Torrance students eligible for state award

Students in the Torrance Unified School District will be eligible to receive the recently adopted State Seal of Civic Engagement next summer, the local school board announced this past week.

The State Seal of Civic Engagement was adopted by the State Board of Education in September 2020 to award California students who demonstrate excellence in civics education and participation and an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution and the democratic system of government.

Torrance Unified students can

get the seal beginning in June, the Board of Education announced during its Sept. 7, meeting.

“One of the neat points of the seal is to get our students engaged and to act as more active civic-minded people,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Kara Heinrich. “So when they do exit our doors at graduation, they’re exiting with a more global view of what it means to be a contributing member of society.”

Students from grades nine to 12 can qualify for the award, though they can only obtain it by grade 11 or 12. Students can receive the seal individually, or through a youth-based organization, youth government programs, SCCE partnerships, or school and community service clubs.

Students must also maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA, enroll in specific world and U.S. history courses, participate in civic engagement projects, write a reflection and give an in-person presentation to a site committee.

“We want (students) to think about the world around them, the people around them,” Heinrich said, “and to vocally take an active role in changing our world for the better.”