Sustainable open-source software through service learning: iteration and longevity in undergraduate computing projects across semesters

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Creighton University $399,454 on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop and empirically evaluate a transferable framework for sustainable, student-led open-source software development within service-learning contexts.

The project will develop a sustainability-centered approach enabling students to create technology products for community partners through iterative development, structured handoffs, and long-term stewardship across courses and semesters. The work examines how academic open-source software projects can be decomposed into modular, cross-disciplinary service-learning components and integrated across courses, research internships, student teams, and semesters to support student learning, stakeholder trust, and project longevity. The initiative investigates how embedding sustainability as a core learning objective influences student learning outcomes, professional competencies, software longevity, project governance, and community partner trust, with particular focus on serving nonprofits and smaller organizations with limited capacity.

Performance of work occurs in Omaha, Nebraska, with a period of performance from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029. The award is classified as a Project Grant, assistance type designation for Level I Engaged Student Learning projects under NSF's IUSE program.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening computing education through service-learning practices aligned with the realities of long-lived software systems and open-source development. Service learning has the potential to support the needs of community partners with limited capacity, such as nonprofits and other smaller organizations. In particular, such partnerships can provide software that can be reliably maintained and extended. This level i engaged student learning project plans to develop a sustainability-centered open-source service-learning approach that allows students to develop technology products for community partners. The development of these products would focus on iterative development, structured handoffs, and long-term stewardship across courses and semesters. Ultimately, this approach seeks to enhance the significance of the service-learning experience for students and meet the needs of the community partners. This project?s goals are to develop and empirically evaluate a transferable framework for sustainable, student-led open-source software development within service-learning contexts. This project plans to examine how academic open-source software projects can be split into modular, cross-disciplinary service-learning components and integrated across courses, research internships, student teams, and semesters to support student learning, stakeholder trust, and long-term project sustainability. The project plans to study the effectiveness of a scalable open-source service-learning framework that aligns computing education with real-world software development practices by embedding sustainability as a core learning objective and investigating how IT influences student learning, professional competencies, software longevity, project governance, and community partner trust. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.