.png)
Congratulations!
Your school was selected as a 2025 Civic Learning Award honoree. Well done! The files and links on this page will help promote your achievement. If you need any further assistance, please call 415-865-4546 or email judicialoutreach@jud.ca.gov
To schedule a date for your presentation this September, please submit a request here.
 Template for Presentation ProgramA template for planning a 1-hour Award presentation event. |  Award AnnouncementNews release with video. |  Sample News ReleaseHere's a template to get started! |
|---|---|---|
 ScoresThe totals earned for schools awarded this year are here! |
Banners Are Fun!
.png)
AWARDS
Awards of Excellence and Distinction are presented as bamboo plaques. Certificates are presented in person to Merit and Honorable Mention schools.
Honors awarded at the level of Excellence are also presented with a 4 ft x 4 ft banner in addition to the traditional bamboo award. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero first presented these banners last year to the schools of Excellence. They were so popular they're now a part of the program!
Schools recognized at all levels are welcome to order their banners using the artwork provided in this template. The award sponsors pay for the banners presented to Award of Excellence schools.
Note: the banner presented by the Chief Justice includes a QR code to the Power of Democracy website, and a nod to our generous funders. The description reads:
Presented by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond with support provided by the California Lawyers Foundation.
Displayed proudly at Madera Elementary in 2024. In 2025, they received another one to hang next to it as an Emeritus Honoree.
Planning Your Award Event
If you are here, congratulations! As an honoree, you will be offered the opportunity to host a judge to present your award. If you'd like to host a larger event, we have some sample programs to share with you. You may request one or more of these activities. Most judges only have an hour, so plan accordingly.
A judge will come with an oath of office to swear in your newly-elected student government. Add this to any activity, it takes about 5-minutes.
Chief Justice stands in front of classroom with student raising hand
Teachers and parents convene to hear student addresses, messages from the school board and the District Superintendent.
Students present their reflections on the Constitution. We have the planning guide here!
Classroom activities that demonstrate civic engagement outlined in award application.
Guests assemble in a common space, like a library for brief addresses from students, teachers, and judges.
A Civics Fair offers visitors a look at how the honored school links students to civic learning.
Most presentation events offer schools a chance to celebrate the teachers and students who bring civics to life on campus. In addition, events often include lawmakers, members of the school board and school district, parents, and, of course, court representatives.
With only 1-hour to celebrate, these events typically center around the teacher-student effort(s) that earned the honor.
Civic Learning Awards
Social Media
Note: templates may have other honorees' names on them. That's ok! You may still use them by saving them to your own account for free.
Many of you are familiar with Canva, so are we! To share your achievement, you may alter/edit this template for Facebook. Add your school district, school logo, or mascot!
Twitter/X
Use/Edit this template
Since Instagram is where all the action is, we created some templates for your use. Pick the one you like, edit, and save!
Questions? Send them, we'll answer them here:
What does "Award of Emeritus" mean?
When a school achieves scores that rank it at the same level as the previous year, it receives Emeritus status. At the highest level, they do not receive a visit from the Chief Justice. They still receive a bamboo award, a banner, and a letter from the Chief Justice. This level was introduced in 2025 to open the program to other schools receiving high scores.
Should we plan a visit?
Absolutely! Schools at every level will receive a visit by one or more judges from the California Courts. Schools at the level of Excellence will be visited by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. When he can, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also attends. Most visits will be scheduled for September 2025 to commemorate Constitution Month. The court works with the school to identify a date in October, if necessary.
Informal Stop-by? Our schedules (and resources) are so tight, we may only have 30-minutes to host a guest from the court. Is that ok?
We relate! And that is A-ok. If your time is limited and you'd like to invite a judge to stop by your classroom for a short talk with your students, put it in your request.
Award presentations do not require the red carpet treatment. Some of our most memorable events have been simple introductions in a school library with a judge talking to students about the work they do at the court.