Edge•U Badges by Forward Edge offers a focus on professional development and a commitment to a vibrant, engaging learning environment for educators and faculty. We believe that dedication to professional learning can truly be achieved anytime and anywhere! Our program was developed by teachers for teachers in the hopes to provide purposeful means to directly impact student success.
The Culture
Edge•U strives to create authentic connections that empower creative, collaborative, and independent professional learning. We are a passionate team of thinkers who believe ingenuity and innovation are effective tools to help cultivate stronger educational environments.
Each team player at Edge•U brings value to our culture and we celebrate the diversification of our talents and strengths! What makes us unique makes us more cohesive. Striving to build a more inclusive organization is a win for every stakeholder. We empower and support each others’ endeavors to bring fresh perspectives and experiences to the workplace and we continually seek out new ways to expand our reach.
Design + Technology
Each Edge•U badge has been intuitively designed to support educators in all areas of technological learning. With over 200+ badges to choose from that are aligned to ISTE standards, there is definitely room for voice and choice in selecting what professional development will provide proficiency in various areas of learning. Since the platform experience is customizable to each participant, it is a promising way to engage educators of all skill levels in the development of education-technology skills and instructional leadership.
Edge•U offers an array of learning opportunities in the form of microcredentials (badges) whereby participants browse to select the topic and development scope that is appropriate to their personal development goals. Our commitment to building relationships with districts and users comes first and we consider them part of our Edge•U family!
Our History
Our story began some time ago when Katie, Michael, and Tyler met via social media platforms and found they collectively shared a passion for supporting educators with opportunities to directly impact learning in the classroom. After Michael responded to one of Katie’s random tweets and Tyler was wrangled in, they began serving as instructional coaches in Cincinnati-area school districts at Forward Edge.
Soon it was realized that there was a problem to solve and we gave serious consideration to bringing a solution to the table. Essentially, the same questions from educators were being asked and it was difficult to go deep with answers as we were not physically on campus. We wanted teachers to have equitable access to edtech tools and ensure they could receive training. We resolutely predicted that simple microcredentials would become increasingly valuable for us to facilitate this type of learning!
When the lightbulb moment commenced, we thought, “WOW! This WILL work!” The concept soon became a reality and we piloted the first proof of concept in 2017 with a small group of users. We soon found that this solution supported coaches, students, educators, and faculty in their professional development. And Edge•U was born.
What started as a small step forward in the right direction led to the addition of more districts, schools, coaches, educators, badges, and excitement for the program! It was as if the perfect recipe for success had come together at the right time, in the right place. From there, we slowly added more schools, more badges, and more coaches to the team.
In the years since its humble beginnings, the Edge•U team has worked on a wide array of unique projects to spark the joy of professional learning with some of the best people around the country. We strive to keep our work exceptional and extraordinary to keep up with the changing technologies in the world of education, along with room for a little magic!
We are proud of our hard work and efforts to serve our participants and partners. Our dedication is reflected in everything from what we design and produce, to what we value and believe. Our skillfully talented team understands the importance of honing their respective crafts and empowering others. We are full of wonder and ready to keep transforming the way professional development is done!