On a Friday afternoon in Hillsdale High School in Hillsdale, Michigan, seniors in teacher Mindy Eggleston’s class were all smiles.

And no, the happy faces weren’t just because the school had Homecoming and a big football game that night.

The two dozen students grinned from ear to ear because they earned an “Email Etiquette” certificate (size 8×11) and digital badge through the Emerge online program.

That means the students walked themselves through a series of short (15-20 minute) exercises in which they learned to construct a proper business email — a workplace skill employers are desperate to find in new hires. Eggleston received lesson plans, discussion questions and rubrics from Rubin Education to assess the students’ work.

“It’s so important to help students write proper emails today and understand the difference between a text message and a professional email,” said Eggleston. “The Rubin Education digital badge and certificate is proof my students know how to conduct themselves properly as they pursue college and career opportunities.”

The students will now add the certificate to a binder of achievements they can use as they pursue college and career opportunities.

Through the “Email Etiquette” activities, the students learned:

• Why an email to an employer should be more formal than a text message to a friend
• How to develop a smart subject line
• How to address employers and other professionals in an appropriate way (Hi, Mr./Ms. ____)
• How to write the email itself
• How to create an email signature

Teacher Mindy Eggleston has already used Rubin Education to help her students take first place in job interview skills at a Business Professionals of America competition.

Now, she turned to our program to tackle email writing, a lifelong professional skill.

Look at these proud faces down below (including several on the football team).

Learning to write a proper email to open doors for yourself?

Now that’s a pre-game warm-up.

Request free, 30-day access and see what Emerge can do for your students.

In addition to the 8×11 printable certificate, Hillsdale students also earned the Rubin Education “Email Etiquette” digital badge. Recipients can place the small icon (enlarged here for emphasis) on a resume, digital portfolio, LinkedIn profile or elsewhere online to show proficiency in a critical 21st century skill.

And now…those smiling faces!