Enhance your leadership, global learning, digital proficiency, and career readiness by earning badges.
What are badges?
These digital badges are tracked and generated through APEX Connect and validate students’ competencies in global learning, leadership development, digital proficiency, and career readiness.
Badges are essentially credentials that highlight involvement in skill-based learning experiences that bridge academics with real-world applications. Students can earn these credentials through coursework, experiential learning, and co-curricular activities. These badges are commonly displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
Aligning with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies, such as communication, leadership, professionalism, intercultural fluency, and technology, these badges showcase students’ skills to employers, graduate programs, and community partners. They offer a structured way for students to articulate their strengths, demonstrate achievements beyond their transcripts, and stand out in competitive career environments.
Example Badges
Experiential Learning Week 2026
Jump start your career exploration during Experiential Learning Week!
Global Competencies Badge - Expertise
The students who complete this badge have demonstrated higher-order thinking, leadership, and integration of global learning. Through earning this badge, students demonstrate advanced intercultural communication, leadership, mentoring capability, and professional articulation of global learning.
Global Competencies - Explore
The students who complete this badge have demonstrated a foundational understanding of global engagement pathways and the skills needed to pursue an immersive experience.
Global Competencies - Experience
Students must complete at least one substantial global experience (physical, virtual, or local-with-global-focus) and demonstrate learning through reflection.
Technology
The ability to understand and leverage technologies in the workplace ethically.
Professionalism
The ability to work with integrity, accountability, and dependability, demonstrating a positive work ethic and completing tasks efficiently.
Leadership
The ability to inspire and motivate self and others, serve as a role model, and build mutual trust.
Equity and Inclusion
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different cultures and backgrounds.. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.
Critical Thinking
The ability to make sound, inclusive decisions and solve problems using logical and sound reasoning.
Communication
The ability to clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives using verbal, written, and non-verbal communication, including active listening and persuasion.
Career and Self-Development
Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.
