Education Digital Badges
We offer three education digital badges – diversity, equity and inclusions skills badge, a diversity, equity and inclusion experiential badge, and a mentor teacher badge.
What is a digital badge?
A digital badge is a graphic verification of the skills you have mastered after successfully completing some form of professional learning or an experience in which you have participated. A digital badge is an icon, but it is not a static image. It is clickable and houses information such as the issuing institution, the date earned, the criteria required to earn the badge and the evidence that shows that you have met the required criteria. Digital badges are a great way to share your professional learning achievements and new competencies with employers, colleagues, friends and family via social platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or through an open backpack.
Diversity Equity & Inclusion Skills Badge
This skills-based badge is offered to business professionals, those in the corporate world, and focuses on the requisite skills and language you can use to ensure you are cultivating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment. The badge prepares you to lead in addressing the inequitable impacts of structural injustice and prejudice by focusing on community outreach, organizational effectiveness, cultural sensitivity and intercultural competence. Through this approach, diversity, equity, and inclusion as a function of collective empowerment is emphasized, along with a commitment to creating equitable and inclusive environments for all employees to thrive. You will receive a specialized curriculum tailored to your organization. The curriculum will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, strategies for implementation, and the social and community impacts of creating equity-based cultures.
After you successfully complete this badge, you will be able to:
- Share a common DEI language;
- Build strong community support and urgency around equity;
- Understand the intersections between economic justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and community engagement;
- Develop cultural sensitivity and intercultural competence skills;
- Understand the collateral consequences of inequitable policy/practices; and
- Create local equitable systemic change.
How to Apply
For more information, please contact Dr. Ijeoma Ononuju, Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Education Program (iononuju@touro.edu ). If you are ready to enroll in the next cohort of this badge, please complete the DEI Skills Badge Application.
Mentor Teacher Skills Badge
This skills-based badge, delivered in partnership with local school districts, focuses on providing the requisite skills, language and practices for Mentor Teachers, in accordance with the California Commission on Teacher Credentials (CTC). Mentor Teachers support Teacher Candidates in their clinical experience.
How it Works:
You will take three, two-hour sessions designed to enhance the role of Mentor Teacher as an invaluable extension of the teacher certification program at Touro University California. As a participant in this badge opportunity you will be eligible to apply to become a Touro University California Mentor Teacher. You commit to implementing the strategies and practices taught in the training sessions.
Training sessions are virtual and will provide relevant practice activities to complement each session, along with practice activities following each session.
At the conclusion of the session you will be required to turn in a reflection of the engagement and identify next steps for their coaching practice.
After you successfully complete this badge, you will be able to:
- Illustrate the Touro Mentor Teacher system (“POP” and Walkthrough protocol and reporting forms) for high quality feedback;
- Explain the aspects of cognitive and directive coaching as they relate to the stages of learning; and
- Discuss ways to engage in crucial coaching conversations while considering teacher candidates’ social emotional needs.
How to Apply
For more information, please contact Joyce Montgomery, Clinical Experience Coordinator (jmontgom@touro.edu). If you are ready to enroll in the next cohort of this badge, please complete the Mentor Teacher Skills Badge Application.
Diversity Equity Now Lecture Series Experiential Badge
This experiential badge introduces topics of education and social justice through an innovative speaker series, reflection and discussions of equity. The focus of the series is the intersection of community engagement and equity in preparing you to be equity leaders in your respective organizations. The series includes individual and panel presentations from experts in the field of education and social justice. Each two-hour session includes a lecture or panel presentation, followed up by a questions and answer period. You will be required to complete a short reflection on each session.
After you successfully complete this badge, you will be able to:
- Explore social justice topics through an equity lens and their impact on individuals, families, and communities;
- Take steps in developing and implementing equity based practices within your individual sphere of influence;
- Gain access to a community of thought partners that can serve as a resource and support on your own equity and social justice journey.
How to Apply
You can enroll in this Diversity Equity Now Lecture Series badge below.