April 30, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY – On April 16, Council Member Eric Dinowitz introduced a resolution for The City University of New York (CUNY) to award college credit and fulfill a general education requirement for students who have earned the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness (NYSSCR).
The NYSSCR is a formal recognition on a high school transcript and diploma that demonstrates a student’s proficiency in civic knowledge, skills, mindset, and experiences. It is typically earned through portfolio-based assessments, a more comprehensive type of assessment that goes beyond traditional standardized testing. Awarding college credit to students who have earned the NYSSCR will incentivize more NYC high schools to participate in the program, where only 166 high schools currently offer the NYSSCR. Although states such as Arizona, California, and Virginia implement a civic seal, not all offer incentives to encourage more students and high schools to participate in the program. Awarding college credits for the NYSSCR will make the State of New York a nationwide leader in civics education.
The resolution highlights the importance of civic education and its role in strengthening political participation among young people. According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s 2024 Voter Analysis Report, youth voter turnout is low due, in part to a lack of habit formation. Young voters aged 18-29 turned out at rates of 3.7 percent in the April 2024 presidential primary, 5 percent in the June 2024 primary, and 57 percent in the general election, compared to the turnout of voters ages 70-79, which was 12 percent in the April 2024 primary, 18.7 percent in the June 2024 primary, and 65.8 percent in the general election. Research published in Theory and Research in Social Education shows that students are most prepared for civic life when schools integrate civic learning across the entire school community, rather than limiting it to a single course. A 2021 study of “positive outliers” high schools (those with higher-than-expected graduation outcomes for historically marginalized groups), found that civic readiness improves through problem-based learning, collaboration, and community-focused projects. These findings align with the goals of NYSSCR, which encourages students to “participate in our democracy [as] a cornerstone responsibility of public education in New York State” and aims to help students to “make a positive difference in the public life of our communities through the combination of civic knowledge, skills and actions, mindsets, and experiences.”
“A thriving democracy relies on an engaged citizenry,” said Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Chair of the Committee on Education. “At a time of deepening polarization, civic engagement rooted in our communities is more critical than ever, and there is no better place to start than in our classrooms. By awarding college credits for robust, community-centered civic education, we will incentivize students to engage more meaningfully with their communities and encourage schools to provide the structure our students need to do so.”
“As one of the largest public university systems in the United States, the City University of New York serves a majority first-generation student population. If we expect New York City students to serve as catalysts for change in civic life, we must also equip them with the tools and recognition to do so,” said Sumaiya Ahmed, President of the Undergraduate Student Government at Hunter College and Alternate representative to the University Student Senate of CUNY. Students across CUNY are already engaging deeply in their communities through civic work that often goes unrecognized. Awarding college credit for the Seal of Civic Readiness affirms that work and helps level the playing field by ensuring that students who have already invested in their communities are equitably recognized in higher education.”
“Since the knowledge part is covered through the high school social studies curriculum, the capstone project is what truly allows students to go out and interact with their community,” said Rachel Montagano, assistant principal at Williamsburg Preparatory High School. “Through their participation, students are faced with different perspectives not only from those in their community but also from the world itself. To be aware of what’s happening within your neighborhood and how your early experiences at home influence and shape the world, and most importantly, learn how to respect each other’s point of view. The seal helps create open-minded, informed, and critical individuals that are not only ready to face the adversities and challenges of college life itself but also to collaborate with other individuals, and how these actions can make a better good.”
“The Seal asks students to do something most classes do not; to take action,” said Chanel Francis, science teacher at Williamsburg Preparatory High School. “Students learn that they do not have to change until adulthood to create change. Their actions, their research, and their advocacy can move forward right now. The capstone [project] moves through eight essential elements: examining their community and identifying issues, conducting and analyzing research, developing strategies and taking informed action, and finally communicating and reflecting on the full experience. That progression keeps students from hitting a wall because the work builds on itself…the civic work was the context, but the skills we were building were ones they will use for the rest of their lives.”
“Civic engagement is a life-long skill that needs to be taught and nurtured. Teaching students how to use their voices and get heard by their elected officials opens pathways for young people to feel empowered,” said Diane Burrows, Board Member and Chair of Student Internship Program at the League of Women Voters of the City of New York. “By recognizing this work with the Seal of Civic Readiness, students have even more incentive to engage because they are being recognized as leaders in their communities.”
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