Supporting OPEN through MIT OpenCourseWare

We are deeply grateful to the 1,042 people who participated in the OCW Spring Challenge.

Because of their donations, OCW will receive $20,000 that will help us make our content richer and more accessible to every learner in the world.

We know there are thousands of OCW visitors who do not have the means to donate, and our core mission is to provide access to exactly these audiences.

But we are so very thankful to the OCW supporters who can afford to contribute because they help to sustain OCW and make it available to so many others.

With appreciation,

The MIT OpenCourseWare Team

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Two of OCW’s lead donors, who strongly believe in OCW’s mission, have issued a challenge: They want OCW learners who can afford to donate—at any level—to join them as active OCW supporters.

The challenge

The lead donors will make an extra contribution—up to $20,000—if we reach certain participation goals during this campaign. It doesn’t matter how much you give, just that you participate. Here are the goals:

If 500 people give, then OCW receives an extra $10,000. If 750 people give, then OCW receives an extra $15,000. If 1,000 people give, then OCW receives the full $20,000!

You can help us reach the 1,000-level participation goal, and make your contribution work even harder for OCW!

Your support is essential to the success of this challenge.

Every person who contributes counts toward our participation goal. Any donation, large or small, makes a difference ! If you can afford to contribute to OCW, then please donate today.

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Open and free – a simple core concept of MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) – has had profound and far reaching impact. Since its launch in 2001, OCW has offered millions of people to access high quality MIT educational materials that once wasn’t possible. OCW knocks down the financial, geographic, and political barriers, bringing knowledge and understanding to people in every corner of the globe. This is what open and free means.

OCW quite literally supports millions of learners and teachers every year in their quests to improve themselves, help their students, and lift up their communities.

And now, we are asking for your support. Our goal for OCW’s spring 2017 fundraiser is 1,000 donations. Won’t you please consider being one of these thousand supporters?

This year, thanks to an anonymous supporter, we have a limited number of special Thank-You gifts to acknowledge your participation. This means 100% of your donation will go to OCW to help us continue to publish open and free MIT materials. We offer special appreciation to the MIT faculty and friends who also donated their books, Geiger Counters, and time to support OCW.

About OCW

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) makes the MIT Faculty’s course materials used in the teaching of almost all of MIT’s undergraduate and graduate subjects available on the Web, free of charge, to any person anywhere in the world. There are more than 2,300 courses available that span all 33 academic departments at MIT.

Impact

OCW is an expression of MIT’s commitment of advancing knowledge around the world. Through OCW, educators improve courses and curricula, making their schools more effective; students find additional resources to help them succeed; and independent learners enrich their lives and use the content to tackle some of our world’s most difficult challenges, including sustainable development, climate change, and cancer eradication.

To date, more than 200 million people from just about every country have accessed lecture notes, videos, problem sets, and other core MIT teaching materials—at no cost—through OCW for more than a decade.

What Your Gift Would Support

Sustain OCW’s unique mission of sharing MIT’s teaching materials openly with the world.

Publish updated and new course publications reflecting the entire gamut of instruction and student experience.

Increase the impact of OCW’s publications on learning and teaching around the world.

Raise awareness of OCW’s unique course offerings and resources.

Thank-you Perks are made possible by MIT faculty and an anonymous supporter. This means 100% of your donation supports OCW. Perks will be mailed within 4-6 weeks at the end of the campaign.

$50 - OCW Sticker Postcard Pack of 4

Send OCW to your friends with a four-pack of OCW sticker postcards. These nifty postcards can be sent with no additional postage needed.

$100 – OCW Backpack

Travel in style with the OCW 15" computer rucksack. The large open main compartment with padded computer pocket can hold up to a 15'' laptop. Cinch closure for main compartment with flap and double clip for extra security and protection. There’s also a front zippered pocket. Adjustable padded shoulder straps. Top carry handle. 16.5" H x 10.5" W x 6.5" L.

$200 – OCW Umbrella

The OCW umbrella is perfect protection from rain and sun. Its patented 3M Scotchlite reflective material helps drivers see you from any angle. For added comfort and convenience, this WalkSafe umbrella automatically opens at the touch of a button. This umbrella has a 42 inch arc (111.8cm), a 3-section shaft and features vented technology for superior wind resistance. Closed it is approximately 12 inches (30.5cm) in length. 12" L.

$300 – OCW Slim Power Bank

Keep your phone powered with the OCW Slim Power Bank. 3000 mAh Lithium Polymer Grade A Non-Recycled Battery. Extra Bright White LED Flashlight. Features A USB Output And Micro USB Input (Cord included). Output: 5 Volts/1 Amp. Charges Most Phones, MP3 Players And More! Requires Your Phone's Charging Cord To Charge Your Device. 4" W x 2 1/4" H 1/4" H NOTE: CAN ONLY BE SHIPPED WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL USA.

$1,000 – Autographed drawing of Herb Gross signed by Herb Gross

A beautiful caricature drawing of Herb Gross, former senior lecturer at MIT. Gross was also the founding math department chair at Bunker Hill Community College. His Calculus Revisited resources on OCW have been highly regarded and frequently used. This perk is made possible by Herb Gross.

$1,000 – Autographed copy of Linear Algebra by Gil Strang

Distinguished for his research, service, and teaching, MIT Professor Gilbert Strang will personally autograph your copy of Linear Algebra. It’s a perfect companion to a couple of the most visited courses on OCW, 18.06 and 18.06SC Linear Algebra. This perk is made possible by the generosity of Professor Gilbert Strang.

$1,000 – Autographed copy of Mastering ’Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect by Joshua Angrist

Receive an autographed copy of "Mastering ’Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect" by MIT professor Joshua Angrist. Joshua Angrist is the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT, a director of MIT's School Effectiveness and Inequality Initiative, and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. ‘Mastering Metrics is an accessible and humorous (yes really!) book that makes the case for why econometrics is important and exciting and highlights relevant real-world examples. “Reading it is like overhearing a conversation between two grumpy old men who happen to be economists–and I mean this in the best way possible.” -Andrew Gelman, Columbia University

$1,000 – Your very own Geiger Counter!

Receive your very own assembled Geiger counter kit by award-winning Nuclear Science and Engineering Professor Michael Short. With this kit you will be able to detect sources and types of radiation and learn how to shield them and how to accurately measure their activity. This perk is made possible by Professor Mike Short.

$1,000 – Signed copy of Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python by John Guttag

Signed by renown Professor John Guttag, the "Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python" textbook is your essential companion to learning computer science and programming. This perk is made possible by Professor Guttag and MIT Press.

$1,000 – Autographed copy of Visual Strategies: A Practical Guide to Graphics for Scientists and Engineers by Felice Frankel

Receive an autographed copy of "Visual Strategies: A Practical Guide to Graphics for Scientists and Engineers” by MIT's award winning science photographer and research scientist in the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Felice Frankel. Frankel most recently published an OCW course addressing science and engineering photography, “Making Science and Engineering Pictures, A Practical Guide to Presenting Your Work.” The resources for this MOOC have just been published on OCW as RES.10-001.

$10,000 – Conversation with MIT Professor Shigeru Miyagawa

Enjoy an hour-long phone or video call with world-renown MIT Professor Shigeru Miyagawa. Miyagawa was on the original MIT committee that proposed OpenCourseWare, and was the Chair of the MIT OpenCourseWare Faculty Advisory Committee, 2010 ̶ 2013. With MIT’s John Dower and Harvard’s Andrew Gordon of Harvard, he created Visualizing Japan, a MOOC that has attracted over 9,000 learners world-wide. Professor Miyagawa has published multiple course sites on OCW. The hour-long conversation will be coordinated with your schedule before December 29, 2017. This perk is made possible by Professor Miyagawa.

$10,000 – Conversation with MIT Professor Jeffery Hoffman

Enjoy an hour-long phone or video call with former NASA Astronaut and MIT Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Dr. Jeffery Hoffman, a veteran of six space flights. Speak with him about your mutual interest in the future of human spaceflight or the use of the International Space Station as a testbed for future aerospace technology. Away from MIT, he enjoys skiing, sailing, hiking, bicycling, skating, and music. The hour-long conversation will be coordinated with your schedule and can take place from July 12 through 26 or August 1 through August 4, 2017. This perk is made possible by Professor Hoffman.