Re-add backgrounds on profiles, add more badges, and monthly challenges

Hello KACP,

I hope you’re doing well. I know the team is always working hard on improving the platform and balancing many priorities, but I wanted to kindly submit a couple feature requests for your consideration.

I would love to see profile backgrounds brought back, and/or new badges added to the platform. Even though I joined a couple of years after backgrounds were removed, I’ve seen how positively the community responded to the backgrounds and how a lot of users enjoyed that sense of customization in their profiles. Restoring the backgrounds would hopefully strengthen student engagement and help learners feel more connected to their personal space on Khan Academy. I feel that customization features whether big or small would give students a sense of ownership over their learning environment. That pride and personal expression could potentially increase motivation, make the platform feel more welcoming and inspiring, and even encourage long term usage. The backgrounds would also allow learners to feel proud and acomplished with their achievements since their profile feels more like their own. If you consider reintroducing this feature I would truly believe it would bring back a spark of creativity, individuality, and community that many users will value.

In addition, I would love to see more badges introduced or even some of the retired badges brought back. Badges, to me, have always been a fun and motivating part of the platform, giving learners goals to push toward and rewarding dedication. Many users enjoy collecting them, and i think that adding new badges would keep the experience fresh and exciting. Unretiring older badges, even if it is temporary or through special events, would also give newer users a chance to participate in achievements that were once available. This would potentially promote long-term engagement, celebrate effort, and add milestones for learners of all ages.

Another thing that could be introduced is weekly/monthly learning challenges. It could be where you earn a certain amount of XP or complete a certain amount of videos or exercises. For example the first week/month could be "watch 5 videos" and the next week it could be doubled or possibly something is added to it like "watch 5 videos and complete 5 exercises". Each week/month you complete it the amount increases making it harder and harder to complete. If you miss completing it your level goes down. You could also award badges for completing these challenges. (for example you could name the badges 

• Challenge Rookie - Complete your very first weekly challenge.
  
• Challenge Climber - Complete 4 challenges in a row
  
• Challenge Veteran - Complete 12 consecutive weekly challenges
  
• XP Accelerator - Earn double the XP goal during a special challenge
  
• Video Voyager - Complete a “watch X videos” challenge series.
  
• Exercise Master - Complete a “finish X exercises” series.
  
• Combo Challenger - Complete mixed goals such as “5 videos + 5 exercises + 1 quiz.”
• Weekly Winner Badge - Complete your weekly learning goal for 4 weeks in a row.
• Monthly Momentum Badge - Complete weekly goals for a full month.
• Consistency Climber - Hit weekly learning targets for 8 straight weeks.
• The 3‑Month Chain - Complete 12 weeks of challenge goals in a row.
• Long‑Haul Scholar - Reach 20 weekly completions without missing a week.
• Challenge Chain Beginner - Complete 2 weekly challenges in a row.
• Challenge Chain Builder - Complete 4 weekly challenges in a row.
• Challenge Chain Expert - Complete 8 weekly challenges consecutively.
• Challenge Chain Champion - Complete 12 weekly challenges in a row (≈ 3 months).
• Master of Momentum - Complete 6 monthly challenges in a row.
• Unbroken Challenge Year - Complete all 12 monthly challenges in a year.
• January Jumpstart (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of January.
  
• January Learning Lift-Off (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of January.
  
• January Knowledge Kick (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of January.
  
• January Momentum Maker (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of January.
  
• January Achievement Drive (Week 5) – Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of January.
  
• February Focus Boost (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of February.
  
• February Skill Sprint (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of February.
  
• February Progress Pulse (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of February.
  
• February Study Surge (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of February.
  
• February Persistence Badge (Week 5) – Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of February.
  
• March Momentum(week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of March.
• March Mastery(week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of March.
• March Study Sprint(week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of March.
• March Knowledge Climb(week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of March.
• March Challenge Champion (week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of March.
• April Achievement Arc (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of April.
• April Study Sprint (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of April.
• April Mastery Mark (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of April.
• April Learning Ladder (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of April.
• April Knowledge Crest (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of April.
• May Motivation Medal (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of May.
• May Growth Goal (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of May.
• May Focus Forge (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of May.
• May Study Streak (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of May.
• May Mastery Star (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of May.
• June Journey Badge (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of June.
• June Learning Lift (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of June.
• June Concept Climb (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of June.
• June Skill Summit (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of June.
• June Achievement Apex (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of June.
• July Study Spark (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of July.
• July Learning Launch (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of July.
• July Knowledge Quest (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of July.
• July Progress Peak (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of July.
• July Mastery Momentum (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of July.
• August Achievement Ascent (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of August.
• August Study Stride (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of August.
• August Focus Flow (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of August.
• August Knowledge Wave (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of August.
• August Challenge Crest (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of August.
• September Study Starter (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of September.
• September Momentum March (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of September.
• September Learning Lift (Week 3) - Award if completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of September.
• September Knowledge Trail (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of September.
• September Mastery March (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of September.
• October Onward Badge (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of October.
• October Momentum Mark (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of October.
• October Focus Flight (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of October.
• October Knowledge Light (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of October.
• October Study Surge Crest (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of October.
• November Knowledge Kickoff (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of November.
• November Skill Spark (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of November.
• November Learning Line (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of November.
• November Progress Pathway (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of November.
• November Mastery Medal (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of November.
• December Dedication Drive (Week 1) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 1 of December.
• December Study Sprint (Week 2) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 2 of December.
• December Knowledge Climb (Week 3) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 3 of December.
• December Focus Finale (Week 4) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 4 of December.
• December Year-End Champion (Week 5) - Awarded for completing the weekly challenge in Week 5 of December.
• January Mastery Milestone - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in January.
• February Focus Finisher - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in February.
• March Learning Marathon - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in March.
• April Achievement Award - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in April.
• May Mastery Medal - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in May.
• June Journey Accomplished - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in June.
• July Knowledge Quest - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in July.
• August Advancement Badge - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in August.
• September Study Summit - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in September.
• October Optimization Award - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in October.
• November Progress Pioneer - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in November.
• December Dedication Distinction - Awarded for completing the monthly challenge in December. 

) While that is a lot of badges to add I think that it would be a good engaging addition to KA.

New Badge Ideas:

I think it would be exciting if Khan Academy introduced badges that celebrate consistency, creativity, and mastery across subjects. For example:

• Badges for each course -  you could recieve them for completing the entire course and/or each unit of said course
• Unit Master - Earned for mastering every skill in any course unit.
• Skill Grinder - Awarded for retrying and eventually mastering a skill after failing multiple times.
• Perfect Practice - Complete 10 practice assignments in a row with full mastery
• Course Explorer - Visit and attempt work in 25 different courses.
  
• Focus Mode - 60 uninterrupted minutes of learning in a single session.
  
• Speed Solver - Solve 10 problems correctly within a short time window.
  
• Hard Worker - Complete 20 difficult skills marked “challenging.”
  
• Master of Math - Earn full mastery in all math skills for your grade level.
  
• Science Star - Complete every quiz in a science course with 80% or higher.
  
• History Hero - Finish an entire history timeline with all quizzes passed.
  
• Back‑to‑School Starter - Earned at the start of the academic year.
  
• Study Marathon - Accumulate 10 total hours of learning.
  
• Dedicated Learner - Log 50 learning hours.
  
• Endurance Learner - Complete 200 practice problems.
  
• Progress Pioneer - Reach 50% completion in 5 different courses.
  
• 100% Quiz Ace - Score 100% on any quiz 5 times.
  
• Test Conqueror - Score 90% or higher on 10 course challenges.
  
• The Year of the Fire Horse - Complete a exercise/video in the Year of the Fire Horse
• Course Explorer - Visit and attempt work in 25 different courses.
  
• Positive Influence - Receive 10 “this helped me” acknowledgments from learners.
  
• Precision Pro - Score 95% or higher on 20 quizzes total.
  
• Zero‑Mistake Session - Complete an entire practice session without missing a single question.
  
• Assessment Ace - Achieve full marks on 5 Course Mastery Challenges
  
• Active Reader - Complete 20 reading‑based activities in history or ELA.
  
• Source Scholar - Correctly answer 15 primary‑source interpretation questions.

These types of badges would give learners new goals to strive for and showcase their progress in meaningful ways.

Retired Badges to Bring Back:

I have included descriptions for the badges that I can find the description of while others don't have descriptions as i don't know the correct description.

• Researcher: Reference a timestamp when answering a question on a video or program
• Oracle: Post 100 answers that earn 3+ votes
• Sensei: Post 50 answers that earn 3+ votes
• Thumbs Up: Cast your first up vote for a helpful discussion post or program
• Incredible Question: Ask a question that earns 50+ votes
• Thumbs Down: Cast your first down vote for an unhelpful discussion post or program
• Incredible Teacher: Post 25 answers that earn 3+ votes
• Investigator: Ask 10 questions that earn 3+ votes
• Guru: Post 10 answers that earn 3+ votes
• Flag Duty: Flag your first discussion post on a video or program for a Guardian's attention
• Detective: Ask 100 questions that earn 3+ votes
• Bibliographer: Reference a timestamp when asking a question on a video or program
• Excellent Teacher: Post 5 answers that earn 3+ votes
• Tinkerer - Awarded when pausing a talk-through and playing with the code
• Virus - Awarded for sharing a program
• 1000 Kelvin - Awarded for having the #1 program in the hot list
• Astute Analyzer - Awarded for evaluating 30 projects
• Rave Reviewer - Awarded for evaluating 150 projects
• Inspiration/Good Inspiration/Great Inspiration/Incredible Inspiration - Awarded when 1/10/25/50 users make a spin-off of your program.
• Millionare
• Sub-Light Speed
• 299,792,458 Meters per second
• PSAT 10
• PSAT 8/9
• Helen Keller
• Double Power Hour
• Da Vinci
• Detective
• Express yourself
• Persistance
• Sticktoitiveness
• Going Transonic
• Picking up Steam

While that is some of the retired badges, I know it is not all of them. I would love if some of them would be brought back.    

Retired Badge Suggestions: 

Many learners would truly appreciate the chance to earn some of the older badges they missed out on before they were retired. A few options could be:

• Bringing them back as limited-time challenges, kind of like to seasonal events.
• Allowing learners to earn them through special accomplishments, like completing milestone tasks.
• Reintroducing them as part of new badge tiers (like galaxy badges which could include some retired badges that you can try and get?)

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all the work you do for learners everywhere. If you find any of my badge ideas interesting feel free to use them. I can also brainstorm more badge ideas if needed! I hope you find this interesting as I spent the last 5 hours writing and brainstorming this. Thank you for all that you do and what you will do in the future! 

Bristlefrost