By Heather Blicher, CCCOER Director, Open Education Global
On November 7, 2025, I had the privilege of delivering the keynote at the 2025 Michigan OER Conference at Washtenaw Community College. With 100+ attendees from universities and community colleges across Michigan, this year’s gathering centered the theme, Limitless Learning, Infinite Impact, and set the tone for a day filled with connection and community.
I opened my keynote, Everyone Has a Story: Building Resilience Through Open, to the sounds of a crackling campfire and with a simple invitation: to pause. In a time when many of us are feeling the weight of the world – rising costs, a government shutdown, lack of benefits for those who need it most, student challenges, and all of this in addition to our daily responsibilities – even a brief moment of stillness can make space for reflection.
Why Stories? Why Now?
For me, everything begins with stories.
Stories help us make meaning when circumstances feel overwhelming. They remind us of our shared humanity. They give shape to resilience, not as endurance or grit, but as connection, memory, and relationship. My keynote explored how storytelling grounds our work in Open Education. In my role with Open Education Global, and specifically the Community College Consortium for OER, I’m reminded daily that Open isn’t just about content – it’s about people. The stories of faculty, students, librarians, and colleagues across institutions and across borders shape how we teach, collaborate, and imagine the future. Whether it’s global colleagues navigating crisis or local students balancing impossible choices, their stories remind us why openness matters. They ask us to listen more deeply, act with care, and create spaces where every voice is heard and every person is seen.
Resilience, Resistance, and the Work Ahead
I referenced adrienne maree brown and her book, Emergent Strategy, and the radical idea that simply existing – who we are, how we show up – is already a contribution. And in referencing brown, one must add Octavia Butler to the conversation, with her barrier-breaking science fiction that seems more relevant now than ever before and is an inspiration referenced in brown’s work. In groups, we talked about brown’s “critical connections,” the kind that build trust and hold communities together during crisis. I shared how this idea has shaped new approaches at CCCOER, including our discussion-based webinar series designed to slow down, create space, and let participants connect as humans, not just professionals.
Carrying the Flame
I closed by returning to the image and the crackling sounds of a campfire – a place where people have gathered for centuries to share stories and remember that they’re not alone. This is how our work continues:
- One shared spark
- One shared moment of care
- One story at a time
I invited attendees to imagine passing a small flame to someone in their lives who might need reminding that their story matters.
With gratitude, thank you to the MI OER Network Conference Planning Committee, the presenters and speakers, and every attendee who took part in the day. You made the conference truly meaningful. If you were there, I’d love to hear what resonated with you – and what stories you will carry forward.