The Global Education Office recently developed the ATLAS (Achieving Transformative Learning Abroad Skills) Badges Program to encourage students to get the most out of their study abroad experience.
While studying abroad helps students develop specific “hard skills” that can be easily measured and communicated, the experience also fosters the development of various “soft skills” that can be harder to articulate. The ATLAS Badges Program helps students turn those soft skills into tangible, communicable learning experiences.
Students can earn up to four digital badges:
Intercultural Learning: This badge is designed to encourage students to become more intercultural minded.
Savvy Traveler: This badge is designed to encourage students to have an intentional approach to safe and responsible travel.
Personal Development : This badge is designed to help students grow from their experience abroad.
Career Connection: This badge is designed to help students connect their study abroad experiences to their future careers.
The digital badges serve as a visual and marketable representation of accomplishments or skills that can be difficult to demonstrate on a traditional resume. They provide a way for students to easily communicate the experiences they had while studying abroad.
Students must complete three tasks per badge:
One task before departing
One task while abroad
One tasks after returning
There are a range of tasks to choose from including taking photos, writing essays, posting on social media, and creating videos. The tasks are fun!
Any student participating in an abroad experience can sign up for the ATLAS Badges Program by reaching out to marielle@vt.edu at least two months prior to leaving.
