EDUCAUSE Recognizes Professional Achievement Using Credly

EDUCAUSENEW YORK, NY – (January 30, 2013) – Credly, the leader in digital credential and badge services for recognizing lifelong achievement, today announced that EDUCAUSE, the foremost association for information technology in higher education, will be using Credly to recognize professional achievement beginning at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting in Denver, February 4-6, 2013.

Digital badges – which are a form of recognition for an accomplishment, competency, or credential – are beginning to be integrated into undergraduate curricula and are also emerging as a way for working professionals to document their professional development and achievements.

The ELI will award twelve unique badges to professionals at the Annual Meeting to acknowledge accomplishments in three core areas: active participation; community service; and presentation expertise.

“We are exploring how we can help members of the higher education community earn and showcase recognition for their contributions to the field”, said Malcolm Brown, Director of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “While EDUCAUSE members have long engaged in the behaviors our new badges acknowledge, we’ve never had a mechanism to recognize those behaviors in a public way that helps advance the lives of professionals and the community as a whole. With the support of Credly, we’re eager to see members benefit from displaying well-deserved badges on their web sites, social networks, resumes, and portfolios.”

As a prototype for badging across the association, ELI hopes to extend the framework beyond the Annual Meeting by awarding badges at upcoming focus sessions, seminars, short courses and the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.

“Professional associations are both a spark and a showcase for innovation – and they have a unique window into individual growth and contributions to the field,” said Credly founder and CEO Jonathan Finkelstein. “EDUCAUSE is elevating the visibility of its members’ achievements, giving validated and credible recognition that translates into real opportunities for further growth and advancement.”

Credly provides simple and powerful ways to issue and display digital badges and credentials for achievements. Credly is available on the web, on mobile devices and through the Credly “Open Credit” API, the most advanced means to integrate credit-issuing into any organization’s existing programs.

For more information on badges, see the ELI publication 7 Things You Should Know About...™ Badging. To explore badges offered at the ELI Annual Meeting visit the “Badging” section of the event’s web site.

About Credly, LLC

Credly is the universal way to recognize, share and celebrate achievement. It empowers organizations and individuals to extend credit earning and issuing out of its traditional realms into any context or experience where skills, knowledge, contributions, or talent can and should be rewarded. Credly is powering innovative initiatives with groups like the YMCA of Greater New York, New York City Department of Education, Dallas Museum of Art, EDUCAUSE, Yale University and the Smithsonian, all of whom leverage Credly technology and services as they engage audiences in online, mobile and in-person experiences.

About EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology. EDUCAUSE supports those who lead, manage, and use information technology through a comprehensive range of resources and activities. For more information, visit www.educause.edu.

For more information visit: www.credly.com Or call: 800-841-5890.