Nine students shared their capstone experience in Shaker High School’s new Civic Engagement and Leadership class during the first Seal of Civic Readiness Civic Engagement and Leadership Symposium. North Colonie CSD is among the first New York state school districts to begin offering the Seal of Civic Readiness special diploma recognition.
Civic readiness is the ability to make a positive difference in the public life of our communities.
Over the course of the yearlong capstone experience, students identified and investigated an issue of their choosing, developed methods to solve or mitigate their chosen issue, and took informed action to address their findings.
“In our inaugural year, we encouraged students to select, research and take action on projects that are meaningful and important to them,” Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Skeals said.
Those students who made presentations and their topics were:
- Cassandra Clovis, Creating Sustainable Energy Policies for North Colonie Schools
- Dorothea Farrell, The Expansion of Residential Health Care for People with Serious and Persistent Mental Illnesses
- James Vaughan, The Modernization of the American Prison System
- Maya Kantimahanthu, Declining Literacy of Students: the Lost Generation of Readers
- Patrick Flaherty, Controlling Urbanization and Rapid Commercial Growth in the Town of Colonie
- Romeo Salcedo, Expanding Equity and Access to Higher Education in the State of New York
- Sabrina Gulotty, Women’s Health Care: Contraceptives for All
- Sasha Sasane, Green Development: Protecting the Earth and the Economy
- Suhana Kiran, Ensuring Access to Abortion in the United States
“We are proud to have given our students this range of opportunities that allow them to see how they can be active and engaged citizens in their school community and beyond,” Superintendent Skeals said.
