Partners

OPEN has worked with many departments and ministries of education, educational institutions and companies over the years for its international distance learning and technology education programs. Some of these partners and strategic supporters include the following organizations:

The Maverick Education Partnership program, a large network of 27 New York City schools, is part of the New York Department of Education. Its mission is to improve education, school leadership, nutrition and health, raise social consciousness, and support families and NYC communities. MEP has a proven track record of improving lower performing schools. OPEN and MEP are initially collaborating to pilot test OPEN’s new Online Professional Development programs and its forthcoming Machu Picchu virtual world in selected elementary schools inside their NYC network. OPEN will work with MEP on pilot testing future Virtual Worlds and include MEP in any future US and International Distance Learning Initiatives.

Dr. Jonah Steinberg of the Anthropology Department at the University of Vermont is a cultural anthropologist who works with US National Parks and indigenous cultures that inhabit the parks and their surroundings. Dr. Steinberg has worked extensively with Mesa Verde National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and is a lead consultant to those parks for OPEN. Dr. Steinberg is also the lead consultant for OPEN’s Virtual Machu Picchu content development and pilot implementation. He is also a liaison to relevant Peruvian Institutions for the project. Dr. Steinberg also works with...

...an organization that represents indigenous cultures worldwide. The Mountain Institute South America is supporting OPEN’s work in Peru, for its Virtual Machu Picchu Project, and for other South American education programs.

NAU is supporting OPEN’s interactive Kiosk development testing phase for Mesa Verde. Joelle Clark is leading this program. Ms. Clark is reviewing the program’s accuracy and integrity by aligning the curriculum with current ethnographic and environmental research findings. She is also advising OPEN’s curriculum and content management team on the interactive kiosk portrayals and storylines, and monitoring early park visitor impressions.

Stainless Communications is a Marketing consulting firm with a concentration in online and social media. Stainless Communications represents a diverse mix of industries including online gaming. Stainless is OPEN’s marketing and sales development partner.

Over the past ten years Open has partnered with Dr. Lynn Hunter and Joe DePersia during their long tenure with New York City schools. They were instrumental in recruiting schools and helping OPEN manage large-scale semester length distance learning, PBS education satellite broadcasts, and associated online programs. Some of these programs included the Bridge Builders project and Learning for Peace (see History page). OPEN is partnering with VCMS for future live distance learning programs that will include the New York City Public School System.

Quirkat is a leading online, mobile and PC/console video game developer, publisher and digital distributor. Quirkat is headquartered in the UAE, with its main development studios situated in Amman, Jordan. Quirkat holds a top market position in the region’s interactive entertainment industry. Since its inception in 2004, Quirkat has grown considerably as a result of its focus on building up and utilizing its in-house development capabilities and the creation of strong original brands. They are a creative force in the Middle East for the production of game titles based on regionally relevant content, and are sensitive to the region’s unique history, culture, social structures, religions and demographics. OPEN is partnering with Quirkat for education games design and content development work for Middle East and International World Heritage sites in the region.