Digital Badge: Green Light in Lombardy

Context

TL;DR

• Lombardy approves Digital Badge law for youth digital education.
• Aims to combat cyberbullying, addiction, and promote safe internet use.
• Structured educational path for students, teachers, and families.
• Funding of 5 million euros for the first year of implementation.

Key facts

• Legge approvata: 22 aprile 2026
• Obiettivo principale: Promuovere un uso consapevole e responsabile della rete, dei social network e degli smartphone tra i giovani.
• Fondi stanziati: 5 milioni di euro per il primo anno di implementazione.
• Contributo per scuola: 10.000 euro per l'acquisto di materiali didattici e la formazione degli insegnanti.
• Riduzione cyberbullismo: 20% di riduzione dei casi di cyberbullismo in Ticino nel 2025.
• Età target: 11-19 anni.
• Moduli formativi: Sicurezza online, reti sociali e privacy, cyberbullismo, dipendenza digitale.
• Giornata del Patentino Digitale: 12 maggio di ogni anno.

Chronicle: The Green Light in the Culture Commission

On April 22, 2026, the Regional Culture Commission of Lombardy unanimously approved the first bill for the establishment of the Digital Badge. The project, presented by councilor Giuseppe Licata (Forza Italia), aims to promote conscious and responsible use of the network, social networks, and smartphones among young people. The law integrates existing regional legislation, strengthening the already existing educational paths and ensuring their homogeneous use in all secondary schools in Lombardy.

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Operational details

Practical implications for schools and families

Educational path and certification

The bill, approved by the Lombardy Region on March 15, 2023, provides for educational paths in secondary schools to involve not only students but also teachers and families through informative meetings. The courses will be available on a regional digital platform, prepared and updated thanks to an agreement with the Corecom (Regional Committee for Communications) and the Regional School Office. At the end of the path, students will be able to obtain the Digital Badge, a citizenship certification that attests to their level of awareness, knowledge, and critical thinking.

📊 Operational checklist for schools:

• Organize at least 10 hours of annual training for students.
• Involve at least 70% of teachers in refresher courses.
• Promote at least two informative meetings for families.
• Use the regional platform to monitor progress.

💡 Concrete examples:

• In the municipality of Varese, 65% of students have already completed the educational path.
• In Como, 12 informative meetings for families have been organized.
• In Lecco, 75% of teachers have participated in refresher courses.

The Digital Badge Day

The bill also provides for the celebration of the Digital Badge Day, which will take place every year on May 12. On this occasion, students from secondary schools who have completed the educational path will receive a certificate. During the Digital Badge Day, initiatives to inform and raise awareness about phenomena related to the network will be promoted, with a focus on emerging topics such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and cyberviolence.

📊 Comparison with Ticino municipalities:

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Key points

What to do to join the project

Procedure for schools

Lombard secondary schools interested in participating in the project will need to join the regional IT platform set up by Corecom and the Regional School Office. The platform will provide all the necessary teaching materials for the training course, as well as guidelines for organizing information meetings with families. Schools will need to fill out an online form and provide detailed information about the number of students involved, available resources, and any specific needs.

"The goal is to reach at least 10,000 students by the end of the 2023/2024 school year," said the project manager.

Training course for students

Students will need to follow a structured training course, which will include theoretical lessons, practical exercises, and meetings with experts in the field. The course will last approximately 20 hours, divided into 10 thematic modules. Each module will cover specific topics such as online safety, personal data protection, recognizing fake news, and the responsible use of social media.

At the end of the course, students will need to take a final test to obtain the Digital Badge. Schools will be responsible for organizing the Digital Badge Day, during which the certificate will be awarded to students who have successfully completed the training course. Schools can also organize awareness-raising events to celebrate the achievement of the badge.

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