Community Engagement Badges
Point Park University Community Engagement Badges
A digital badge is a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, quality or interest. At Point Park University, Community Engagement Badges provide an opportunity for students to be recognized for their work with area nonprofits and community organizations. Badges will recognize student participation and learning in:
- Volunteer service
- Service-learning trips
- Community engaged courses
- Community partner research projects
Benefits for Students
- Provides recognition for community engagement work completed.
- Badges are stored in an online platform, but may be shared to a student’s resume, LinkedIn account or other relevant platforms or documents.
Earning a Community Engagement Badge
To earn a badge, students must:
- Participate in a badge-eligible event or program offered by the Department of Community Engagement.
- Submit evidence of how you have used what you have learned. For example, for the volunteering badge, students must volunteer with a community organization for at least 10 hours and then submit a reflection of how their volunteering impacted themselves as well as the organization and greater community.
Available Community Engagement Badges
Volunteering
This badge recognizes students who volunteer at least 10 hours with area non-profits on their own or with a student organization and can reflect on and articulate the impact volunteering has on society. This badge focuses on volunteer work that isn’t connected to a course or service-learning trip.
Skills: Empathy, communication, collaboration
Service-Learning Trip
This badge recognizes students who participate in service-learning trips organized by the Department of Community Engagement and the Honors Program at Point Park University. Students will be expected to reflect on their experience and the impact on both the campus and community. Trips currently happen twice a year in the spring and the fall.
Skills: Global understanding, empathy, community building, analysis, teamwork
This badge recognizes students who successfully compete a course that has been designated as having a component where students are engaged with the community/community based organizations. The intention of the course is to enhance student learning while also benefiting the community. The course must meet specific requirements including significant investment of time, reciprocity, community need, student reflection and connection to course material.
Skills: Research, writing, empathy, teamwork, organization
Community Partner Project
This badge recognizes students who complete a community based project or research with a community partner and/or a faculty member. The projects can be community-based initiatives or research projects guided by a faculty member or community partner that have a significant investment in the community and evidence of implementation or publication.
Skills: Project management, community building