Civics Credentialing System: Progress Report

Abstract

How can digital badges help revitalize America's constitutional democracy?  This session focused on the Civics Credentialing System (CCS), a growing initiative that combines a trusted, credentialing framework with an open digital badge platform to build durable civic skills and encourage civic engagement by recognizing competencies, training, actions, and appreciation.  

Through partnerships with nonprofits, schools, government institutions, and community organizations, Civics Credentialing issues badges to millions of citizens in five pillars of our democratic republic: civil learning; elections and governance; bridging divides; trusted information; and volunteering and service. Each badge is a shareable digital credential that showcases civic commitment and skills, inspiring individuals along a clear pathway from learning to action.  

In this 20-minute session, Chris Newlon, Co-founder, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Team Democracy, the bipartisan organization behind CCS, shared  work updates on  Civics Credentialing since ePIC 2024, and elaborated on how it is helping to build a more informed and engaged citizenry, highlighting our initial lessons learned and previewing what is next.  

Keywords: digital credentials, badges, civic skills, civic engagement