Student is on track to graduate to earn a diploma or a Certificate of Completion.

If a student has experienced undue hardship in their high school career and the student has shown academic improvement over time, the school should convene a State Seal of Civic Engagement Committee to attend to such circumstances.

Student has earned a passing grade or better in World History and U.S. History equivalent courses.

World History equivalent courses include any course that meets the California requirement for 10th grade World History and Geography: World History, Honors World History, and AP European History.

U.S. History equivalent courses include any course that meets the California requirement for 11th grade U.S. History and Geography: U.S. History, Honors U.S. History, and AP U.S. History.

Process product (paper, blog, video, etc.) that includes the following:

Identify the real-world problem or need, including how and why they chose that topic;

Process by which the student engaged civically to solve the problem or fill the need;

Challenges student faced while engaging in civic action;

Conclusion of student portion of project.

The process product may be presented in a written format as a paper or blog (500 words or fewer),  or audio/video format (2-3 minutes max).

Evidence of a completed civic engagement project that

Focuses on a real-world problem or need;

Includes root cause analysis;

Explores possible solutions and varied responses to the problem;

Develops a plan of action;

Implements an action plan.

Evidence of civic engagement project may include photos, videos, quotes, or other means that clearly indicate student’s work on the civic engagement project.

Evidence may be displayed as an exhibit, website, video (documentary, PSA, movie, vlog, etc.), paper, blog, or other creative means agreed upon between teacher and student.

Project should trace the student’s progress on the topic and include evidence of:

• Root cause analysis of the problem or need;

• The variety of responses student could have taken and why they decided on the project they chose;

• The action plan from beginning to end;

• Implementation of the action plan.

Civic action

Should consist of a duration or depth that impacts school/community;

Must be relevant to the identified problem;

Incorporates meaningful action steps to contribute to the identified problem;

Could engage with other individuals, groups, or organizations to contribute to solutions.

Reflection product (this document, paper, blog, video, etc.) that includes:

Reason for choosing problem and activity;

The activities undertaken;

What the student learned from the activity;

The civic skills and competencies gained;

How community was impacted;

How the activity could inspire others to act.

An important part of civic work is reflection on what has been done, along with a consideration of what could be done differently in the future.  In addition, this skill helps to demonstrate that a student is college, career, and civically ready.  A student's reflection may be written, oral, recorded, or displayed in a multimedia fashion, and may include the reason for choosing the activity, how the student engaged in the activity with other individuals or groups, what was learned, what civic skills were gained, how the community was impacted for the common good, how democratic ideals were elevated, how the student was involved in the project over a period of time, and/or how the activity could inspire others to act. 

Some examples of evidence of projects with reflection include, but are not limited to:

• A capstone project or portfolio with self-reflection on project activities, including successes and challenges;

• A public presentation regarding information on roadblocks, or issues that happened within the civic engagement activity;

• A public presentation such as (but not limited to) a video, slide show, speech, meeting with a policy maker;

• A written essay explaining why an activity was chosen; what activities were undertaken; what was learned; what civic skills, competencies, and knowledge were gained; how the efforts impacted the community; and how the activity may inspire future civic engagement activities for the student or others.

Letter of recommendation, completed endorsement form (Google Doc), or digital recommendation from one of the following people: educator, mentor, co-worker/supervisor, student leader, or a civic partner or leader.

From the SSCE Implementation Guidance (California Department of Education):

1. Civic mindedness may encompass:

• Concern for the rights and well-being of all and a desire to contribute to the common good, including members of groups historically disenfranchised by virtue of race, ethnicity, language background, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other social identity;

• A proactive commitment to equity, inclusivity, racial and ethnic diversity, fairness, and dismantling structures and practices that have previously excluded select groups from civic participation (e.g., connecting the Fifteenth Amendment’s suffrage protections to address anti Black racism, racism and discrimination against other racial minorities and immigrants, including but not limited to Native Americans, Latinx, Asian Americans and other language minorities protected by the Voting Rights Act; and the Nineteenth Amendment’s protection of women’s right to vote);

• Appreciating and seeking out a variety of perspectives and valuing differences, including those voices that are underrepresented or marginalized;

• Having a sense of civic duty at local, state, national, and global levels;

• Being aware of the value of their own experiences, their knowledge of their community, and their power to change things for the better, as well as respect for contributions of other members of the polity who do not share the same racial, cultural, or economic background.

2. Evidence of observed character traits that reflect civic-mindedness and a commitment to supporting the school, community, and/or society may include:

• Speaking and engaging others with respect, civility, and welcome, especially those who are different and/or have diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds or opposing views;

• Demonstrating empathy and understanding through inclusion and helping to elevate the voices of others; Standing up for oneself or another student who is experiencing bullying, harassment, discrimination, exclusion or unwanted attention; and leading a group to work toward providing a common good.

3. Evidence of ongoing civic engagement may include:

• Demonstrating civic engagement at various points throughout one’s schooling experiences by engaging with one or more groups or organizations that attend to community or societal priorities in addition to forms of engagement that are part of a required classroom experience.