People get up to amazing stuff that they don’t get recognised for. Throughout my career as an educator, I’ve complained that although qualifications are important, they don’t tell the whole story. This week I am presenting about Badge Nation at the Cities of Learning Summit. Its got me thinking. I love digital badges. Literally love them. So much so I struggle to remember life without them. Digital badges are a visual and credible nugget of digital data that allows organisations to vouch for you. Alongside formal qualifications (not instead of them) they allow people to tell their “whole” story.
Badge Nation members can issue anyone they work with, with a digital badge, for anything they say is an accomplishment or achievement. People get badges for participating in learning, demonstrating skills or in some cases just rocking up to something or for being brave. We issue badges to young people who do Kickstart, guests who contribute to webinars and staff who follow our braver recruitment policy.
When I talk on Thursday I am going to be telling the story of how Badge Nation was born, as well as talking about some of our first issuers. These include Vistry, Triangular Pixels and TR13. But as well as the past, I am going to be talking “the future” (something else I love).
Its hard to know where Badge Nation is going but at the moment- like the well known brand- the future seems to be bright. Today I spoke to Devon CC about badging as a way of creating pathways into health care, on Thursday I am talking to Croydon Music service about badging young musicians, and on Friday to Southamptopn FC about badging their access to employment programme. Lots of stuff we still haven’t worked out and lots to get better at, but I am sure Badge Nation is the place to work it all out!
If you’re interested in finding out more, come along on Thursday: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cities-of-learning-summit-tickets-143955469685
Or visit https://staging.realideas.org/about-us/our-work/badge-nation/