Strategic Planning and Candy Sushi
By Heather Blicher, CCCOER Director, Open Education Global
As a regional node of the Open Education Global (OEGlobal) community, CCCOER is deeply committed to advancing the broader mission of Open Education around the world. That means aligning our values and members’ needs with OEGlobal’s strategic priorities and goals.
In 2024, we embarked on a strategic planning process that wasn’t just about updating a document; it was about reimagining the infrastructure that supports our collective work. Over many months, CCCOER staff, the Executive Council, and committee members co-created a new 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, one that reflects where we’ve been, where we’re headed, and how we hope to grow together. Alongside this, we undertook a major revision of the CCCOER Program Guide. What was once a brief overview is now a comprehensive roadmap to CCCOER’s structure and the many ways volunteers support it.
These documents aren’t perfect – and they’re not meant to be. They are meant to evolve over time as new Executive Council members come in and as committee work progresses. We’ll continue to refine both the plan and the guide.
I’ve long known that structure enables creativity – and creativity is the part I most look forward to. Before my work in higher education, I spent years in public libraries, with a focus on teen programming. The lessons I learned there are foundational to how I approach leadership and organizational design. Here is what I mean: when planning a teen program, success doesn’t just come from the attendance at the program. It comes from what happened before by setting expectations, designing activities, preparing supplies, recruiting volunteers, marketing, and showing up ready to meet the energy of the day.
One of my favorite programs was a DIY cosplay event at a public library in Chesapeake, Virginia. Leading up to the event, teens spent hours designing costumes, learning simple sewing skills, and supporting each other’s creativity.
Dozens of teens dressed as their favorite characters and gathered to make candy sushi, compete in video game tournaments, vote on costume categories, perfect dance routines from their favorite anime, and simply have fun. But that kind of joyful and chaotic (in the best way) success did not happen spontaneously. It was the result of structure: a thoughtful plan, clear staff expectations, communication across the library, and a commitment to making space for everyone to shine.
That’s what we’re doing at CCCOER.
We’re building systems that make it easier for people to participate and lead – and we may not always get it right because we’re growing right along with everyone else. The Strategic Plan gives us direction. The Program Guide provides the scaffolding. And the feedback we get from the community keeps us grounded.
As we continue this work, I want to thank all of you who participated in the process through interviews, surveys, committee meetings, and leadership roles. Your time and insight are shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and Open future with CCCOER. I look forward to the creative ways the community will continue to help enrich our work.
We’ll know our structures are working when they make space for creativity, collaboration, and maybe even a CCCOER-wide candy sushi showdown *wink*.
Featured Image: Candy Sushi – Gunkanmaki by camknows on Flickr, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 2.0