What are Digital Badges?
A digital badge is a verifiable, digital record that recognizes the completion of an assignment, training, or other activity. ULN students can earn digital badges for meaningful engagement and accomplishments by participating in ULN events, UT-sponsored activities, reflections, and experiential learning opportunities.
Throughout a ULN scholar’s four years at UT Austin, they have the option of earning 12 different digital badges through two different pathways:
- Career Readiness via Experiential Learning
- ELEVATE Leadership
Career Readiness via Experiential Learning Pathway
“Career Ready” status by participating in programming that focuses on the NACE Career Competencies and through hands-on Experiential Learning.
To earn each badge (total of 4 hours + 1 reflection project):
- Training & Events (2 hours): Attend 2 hours of training, activities, or events centered around a specific career readiness competency.
- Experiential Learning (2 hours): Engage in 2 hours of experiential learning by applying the career readiness skills through part-time jobs, internships, research, large-scale projects, entrepreneurship, leadership roles, or fieldwork/practicums.
- Reflection Project: Complete a reflective project that highlights the career readiness skills you've gained and set goals for applying these skills in future experiences.
Available Badges (7 total):
- Career and Self Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
Once you complete all 7 Career Readiness Badges, you will be awarded the final Career Readiness through Experiential Learning Badge.
ELEVATE Leadership Pathway
ELEVATE (Empowering Leaders with Exemplary Values, Attitudes, and Transformative Education) is an opportunity for ULN students to develop their personal definition of leadership and to increase awareness of leadership opportunities in ULN and across campus while earning a digital badge. This leadership initiative aims to encourage, support, and recognize leaders through opportunities that advance their education, communities, and lives.
ELEVATE is an opportunity for ULN students to develop their personal definition of leadership and to increase awareness of leadership opportunities in ULN and across campus. This leadership initiative aims to encourage and support leaders through opportunities that advance their education, communities and lives. ELEVATE stands for Empowering Leaders with Exemplary Values, Attitudes and Transformative Education.
ELEVATE is open to all ULN students.
Participate in ELEVATE
To participate in ELEVATE, please email experientiallearning@austin.utexas.edu to be added to the ULN Digital Badging Canvas course and begin your leadership journey.
By joining the Canvas course, students will find information about leadership activities and trainings going on at UT Austin and through ULN. Students will be able to add leadership activities and track their leadership hours towards different ELEVATE levels.
Program Benefits and Recognition
Students participating in ELEVATE are recognized on three different levels. Students may “elevate” or level up at any time throughout the academic year.
- Gold: Students who earn a minimum of 4 hours of leadership training per academic year
- Platinum: Students who earn a minimum of 8 hours of leadership training per academic year
- Diamond: Students who earn a minimum of 12 hours of leadership training per academic year
At each level, students will earn a digital badge, a verifiable digital record that acknowledges completion of an assignment, training or other activity.
ULN believes leadership bears enormous potential to change the lives of students—and all young people—and plays an important role in the future careers of our students.
Questions?
If you have any questions feel free to reach out to the coordinator.
Contact
Gloria Peña-Spener
Experiential Learning Coordinator
gloria.penaspener@austin.utexas.edu
512-471-9ULN (512-471-9856)