Cheers to a New Year of Learning, Collaboration, and Impact

As we ring in the new year, I want to begin by saying thank you. Our global community of learners, Instructors, Maintainers, Lesson Developers, partners, and supporters continues to be the reason The Carpentries thrives. Your commitment to teaching, learning, and sharing computational and data skills has shaped who we are today and continues to guide where we are going next.

Over the past year, we have done important reflection and planning to prepare for our next chapter, and this month we will share the bridge 2026-2028 Strategic Plan that builds on our long-standing mission while responding to a rapidly changing research, education, and open science landscape. This plan is about focus, sustainability, and impact. It is also about ensuring that The Carpentries remains a strong, values-driven organisation that can serve its community for years to come.

At a high level, our strategic direction for 2026-2028 centers on three interconnected goals.

First, we are prioritising organisational sustainability and capacity. This includes strengthening our internal systems, improving how we plan and execute work, and ensuring our financial and operational foundations can support our global programs and people. Sustainability is what allows us to be reliable partners and stewards of community trust.

Second, we are focused on equipping and empowering our global community. That means investing in contributors across roles and regions, improving onboarding and support, and creating clearer pathways for participation, leadership, and growth. Our community is our greatest strength, and this goal reflects our commitment to making engagement more accessible, meaningful, and sustainable.

Third, we are advancing and enriching our curriculum portfolio. As research and technology continue to evolve, we are working to responsibly grow into emerging areas such as research software engineering, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing, while maintaining the instructional quality and pedagogical rigour The Carpentries is known for.

In the weeks ahead, we will share more details about these goals, the priorities underneath them, and how community members can engage with and shape this work. This is very much a shared journey, and we are excited to continue building The Carpentries together.

Cheers to a new year of learning, collaboration, and impact. Thank you for being part of our community, and Happy New Year!