Kesennuma City Introduces Open Badges for Community Development Human Resource Development Program — Visualizing Regional Lifelong Learning with International Standard Digital Certificates

InfoSign Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "InfoSign") is pleased to announce that its open badge issuance system "Open Badge Factory" has been introduced and utilized in the lifelong learning program "Active Community Juku," operated by the "Kesennuma Machi University Management Council" in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. In March 2026, the issuance of digital certificates (open badges) began for graduates of the Reiwa 7th year (10th term) who completed all five courses. This initiative is also positioned as part of the research and development for the Cabinet Office's "Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Phase 3."

■ What is the Kesennuma Machi University Management Council?

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, has actively undertaken various initiatives for recovery and future development. To systematically consolidate these efforts and promote "community development led by citizens," the "Kesennuma Machi University Concept" was launched in 2016, and the "Kesennuma Machi University Management Council" was established as its operational organization. It is responsible for fostering an environment where each citizen can easily take on challenges and support each other, as well as accompanying them in their endeavors.

■ Background of Introduction — Challenges in "Proof of Learning"

"Active Community Juku" is a community development human resource development program that Kesennuma City has implemented since FY2016 with the cooperation of Tohoku Gakuin University. It has provided a series of courses useful for the activities and management of neighborhood associations, promotion associations, and community development councils, primarily targeting citizens aged 40 and over. From FY2024, each session has been opened to the general public, broadening its accessibility to a wide range of generations.

However, traditionally, graduates had no objective means to demonstrate their learning achievements to third parties, being limited to paper certificates. In collaboration with Professor Tadashi Inagaki of Tohoku Gakuin University, the utilization of digital certificates (open badges) based on international standards was considered, aiming to build a system that can objectively guarantee the reliability of the issuer and the achievements of the recipient.

■ Overview of Reiwa 7th Year (10th Term)

Session | Theme
---|---
1st | Necessity and Role of Neighborhood Associations and Community Development Councils
2nd | Enhancing Regional Management Skills
3rd | Aiming for Participation of Diverse Residents
4th | Utilizing Digital Technology in Regional Management
5th | Activity Report Session for Neighborhood Associations and Community Development Councils

Lecturers: Mr. Hiroki Onodera, Director of Ichinoseki Citizen Activity Center; Mr. Kazuma Watanabe, Representative Director of Wakatsuku General Incorporated Association; Professor Yasunobu Sakamoto, Professor of Information Science and Director of Regional Collaboration Center, Tohoku Gakuin University; Mr. Shigeru Sugawara, Mayor of Kesennuma City.

■ Details of the Issued Open Badge

Badge Name: Reiwa 7th Year Active Community Juku (10th Term) Completion Certificate

Issuer: Kesennuma Machi University Management Council

Acquisition Conditions: Completion of all five courses of the Reiwa 7th Year Active Community Juku (10th Term), co-hosted by Kesennuma City and Tohoku Gakuin University.

Issuance Period: March 2026

Usage: Can be displayed on SNS and electronic portfolios. Designed for instant third-party verification of issuer, issuance date, and recipient information simply by URL access.

■ Future Outlook — From Kesennuma to the Nation

Kesennuma Machi University Management Council plans to continue issuing open badges in various forms in the future. InfoSign will continue to support the "circulation of learning histories" by visualizing diverse individual learning through digital badges and seamlessly connecting school education and social education.

This initiative in Kesennuma City is a pioneering model for open badge utilization in local communities, with a view to expanding to municipalities, lifelong learning institutions, and community development organizations nationwide.

■ Significance as Part of the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)

This initiative is being implemented as part of the research topic "Development of an Evaluation and Certification System from Multiple Indicators, Perspectives, and Viewpoints in a Society of Continuous Learning" (Joint Research Representative: Tadashi Inagaki, Tohoku Gakuin University) within the Cabinet Office SIP Phase 3 "Platform Construction for Realizing Learning and Working Styles in the Post-COVID-19 Era (Issue No. 111)."

Under the collaborative framework of a research team led by Professor Hiroaki Ogata of Kyoto University, Uchida Yoko Co., Ltd., and InfoSign, continuous issuance and effectiveness measurement will be conducted until FY2027, aiming to build a "learning evaluation model" applicable to local communities throughout Japan.

・SIP Platform Construction for Realizing Learning and Working Styles in the Post-COVID-19 Era page
　URL: https://www.jst.go.jp/sip/index.html
・Project Overview page: https://eds.let.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sip3/project/inagaki/
・Inagaki Lab website: https://www.ina-lab.net/