The CA Seal of Civic Engagement

A way to recognize high school students who seek to make a difference and a chance to view my school’s Seal of Civic Engagement application

Nearly three years ago, the CA Department of Education created an Advisory Committee tasked with trying to find a way for CA high school students to receive a “state seal of civic engagement.” I served on this committee.

This past year, the CDE adopted the advisory committee’s recommendations, the most important of which was to encourage high schools throughout the state to approve or adopt their own criteria for students wanting to apply for the seal (though the CDE did recommend five State Seal of Civic Engagement Criteria.) In other words, districts will self-certify that students earned the SSCE based on locally created criteria.

This past spring, a team of CA teachers and I, along with the help of a few students, produced a “CA Seal of Civic Engagement Application” for our respective schools. Click here to view the application that was created for the students at my school.

If you know of a school that has worked to produce anything similar, could you please detail?

Also, I was recently told that some state legislatures have and are in the process of passing laws that prohibit teachers from assigning Civic Action Projects. Does anyone know if that’s so? I’m asking because my school’s application will require students applying for the seal to have participated in one or more civic action project(s). Is it true that a requirement like this may be prohibited in other states?