Originally posted on the WAO blog
Big news — our community of practice has a new name! Say hello to “Open Recognition is for Everybody!” or “ORE”.
Why the change? Well, we wanted to create a more diverse and inclusive space. It represents our desire to create a bigger tent for anyone interested in Open Recognition, no matter where or how learning is being recognised.
Read: What is Open Recognition, anyway?
Why rebrand?
Our community is made up of people interested in the intersection of Open Badges (a web-native way of issuing recognition) and CoPs, but there are other interests as well. We have people interested in recognition at a city-wide level, people integrating recognition into social policy, people looking at recognition in the workplace.
Our CoP has been growing, and the scope of our discussions expands beyond open badges and beyond more formalised learning initiatives.
We’ve seen an 18% increase in size and an 11% increase in engagement since just last October!
Read: How to Gather Data on a Community of Practice
Recognition is a fundamental human need and there are many ways to recognise and validate learning, skills, behaviours, talents and achievements.
So, with our new name, we’re doubling down on our commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility. We believe that everyone should have access to recognition, no matter where they come from or what their background is. We want to create a safe space where people can share their experiences and ideas, collaborate on new projects, and learn from each other.
But KBW is a great name!
You know, KBW really is a great name. So don’t worry — KBW will live on. It will live within the community’s collective memory and as a specialised space in the (drumroll) new community home! We’re also excited to announce that our CoP has been invited to be an early adopter of the new Participate platform!
In the coming weeks, we’ll be inviting people into the new ORE community to bang on buttons, explore new features, and help figure out how we want our new home to be. There are a number of features that will help us set up our new, bigger ORE tent with individual spaces for people and communities that are in various places on their Open Recognition journey.
We’ll be able to explore new and innovative ways to recognise and validate social learning, and we’ll be able to work with people from all sectors to understand their recognition needs and find ways to support them.
We’ll continue to build and share best practices, resources, and tools to help individuals and organisations create effective, efficient, and equitable recognition programs.
Get involved!
We’re really excited about this new chapter in our community’s story, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us. So come join us — let us know if you want early access to the new community platform. In the meantime, we’ll continue to update the KBW Community at our current home here.
Let’s work together to create a world where recognition is a default, and where everyone’s unique talents and contributions are recognised and valued. See you soon!