A Full House at the Seal of Civic Readiness Civics Fair

Each June for the past three years, the Amherst Central High School students who have met the requirements to earn the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness designation present their final projects during a civics fair. It’s an evening set aside for them to share with family, friends and teachers what they have worked on and, in many ways, to show their commitment to the community.

It was a full house during the June 4, 2025 civics fair with more than 60 students presenting their SCR projects.

Since the district first piloted the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness program in 2021-22, participation has grown exponentially. In the first year, 25 students participated. Last year, 43 students earned the seal and a number of them presented capstone projects through their Civics in Action elective course. In the 2025-26 school year, 68 students will receive the SCR and 16 of them have completed capstone projects

Civic readiness is the ability to make a positive difference in the public life of our communities through the combination of civic knowledge, skills, actions, mindsets and experiences. In each of the projects, the focus is on helping others within our school community as well as the larger WNY community. Guiding this program from its inception in 2021 has been high school social studies teacher Anne Ward and her dedication has helped grow student involvement.

Here are several examples of this year’s student capstone projects.

One student will lead a “Bike Bus” bicycle ride for Smallwood Drive Elementary students in June to encourage kids and parents to ride to school in groups rather than driving. Two members of the ACHS Operetta who performed in “Cats” brought cast members to Smallwood Drive and Windermere Elementary schools to introduce fifth-graders to opportunities in musical theater. Two students invited the Erie County Board of Elections to host our Student Council leadership vote and held a voter registration drive. One student produced a digital catalog of a collection of rocks and minerals donated to the Buffalo Museum of Science. One student taught acro dance classes to students at the ACSD afterschool program at Harlem Road Community Center. One student took the ACHS Sinfonia to Elderwood Nursing Home to host a concert for residents. A student sponsored a sporting equipment drive to benefit kids at the Willie Hutch Jones Foundation summer camps for kids. One student worked with my office to create a student user manual for the ex-officio student board member and assist in developing a selection process.

The students met the requirements set by NYSED to earn the seal by taking specific coursework, earning passing grades on social studies exams, taking advanced coursework, participating in service learning and completing the final civics project.