This year, approximately 200 Albany High seniors will graduate with the prestigious Seal of Civic Readiness on their diplomas. This seal indicates a remarkable commitment to civic engagement and community involvement, and we are proud of each senior who has put forth the work to earn this distinction!
Seniors who completed a civics capstone project participated in interactive assemblies throughout the school year, collaborating with community organizations like the People's Perception Project (P3) and the Albany Chapter of the NAACP. Our Falcons embraced these opportunities for dynamic dialogue, which helped them curate projects with viable solutions for real-world change.
On June 11, a select group of seniors were recognized for having exemplary capstone projects by showcasing their work during a special assembly. Their projects addressed critical topics, such as drug rehabilitation centers, access to library resources, youth employment, the "pink tax," ranked-choice voting, Section 8 housing choice vouchers and more.
By connecting classroom lessons with real-world challenges, our Albany High teachers are guiding our students to become thoughtful young leaders who are committed to social responsibility.
A huge shout-out to social studies department chair David Weiss and teachers Peter Anderson, Jessie LaPolla, James Morrill, Barbara Riordan, Graham Wall and Amanda Weklar for their guidance and support.
To each Falcon who earned the Seal of Civic Readiness, we are so proud of you!
More about the Seal of Civic Readiness program
The Seal of Civic Readiness program is grounded in the goal of helping students become proactive community members who are willing to listen, learn and collaborate with others to help bring about meaningful change.
Earning the Seal of Civic Readiness can happen through a variety of pathways, ensuring a strong balance of civic knowledge and participation. As students work towards earning their seal, they engage in learning experiences, such as:
- Civics coursework
- Research projects
- Extracurricular participation or work-based learning experiences
- Service-learning projects and reflective civic learning essay/presentation/product
- Civics capstone projects