Golden State Today

SACRAMENTO—Twenty-one California schools have been named recipients of the 2024 Civic Learning Awards, an honor that recognizes measurable schoolwide achievements in civics. The award program, now in its eleventh year, is co-sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero.

"We know that when young people activate their voices, they can be among the strongest change agents in our communities," Thurmond expressed. "Education is the cornerstone of realizing our democratic ideals, and these schools have made extraordinary contributions to building the leaders of tomorrow."

Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero also shared her thoughts, stating, “These award applications I find inspiring, they all deserve our recognition. They tell the important stories of dedicated educators who are, despite the challenges, creatively making room for students to fully understand and practice civics.”

The top three honorees receiving the Civic Learning Award of Excellence and receiving a visit from Chief Justice Guerrero this fall are: Three schools earned a Civic Learning Award of Distinction, and their awards will be presented by a visiting judicial officer.

Since their inception in 2013, the awards have been presented 519 times to traditional, charter, and magnet schools. In recent years, community schools and continuation schools have submitted high-ranking applications. This year, a court school applied for the first time.

The Civic Learning Awards began in 2013 and are part of the Chief Justice's Civic Learning Initiative, which is led by the Power of Democracy Steering Committee and includes other programs such as Judges in the Classroom. More information is available on the CDE Civic Learning Award for California Public Schools web page.

Additional resources to support civic learning and engagement are available on the CDE Resources to Support Civic Engagement web page and the CDE State Seal of Civic Engagement web page.