Our 2026-2028 Bridge Strategic Plan is here

Introducing Our 2026–2028 Bridge Strategic Plan

As we begin a new chapter together as a community, we are excited to share The Carpentries Bridge Strategic Plan for 2026–2028. This plan reflects where we are now as an organisation, what we have learned over the past five years, and how we intend to move forward in alignment with our core values.

The next three years are a bridge. A bridge between our recent period of organisational change and the future we are building together. A bridge between sustaining what works and investing in what is needed next. And a bridge between global growth and deeper, more equitable engagement with communities around the world.

Why a Bridge Strategic Plan?

The Carpentries has grown significantly in scope, reach, and responsibility. As we plan, we recognise the need for a focused plan that allows us to strengthen our foundation while continuing to evolve as an independent non-profit organisation. This bridge strategic plan is designed to help us test new approaches, learn quickly, and make data-informed decisions that position us for long-term impact beyond 2028.

Rather than attempting to do everything at once, this plan prioritises innovation, sustainability, and community-led growth.

Our Strategic Focus Areas for 2026–2028

Over the next three years, our work will be guided by four interconnected goals.

1. Advancing our curriculum portfolio

We will foster the development and adoption of new curricula in emerging domains such as research software engineering and artificial intelligence, grounded in open, reproducible research practices. This includes piloting new lessons, supporting contributors, and learning what it takes to grow curriculum in new areas sustainably.

2. Building a sustainable and equitable revenue model

We are formalising a new revenue framework that supports financial stability while prioritising flexibility and equity. This includes piloting a new partnership program, expanding diversified income streams, and ensuring communities with limited access to resources can continue to engage with Carpentries programming.

3. Developing a community scalability model

To grow responsibly, we are investing in a data-informed approach to understanding where and how our programs can scale. By incorporating linguistic, geographic, and engagement metrics, we aim to support geographically diverse communities better and guide future expansion in ways that are responsive to local capacity.

4. Strengthening subcommunity leadership and multilingual engagement

We will empower Subcommunity Leaders to serve as multilingual advocates for The Carpentries, supporting local coordination, regional programming, and the distribution of open source lessons in multiple languages. This work is essential to building resilient, locally led communities that thrive over time.

How We Will Measure Progress

Transparency and accountability are core to this plan. For each strategic goal, we have identified clear intended outcomes, measurable indicators, baseline data, and long-term targets through 2028. We will review progress quarterly, share updates with our Board of Directors, and communicate key insights with the community along the way.

Importantly, this plan is designed to help us learn. Some initiatives will succeed quickly. Others will require iteration. What matters most is that we remain open, reflective, and responsive to what the data and our community are telling us.

Moving Forward Together

This 2026–2028 Bridge Strategic Plan is not something we are doing alone. It is shaped by the contributions of our Instructors, Lesson Developers, Maintainers, Subcommunity Leaders, partners, Core Team, and supporters around the world. Your participation, feedback, and leadership continue to be central to everything we do.

We are happy to share more about how this plan will come to life in the months ahead, including opportunities to get involved, pilot new initiatives, and help shape what comes next for The Carpentries. Until then, check out the whole plan on our website.

Thank you for being part of this community and for continuing to build with us.