Chatham Central School District has officially received approval from the New York State Education Department to award the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness to deserving graduates.
"Essentially, the Seal of Civic Readiness is a new graduation distinction which highlights a student's social studies knowledge, civic engagement, and commitment to participating in our democracy," said Chatham CSD Social Studies Teacher Leader Michael Griggs, who spearheaded the District’s efforts to gain approval from the state. "This is something that students work towards throughout middle and high school here at Chatham."
The Seal consists of two major components: Civic Knowledge and Civic Participation. Students can satisfy the Civic Knowledge component through participation in advanced social studies courses and achievement on NYS Regents exams. The Civic Participation component is satisfied through a combination of middle school and high school capstone projects, a service learning project, and/or a work-based learning project that focuses on civic engagement.
"Our social studies department has worked hard over the summer and this school year to construct a program to offer the Seal of Civic Readiness,” said Chatham High School Principal Miles Wheat. "We're really excited about it."
The new seal aligns naturally with Chatham’s Portrait of a Panther, an educational framework that strives to develop students who can confidently learn, grow, create, work, and contribute. It is the latest addition to Chatham’s growing list of formal diploma distinctions that includes the NYS Seal of Biliteracy (implemented last school year) and the Honors, Mastery in Science, Mastery in Mathematics, and Technical endorsements.
Graduates who complete the requirements will be formally presented with the Seal of Civic Readiness at commencement, and the distinction will be permanently recorded on their official high school transcripts. CHS plans to award its first Seals of Civic Readiness to eligible graduates this spring.