Catalyst Partners with edX to Offer Online Leadership Courses (Media Release)
November 20, 2014Increased global access to Catalyst’s research, expertise and training will advance careers and develop 21st-century leaders.
NEW YORK (November 20, 2014)—Catalyst, the leading global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women and business, announced today that it is building online courses and training programs with edX, the nonprofit online learning platform launched in 2012 by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Registration is now open for Inclusive Leadership Training: Becoming a Successful Leader, Catalyst’s first free massive open online course (MOOC) on edX, with classes scheduled to start February 18, 2015. Additional courses dedicated to building strong, inclusive leaders and high-performing teams globally will launch in later months.
The partnership with edX expands Catalyst’s reach by making its research available to larger numbers of individuals and organizations in the form of a high-quality leadership development curriculum. EdX MOOCs allow for unlimited worldwide participation online, and they provide interactive communities for students and instructors. Recent edX MOOCs have generated enrollments of tens of thousands of students for individual classes. More than 60 universities and organizations have partnered with edX and nearly 3 million people have accessed its courses online since it launched a little over a year ago.
“We are proud to partner with edX, and to join its extraordinary partner colleges, universities and organizations to advance the impact of open learning,” said Deborah Gillis, President and CEO, Catalyst. “Catalyst is committed to creating more diverse and inclusive workforces, where talented women and men around the world have equal opportunity to advance and lead. Now, through our partnership with edX, more individuals will be able to tap into our educational strategies and solutions, benefitting both employees and their companies.”
Catalyst research, along with that from numerous other organizations, has shown that gender-diverse companies are, on average, more profitable and more innovative. And according to Catalyst’s recent report, Inclusive Leadership: The View From Six Countries, women and men who felt included were more likely to report going far beyond basic work requirements and suggest new product ideas and ways of getting work done.
“People everywhere want to understand how to build better workplaces with more inclusive and diverse workforces; and as the go-to resource for women in the workplace worldwide, Catalyst has deep knowledge to share,” said Anant Agarwal, edX CEO. “As a fellow nonprofit research initiative, edX is pleased to partner with Catalyst to make its learning materials accessible to more people around the world.”
More Information
- Register now for Inclusive Leadership Training: Becoming a Successful Leader—Classes start February 18, 2015.
- For more information about Catalyst and edX, watch our brief video.
- See why Inclusion Matters.
- Learn why Diversity Matters.
- Take Catalyst’s quiz: Are You an Inclusive Leader?
ABOUT CATALYST
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, Australia, and Japan and more than 700 member organizations, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women’s advancement with the Catalyst Award.