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When did the state create this award?
On September 10, 2020, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted criteria and guidelines for awarding a State Seal of Civic Engagement.
What are the five FCUSD criteria for earning the CA State Seal of Civic Engagement?
Criteria 1: Students are engaged in academic work in a productive way.
Students will demonstrate their productive academic work using their cumulative GPA. You need to have a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Criteria 2: Students will demonstrate a competent understanding of U.S. and California constitutions; functions and governance of local governments; tribal government structures and organizations; the role of the citizen in a constitutional democracy; and democratic principles, concepts, and processes.
Students applying for the State Seal of Civic Engagement will demonstrate their understanding of democratic concepts and institutions with their US History and US Government course performance. Students will need to show at least a C for semester grades in a course equivalent to 11th grade U.S. History and 12th grade US Government. This information will serve as evidence of your learning.
Criteria 3: Students will participate in one or more informed civic engagement project(s) that address real-world problems and require students to identify and inquire into civic needs or problems, consider varied responses, take action, and reflect on efforts.
This criteria asks for you to demonstrate several things:
Complete an informed civic engagement project that addresses real-world problems.
Explain a project in which you have planned and actively engaged. Your project could be something that has been accomplished at school or in the local community.
Use the questions below to guide your responses on the application.
What real-world problem did you address?
How did you identify this problem?
Who did you talk to about this problem to get more information?
What possible solutions did you discover?
How did you decide upon the action you took?
How did you take action?
What did your project look like?
What were you able to accomplish?
Did you get others to help you?
Reflect on your efforts,
Did your project turn out as you had imagined?
What impact did your actions have on the community in which you worked?
What if you had chosen one of your other solutions? How would the outcome be different?
In hindsight, would another solution have been better?
Criteria 4: Students will demonstrate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions through self-reflection. After learning about the concepts of democracy and our U.S. institutions, then participating in activities designed to apply your knowledge, you will reflect on what you have learned.
Consider responding to some of these prompts:
How has your understanding of democracy and US institutions influenced your actions?
What type of community member do you see yourself as?
How has your civic learning impacted your views on community membership or citizenship?
What skills, knowledge, and attitudes are important for participating citizens in the United States?
Criteria 5: Students will exhibit character traits that reflect civic-mindedness and a commitment to positively impact the classroom, school, community, and/or society.
Criteria 5: Students will exhibit character traits that reflect civic-mindedness and a commitment to positively impact the classroom, school, community, and/or society.
In addition to the work you have put in in the classroom, school, and community, you will demonstrate how you have developed and demonstrated your civic-mindedness. What traits do you now have because of your learning and experiences?
What kinds of activities, clubs, or organizations demonstrate civic-mindedness?
What kinds of activities, clubs, or organizations demonstrate civic-mindedness?
This is just a list of some groups in which you might build the skills of citizenship and membership. Feel free to consider others, too.
Character Trait Award
Leadership Team
Student Council
Scouts
Student Council / HS Leadership Team
Community service clubs (Interact, Key Club)
Mock Trial
Model United Nations
School Clubs - BSU, API, LatinX
Served on LCAP or another district committee/board
How might I list my activities on the application?
How might I list my activities on the application?
Just list the clubs and organizations in which you are involved that show your civic-mindedness:
Example: Secretary (18-19), Vice President (20-21); Key Club - member, ASB representative (18-19, 19-20, 20-21)
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