STEMconnector Adds Credly Badges to Day of Design Competition
        
        
        
        
STEMconnector has tapped Credly to bring its digital badges to the Day of Design.
The Day of Design will ask students in K-12 and higher education to  tackle a series of challenges incorporating teamwork and design thinking to  cultivate skills necessary for success in STEM fields and is supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Association of Manufacturers.
As a result of the partnership, students who participate in the Day of  Design challenges will be awarded Credly badges that can be displayed on social  media or embedded in websites, email signatures or digital portfolios.
"In order to prepare today's generation for the careers of  tomorrow, we need to start building a foundation of design thinking that  empowers students to craft innovative solutions to the world's most complex  challenges," said Leslie Cruz, CEO of STEMconnector, in a prepared  statement. "As important as it is to build this type of thinking at an  early age, it's just as critical to ensure that individuals who demonstrate  these skills are getting recognized, which is why digital badges are so  important to showcase their achievements."
"Rapid shifts in demand for technical skills in STEM fields are  creating unprecedented need for foundational skills, like experiential learning  and design thinking, that translate into a cross-section of high-growth fields,"  said Jonathan Finkelstein, founder and CEO of Credly, in a news release. "Digital  credentials that provide verified evidence of critical skills are fast becoming  a digital currency used by individuals, education providers, and employers to  communicate competencies and create pathways to opportunity."
More information about the Day of Design is available at dayofdesign.com.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
            
        
        
                
                    About the Author
                    
                
                    
                    Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].