Students at Kennedy High School in La Palma welcomed two distinguished visitors on Monday, Sept. 23, as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero arrived to present the campus with the 2024 Civic Learning Award of Excellence.
This award is the highest honor for civic education in California, recognizing the Anaheim Union High School District campus for its efforts in promoting civic engagement and constitutional literacy. Kennedy is one of only three schools statewide to receive the award this year. The school was celebrated for its innovative programs that encourage democratic understanding and active citizenship among students.
Earlier in 2024, Anaheim High School and South Junior High from the Anaheim Union district were honored with Civic Learning Awards of Merit, further showcasing the district’s commitment to fostering civic education.
“I find these award applications inspiring; they all deserve our recognition,” Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said in a May press release. “They tell the important stories of dedicated educators who, despite the challenges, are creating room for students to fully understand and practice civics.”
“We know that when young people activate their voices, they can be among the strongest change agents in our communities,” Thurmond added. “Education is the cornerstone of realizing our democratic ideals, and these schools have made extraordinary contributions to building the leaders of tomorrow.”
The event highlighted Kennedy High’s efforts to prepare students for active citizenship through voter registration drives, mock trials, soapbox speeches and debates. Anaheim Union, home to several California Democracy Schools, has received nine Civic Learning Awards of Excellence since the program started.
The event also emphasized the district’s role in promoting the State Seal of Civic Engagement, an honor affixed to student transcripts, diplomas and certificates of completion. Approved by the state Board of Education in 2020, the seal indicates that a graduate understands the principles of democracy, the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution.
Since the program’s inception, Anaheim Union schools has led Orange County in the number of high school graduates earning this distinction. According to data from the California Department of Education, AUHSD began with 1,965 recipients in the 2020-21 school year and that number rose to 3,052 in 2022-23.
For more information about the Civic Learning Award of Excellence, visit the California Courts Newsroom webpage.