtat dHati (FdS/UEH) and the
Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL), MIT OpenCourseWare is
providing complete copies of our materials to Haitian universities. Mr.
Jean Henri Vernet, Rector of the State University, commented:
"This
initiative will open a new gate for our students. Through this gate, they
will find a comprehensive range of materials from the classrooms of one of
the most prestigious universities in the world. These materials cover
almost all areas of knowledge. Higher education is going to greatly benefit
from this initiative."
Your contributions make a difference
Continually
improving MIT OpenCourseWare and supporting innovations like OCW Scholar courses and our new Entrepreneurship course list is a big job.
With your help in the past, we've demonstrated not only that OCW is a
unique resource, but that it can be a sustainable one. MIT continues to pay
for half of OCW's $4 million annual budget directly, but we rely on sponsors and users like you for the rest.
As we approach the end of our fiscal year, we need your help to keep OCW
fully funded for today and for the future. Please donate today. Help us ensure that OCW
continues to be here when you need us.
Sincerely,
Cecilia d'Oliveira
Executive Director
MIT OpenCourseWare
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment