State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2023 Civic Learning Award Schools

SACRAMENTO—Eighteen California schools have been named recipients of the 2023 Civic Learning Awards, an honor that recognizes measurable schoolwide achievements in civics. The award 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,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “Education is the cornerstone of realizing our democratic ideals, and these schools have made extraordinary contributions to building the leaders of tomorrow.”

The top three honorees receiving the Civic Learning Award of Excellence and receiving a visit from Chief Justice Guerrero this fall are:

• Maple Creek Elementary School, Clovis Unified, Fresno County
• Dale Junior High School, Anaheim Union High School District, Orange County
• Gilbert High School, Anaheim Union High School District, Orange County

Three schools earned a Civic Learning Award of Distinction, and their awards will be presented by a visiting judicial officer. They are:

• Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, Los Angeles Unified, Los Angeles County
• Palm Elementary School, Hacienda la Puente Unified, Los Angeles County
• Innovations Academy, Folsom-Cordova Unified, Sacramento County

During the pandemic, the award program continued to celebrate promising civics programs and Champions of Civics. With campuses reopening to in-person learning, the award returned to its origins of asking applicants to describe how schoolwide policy and practices help support and expand civics in the classroom and through community activities before and after school hours.

Notable this year:

• Thirty-eight schools submitted applications. Thirteen applied for the first time.
• More non-traditional schools submitted applications than ever before. One of them, Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, was awarded the top honor.

School districts that incorporate civics into their local control and accountability plans received up to five extra points. Schools that connected with the Judges in the Classroom program in the last year, which was the case for 25 percent of the applicants, received three extra points. For some schools, these steps pulled them ahead of the others. All applications are scored by educators and representatives from the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Judicial Branch. For a complete list of recipients, visit the California Courts Newsroom web page.

The following schools earned a Civic Learning Award of Merit:

Fresno County

• Dry Creek Elementary School (Clovis Unified)
• Garfield Elementary School (Clovis Unified)

Los Angeles County

• Los Robles Academy (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Nelson Elementary School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Orange Grove Middle School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Sierra Vista Middle School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)

Orange County

• Anaheim High School (Anaheim Union High School District)
• South Junior High School (Anaheim Union High School District)

Riverside County

• Norte Vista High School (Alvord Unified)

Sacramento County

• Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Middle School (NP3) (Natomas Unified)
• Natomas Pacific Pathways High School (Natomas Unified)
• Vista del Lago High School (Folsom-Cordova Unified)

The following schools earned a Civic Learning Honorable Mention:

Fresno County

• Kings River High School (Sanger Unified)
• Golden Charter Academy (Sanger Unified)
• Red Bank Elementary School (Fresno Unified)

Los Angeles County

• La Puente High School (Clovis Unified)
• Sparks Middle School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Del Valle Elementary School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Workman Elementary School (Hacienda la Puente Unified)
• Pantera Elementary School (Pomona Unified)

Orange County

• Centralia Elementary School (Centralia Elementary School District)
• Sycamore Junior High School (Anaheim Junior High School District)
• Ball Junior High School (Anaheim Junior High School District)
• Katella High School (Anaheim Union High School District)

Sacramento County

• Cordova High School (Folsom-Cordova Unified)
• Folsom High School (Folsom-Cordova Unified)

Solano County

• Kairos Public Schools (Vacaville Unified)

Ventura County

• Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified)

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 and State Seal of Civic Engagement web pages.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100