Content Comparison

The Core Idea: This program is about celebrating the game-changers—those changers—those who push Open edX forward, whether through engineering excellence, advocacy, innovation, or partnerships.

Why do we need this?

• Sustaining Long-Term Engagement through Motivation and Recognition: Many contributors dedicate significant time and expertise to Open edX, but after a while, they may disengage or shift focus. A formal acknowledgment of extraordinary contributions with a prestigious status serves as a powerful motivator for ongoing engagement and excellence.

• Encouraging High-Impact Contributions: The program sets a gold standard for contributions, inspiring others to strive for meaningful and long-term involvement. By defining Defining clear criteria , it encourages sustained innovation, advocacy, and technical excellence.

• Incentivizing Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A major challenge in open-source projects is knowledge transfer. Distinguished Contributors can mentor newer members, drive community growth, and help onboard new talent, ensuring that expertise is passed on effectively.

• Community Role Models: Highlighting exemplary contributors sets a benchmark and inspires others to step up, fostering a culture of active participation and high-quality contributions.

• Attracting & Retaining Strategic Partners: For organizations, contributing to Open edX must be seen as a valuable investment. Recognizing Distinguished Partners reinforces Open edX as an ecosystem worth engaging with, leading to deeper institutional involvement.

• Strengthening the Open edX Brand & Ecosystem: Elevating key contributors helps Open edX remain competitive in the global edTech space. By showcasing top contributors as thought leaders and experts, we strengthen Open edX’s credibility and influence in the market.

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Ensure that Open edX continues to be a community-driven platform where top contributors and partners feel valued, empowered, and engaged in its long-term success.

1. Recognize individuals and organizations making exceptional contributions.

   • KR 1.1: Identify and award at least 10 Distinguished Contributors (across different tracks) in the first year. (Tracks → Technical, Advocacy, Innovation, Partner)

   • KR 1.2: Establish a nomination & review process to evaluate applications based on predefined criteria.

   • KR 1.3: Track contribution and retention rate of recognized contributors (e.g., ensuring 70% remain engaged at the expected level in the Open edX community after 12 months).

2. Foster Leadership & Mentorship by supporting the next generation of community members.

   • KR 2.1: Create a mentorship framework where at least 50% of Distinguished Contributors actively mentor new community members.

   • KR 2.2: Facilitate monthly/ quarterly knowledge-sharing sessions led by Distinguished Contributors (e.g., webinars, panel discussions).
     KR 2.3: Ensure at least 5 Distinguished Contributors actively participate in Open edX Working Groups and strategic initiatives.

3. Provide incentives to drive deeper engagement with Open edX’s priorities.

   • KR 3.1: Define and launch recognition & incentive mechanisms (e.g., badges, visibility, priority access, complimentary access and speaking opportunity at conferences).

   • KR 3.2: Ensure Distinguished Contributors are included in strategic roadmap discussions, ensuring their voices shape Open edX’s future.

   • KR 3.3: Implement a structured feedback loop where Distinguished Contributors provide direct insights on community pain points and needs.

4. Encourage Collaboration Among Partners & Community Members

   • KR 4.1: Drive participation and collaboration in the existing collaboration tools (Slack, discussion board, or Confluence), to increase member engagement by at least 20% year over year.

   • KR 4.2: Host bi-annual roundtables where Distinguished Contributors share insights on Open edX’s market positioning and product roadmap alignment.

   • KR 4.3: Drive at least 3 key community-driven initiatives or proposals per year.

5. Strengthen Open edX’s Market Position with a strong base of experts, developers, and advocates.

   • KR 5.1: Leverage Distinguished Contributors to increase Open edX community engagement by 20% through blog posts, case studies, and social media outreach.

   • KR 5.2: Feature Distinguished Contributors in at least 3 high-profile events (e.g., Open edX Conference, global edTech summits).

   • KR 5.3: Publish Distinguished Contributor Spotlights (minimum 1 per quarter) to highlight their contributions and impact.

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1. Engineers & Developers – Individuals who contribute significantly to Open edX’s codebase, infrastructure, or architectural evolution.

2. Advocates & Evangelists – Community leaders, speakers, and educators who actively promote Open edX adoption through outreach, training, and advocacy efforts.

3. Innovators & Thought Leaders – Those who introduce groundbreaking ideas, develop new use cases, or enhance Open edX’s competitive positioning.

4. Strategic Partners – Organizations or individuals who build meaningful collaborations, form alliances, or create impactful integrations that strengthen the Open edX ecosystem.

Recognition Tracks

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