Email: careercollaborative@champlain.edu
Phone: (802) 860-2720
Micro-Endorsements add value to your education without increasing your tuition price. Demonstrate skills you've learned and receive a digital badge that you can show on your résumé and LinkedIn profile to stand out to future employers.
Just like a company might achieve a 'green' or 'socially responsible' designation for their product to set them apart, a micro-endorsement is a simple, visual way to communicate your achievements and build your professional brand. A Champlain College Micro-Endorsement shows you have gone above and beyond to learn more specialized topics in your field of study or to diversify your education by learning a new skill.
Each micro-endorsement combines what you learn in class with hands-on assignments and relevant field work to help you fully grasp the lessons. You will work with faculty who specialize in your chosen micro-endorsement field, and complete and present a capstone-style project to demonstrate what you've learned. All these skills are designed to complement your major and strengthen your professional knowledge.
With Appreciative Inquiry, you can lead the development of a shared vision of the future; the first step in achieving a successful outcome. Utilize personal and team strengths to become an effective leader.
Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths-based, positive approach to leadership development and organizational change. To earn an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Micro-Endorsement, students will complete online coursework, learn from the Global AI Community, and embark on a project that uses AI to solve a problem or develop a shared vision. When that work is completed, students will present their learnings in the form of an interview, video, or podcast that will be shared with a wider audience.
For more information or to sign up, visit our AI Commons homepage, or contact: Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry
Link to this FAQLearn to lead and communicate equitably while developing your own sense of community identity and commitment to civic action.
Civic Engagement is individual or group involvement in addressing issues of public concern and directing changes within the community. To earn the AI Micro-Endorsement students will participate in credit-bearing or non-credit bearing coursework, such as applying to the Social Impact Scholar program or working with the Center for Service & Sustainability. This coursework is coupled with corresponding paid or unpaid service-related work or an internship. To demonstrate your learnings, you can choose to develop and deliver a presentation, create a social media campaign for the Center for Service & Sustainability, or lead a service outing.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: Center for Service & Sustainability
Link to this FAQEngaging and user-focused design is used to create solutions to some of society's most vexing problems.
Learn how new technologies are changing and innovating the way we work in every professional field. To earn the Emergent Media Foundations Micro-Endorsement, you will complete the ITS 190 Technical Internship 3-credit course. As part of that course you'll complete two research projects and one independent project on emerging and innovative technology with support and feedback from your instructor. You'll also take part in cross-team critique sessions, both giving and receiving input on projects. When you've completed your projects, you'll have the opportunity to present your learnings to Center for Emergent Media staff and peers.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: The Emergent Media Center
Help people realize and meet their full potential, growing both their confidence and their proficiency in a topic that challenges them.
Master Tutor students will participate in 10 hours of tutor training to meet the College Reading and Language Association's accreditation policy. Using this knowledge, you will also provide 50 hours of tutoring services (paid or volunteer) over the course of the academic year in 1:1 and small group settings. To showcase what you've learned, you can choose from several standard projects, or create one of your own in consultation with your mentor.
For more information or to sign up, contact: The SMART Space
Link to this FAQMediation can help you navigate any challenging conversation, both personally and professionally, with an eye toward resolving conflict and creating shared understanding.
Students earning a Mediation & Dialogue Micro-Endorsement will combine coursework on principles of mediation and conflict resolution with workshops that will show you how to put those principles into action. Students will then apply these learnings to 20 hours of paid work in assessing, designing and implementing a campus dialogue or mediation project, including stakeholder interviews, creating assessment and dialogue design documents, and implementation of those designs. You'll also showcase your work in a reflection paper or presentation to your micro-endorsement peers.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: Center for Mediation and Dialog
Link to this FAQHaving complex conversations about topics of diversity, inclusion, and social justice is what enables us to create a more caring, interconnected community and world.
To complete this course, students will take the 8-10 hour online NASPA Certified Peer Educator Course with 3-5 hours of additional training sessions on identity, privilege, power, allyship, and bystander intervention. Students will also meet weekly to discuss what they've learned with one another. You will then show what you've learned by either facilitating an educational program for your peers or by creating training materials such as a video or training manual on a topic related to diversity, equity, inclusivity, or social justice.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Link to this FAQOur communities and environment rely on the ability to shift to a more sustainable society and develop systems to bring our environment back to health while supporting the people around us.
Sustainability addresses the issues of social justice and environmental stewardship and their connection within society. You will combine appropriate credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing coursework with participation in the Eco-Reps program, led by the Center for Service and Sustainability. Eco-Reps are a group of peer educators that conduct education and outreach to fellow students on sustainability initiatives. As part of this work, you will lead a training, social media campaign, or other activity aimed at sharing knowledge about sustainability and environmental impact.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: Center for Service & Sustainability
Link to this FAQInformation Technology Systems are the foundation of business today, making Networking and Systems Administrators high-demand positions in numerous professional sectors. These roles require a mix of technical acumen and soft skills like the ability to teach others and adapt your work as business needs shift.
To gain this micro-endorsement, you will engage in on-the-job training as an IT Technician in a paid or internship position, along with attending either credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing coursework. Taken together, these activities will teach you about network layout and principles. Additionally, you will learn how to problem-solve network issues, work with end-users to train them how to use systems, and document work for future use. To demonstrate your new skills, you will present a training for systems administrators or help desk professionals either in person or as a video.
To earn the IT Technician Micro-Endorsement you wil need to be hired as a Leahy Center paid employee or enroll in one of the ITS Technical Internship courses.
For more information or to sign up, visit or contact: Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity
Link to this FAQMicro-Endorsements are designed to be flexible so that students can choose a path to completion that fits their schedule and their goals.
You will be paired with a Center of Experience, the director of a related program, or the Student Affairs Center to help guide you through the process. Each micro-endorsement will require a different amount of time to complete based on chosen courses, trainings, internships, community work, and other experiences. It is expected that students will be able to complete their chosen micro-endorsement within one semester. Students may take more than one micro-endorsement throughout their time at Champlain if they choose.
The micro-endorsement itself does not carry credit or count towards your academic credit requirements. Courses and internships taken while completing your micro-endorsement may or may not count towards class or credit requirements for graduation, depending on your chosen micro-endorsement and academic major. Ask your faculty advisor for more information about accepted programs, classes, work experiences, and more.
Adding a micro-endorsement to your schedule is easy. Simply email the Center of Experience that is sponsoring your area of interest, listed above in the individual micro-endorsement descriptions. They will then contact you about enrolling.