California’s civic seal is growing. Now we must expand access.

America is about to turn 250. For many teachers, the question is not just what to celebrate, but how to prepare students to shape what comes next. One civics teacher recently captured the mood: yes, this anniversary can be a celebration, but if we stop there, “are we really preparing ourselves for the next 250?”

In California, there is a practical answer: give more students real opportunities to engage thoughtfully in civic life, and build clear, supported pathways to recognize those efforts. That’s the promise of the California State Seal of Civic Engagement (SSCE), a diploma seal awarded to high school students who meet state criteria tied to civic learning and participation.

California is not alone. Roughly a dozen states now offer civics diploma seals, in part to signal that civic knowledge, skills, and engagement are valued student accomplishments, not just part of high school graduation requirements.

Our new five-year analysis of California SSCE participation shows both sustained growth and uneven access. In the Seal’s first year (2020–21), 5,310 students earned it. By 2024–25, 23,040 students did. Growth like that suggests a strong interest in civic learning, even amid heightened political tensions.

Despite this growth, access remains limited. In 2024–25, fewer than one in five eligible schools awarded the Seal. Participation is also concentrated geographically: five counties accounted for roughly 71 percent of all Seals awarded statewide that year.

The most visible gaps are in settings where students may already feel distant from traditional recognition. In 2024–25, just one juvenile court, one community day, and two opportunity schools awarded the Seal, and standalone special education schools did not participate. If the SSCE is meant to expand civic opportunity, ensuring that it reaches these contexts will require flexible pathways and targeted implementation support.

We also want to be clear about what California public data can and cannot tell us. It does not include student demographic information about Seal recipients, nor do they measure the depth or quality of civic learning behind an award. Because districts have flexibility in how they implement statewide criteria, participation patterns can reflect differences in local capacity, resources, and design choices. Those nuances are not fully captured in the public data. Even so, participation patterns still offer a practical map of where civic recognition is possible and where it appears out of reach.

So, what would it take to move from promising growth to equitable, statewide access? We think the next phase requires not only continued adoption but sustained investment in the infrastructure needed to support high-quality civic learning at scale.

Teachers are being asked to teach democratic ideals amid heightened political tension and public scrutiny. Under those conditions, it can be difficult to move beyond required content and create space for sustained civic practice. In many classrooms, civics instruction necessarily prioritizes the founding documents, with little time remaining for meaningful student civic engagement.

But civic learning worthy of a Seal also requires structured opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the real world. It looks like students are listening closely enough to restate a classmate’s viewpoint, trace a local issue to the policies that shape it, and then deliberate on what responsible action might look like without turning classmates into adversaries.

Some readers may worry that civic action in school risks becoming partisan advocacy. That concern deserves careful consideration. But civic learning aligned with the Seal is not about telling students what to believe. It is about teaching them how to research claims, weigh evidence, identify missing perspectives, deliberate in good faith, and take informed action. Those are skills that strengthen democracy across ideological lines.

The data should serve as a prompt, not a victory lap. Expanding access will require normalizing Seal pathways across districts, supported by clear guidance and sustained professional learning. It will also require adapted support for underrepresented settings, including juvenile court, community day, opportunity, and special education contexts, where flexible pathways and dedicated resources matter most. And it will require investment in teacher capacity for civic instruction, because the Seal will not scale on goodwill alone. As participation grows, California should also strengthen public reporting on participation patterns so expansion remains intentional and gaps can be addressed directly.

There is one more encouraging sign worth naming: many Seal-participating schools serve students in economically disadvantaged communities. In 2024–25, about two-thirds of schools that awarded the Seal received Title I funds. That suggests civic recognition is not confined to affluent districts. The next challenge is ensuring that civic opportunity does not depend on geography, school type, or existing district capacity.

If America’s 250th anniversary is going to resonate in California classrooms, it cannot be just a commemorative lesson. It must be a recommitment to the everyday skills of self-government. The State Seal of Civic Engagement offers a strong foundation on which to build. With targeted support and sustained investment, California can ensure that meaningful civic learning becomes a standard part of the high school experience, not a privilege reserved for those in certain zip codes.

Robert Medrano is the Program Director at Teach Democracy.

Jenifer Crawford is a Professor of Clinical Education at USC Rossier School of Education.