Development. Leadership. Community.
Unlock a full community build.
Community safety infrastructure starts with the people who lead it.
The DLC Leadership Program is the first evidence-based, peer-reviewed certification for digital community leaders. Built by practitioners. Grounded in research. Free to take.
With graduates from…
Players have raised the bar. They expect protection, clear rules, and leaders who keep learning. But the people doing this work were never trained to meet it.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE GAP
77%
of players expect protection from harassment
75%
of players expect clear rules from leadership
67%
of players say leaders need ongoing training
Yet 48% of digital leaders have received none or very little formal training for their roles.
The expectation is industry-wide. The infrastructure to meet it doesn't exist yet.
WHAT THE GAP COSTS
When leaders are unsupported, the cost lands on the business. Turnover. Churn. Reputational damage. Untrained leaders burn out, communities fracture, and the safety work that protects players gets done reactively or not at all. This is a fixable problem. It requires infrastructure.
“This program can help decrease the significant financial, reputational, and personal costs assoicated with online harms by helping prevent these harms in the first place.” -DLC Graduate, Spring 2026
THE DLC SOLUTION
The DLC Program works. Post-program, at least 90% graduates reported feeling confident across all measured competencies — from de-escalation and operational security to creating community codes of conduct. De-escalation confidence alone climbed from 22% pre-DLC to 95% post-DLC.
But confidence alone doesn't transform communities. What matters is action. 85% percent reported that they had already changed how they lead their communities by program's end, implementing new moderation practices, restructuring their guidelines, and shifting how they handle conflict and safety.
Graduates described moving from reactive crisis management to proactive leadership grounded in evidence-based frameworks. Their communities are now managed by leaders with formal training, clearer protocols, and the skills to build safer, more inclusive digital spaces. This isn't aspirational change; it's measurable practice change happening in real time, across real communities.
90%
of graduates felt confident across all measured competencies, even the lowest scoring
85%
of graduates have changed how they lead their communities
98%
of graduates would recommend the DLC to other community leaders
“Without programs like the DLC, community leaders are left to figure out how to ethically curate, support, and manage their communities based on guesswork. This program is vital as a baseline to healthy community leadership—for the leader AND the community.” -DLC Graduate, Spring 2026
