The California State Seal of Civic Engagement is an award that students can earn by demonstrating involvement in the local community. The seal can be added to diplomas or transcripts as the accomplishment illustrates a student’s aptness for life beyond high school.
Mrs. Fallman-McQueen, a Government and Economics teacher at Aliso Niguel, said students need to complete a “civic engagement project that shows their understanding and knowledge of the basics of government structures, show that they are civic-minded, and go ‘beyond the classroom.’”
There are five requirements to earn the award that need to be represented through a project to the community. According to the California Department of Education, the first requirement is that students must “be engaged in academic work in a productive way.”
High schoolers need to demonstrate understanding of the United States and California constitutions and how their local government operates. This qualification requires students to comprehend ideas of democracy and the role of a citizen in that constitutional democracy that would be taught in a standard Government class, but it also includes details of “tribal government structures and organizations” that may need to be researched outside of the standard classroom.
The third requirement a student must complete is the biggest and most important one needed to earn the award; students must “participate in one or more informed civic engagement project[s] that address real world problems.”
Mrs. Fallman-McQueen urges students to choose an issue they feel personally passionate about and she clarifies that “the project needs to be a civic action, not a service.”
Project topics from previous years include active shooter training, STD/STI protection and the school disciplinary system, but options for possible civic engagement projects are vast and diversified.
The final two qualifications to earn the award are completing a self-reflection to demonstrate the civic knowledge and skills learned from the project and for the student to, at the end of all of the effort the participant gave, exemplify characteristics of a civic-minded person who will continue to positively impact their community.
Mrs. Fallman-McQueen wants students to “understand that they can make a difference” and hopes to create “civic-minded adults that are involved in their community” for the future.
The California State Seal of Civic Engagement encourages students, especially seniors who gain the right to vote as they turn 18, to be active participants in their community and local governments. The goal of the seal is to promote access to effective service learning that would help graduates function with more control over the political and legal aspects of their lives.
Mr. Devin Beliveau at the Capistrano Unified School District office started the movement to expand the civic engagement seal opportunity into California. He is a great person to contact for further information about the project or the award itself.
The California Department of Education has a website with helpful links to learn more about the seal and how you can earn it. Also, Mrs. Fallman-McQueen in room 401 is available every Wednesday during Wolverine Plus and at lunch with an appointment for guidance about completing a project.
