Consultations and Trainings
The Center for Digital Badges (CDB) is designed to provide consultation, training, and planning tools to organizations and programs that wish to implement a digital badge system. Some of our consultation and training services can be done remotely, while others require a face-to-face approach. The exact assistance that organizations and programs require often varies. Thus, the Center can talk with each organization or program to develop the needed training/consultation plan.

Below we list the issues that must be addressed to properly develop a digital badge system and the services that the Center is able to provide:
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• Orientation: 'Why digital badges'
  
  It is important to provide an orientation to stakeholders (staff and program partners such as school representatives, key activity subcontractors, etc.) to ensure that everyone has a common understanding of what digital badges are and the benefits that they provide to those who receive them. It is important that everyone knows and agrees why a digital badge system would benefit the program.
  
  
• Consultation or training: Determine which activities will be included in the first round of awarding digital badges and the specifics (learning goals, criteria, and evidence)
  
  Organization and program leaders must decide on which activities warrant the awarding of a digital badge. They do not need to award digital badges for every activity or club. CDB staff can assist program leaders in making these decisions.
  
  It is also vital that organization and program leaders think through the learning goals (knowledge and skills that will be acquired). CDB staff can work with organization and program leaders, through consultation, training, and the provision of planning tools, to develop the criteria that must be met in order for a participant to earn the badge, and evidence of meeting that criteria.
  

• Training or Badge Management: Determine how the badges will be managed and awarded
  
  CDB staff can assist organization and program leaders in deciding how the digital badges will be managed and awarded, and who on staff will be responsible. CDB can train organization and program staff on how to use the badge management software to manage and issue badges. If organizations and programs prefer, the CDB can manage the badge awarding process. The Center will also confer with leaders to ensure they are aware of the legal and ethical issues, often articulated at the federal or state level.
  
  
• Consultation, Training, and Badge Design Services: Determine who will create and how the badges will be created
  
  Badges can be generic or custom designed. The CDB can provide a training for organization and program staff to design their own badges using existing badge design applications.
  
  The CDB is also equipped to custom design badges for every client. See the badge design tab on the website under Implementation Services: Badge Design.
  
  
• Consultation or Training: Deliver the digital badge to the recipient using a 'digital backpack'
  
  In order for people to receive their badges, they must create a Mozilla “digital backpack”. We have created directions for creating a backpack. The CDB also provides consultation or training for creating a digital backpack.
  
  
• Consultation or Training: How recipients can make use of the digital badges
  
  Once badge recipients have “pushed” their earned digital badges into their backpack, they can share their badges with others by using social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) or placing on their résumés or applications for higher education. They can also share the metadata baked into the badge that cites who issued the badge and what was done to earn it. The CDB can provide consultation or training to organization and program leaders on how recipients can make use of their badges.