With the new 2024-2025 school year, many clubs and organizations are starting on a fresh slate, making changes, and preparing to make OHS shine. One organization especially, has been making many alterations to gain members and recognition: the Academy of Civic Engagement and Advanced Studies.

The purpose of the Academy is centered around providing advanced education and fostering the next generation’s civic-minded individuals. The students in the program are interested in civics and participate in extra studies and projects outside of the regular school day to prepare for their future careers.

“Most of the people in the Academy are interested in pursuing civics-based career fields. Everyone that I’ve met wants to do something in politics, government, journalism, or something like that, where they’re engaging with the communities they are living in,” said Amelia Thompson, senior.

With new advisors in charge of the organization last year, this year is especially crucial to bring significant changes to get the program rolling again. This prompted the addition of the Seal of Civics Literacy to the organization, which acknowledges students who have excelled in civics. 

“[The] Seal of Civics Literacy program is a state of Arizona recognition… it’s for high school students who achieve a high-level proficiency in civics, so students who are very interested in learning about history and our government and how to solve problems in our community,” said Amanda Schleuter, history teacher.

OHS is the first school in the district to add the Seal of Civics Literacy, a fairly new program in Arizona itself, only having been approved by the Arizona State Board of Education in 2019. There are many benefits students can gain from the program, especially the lessons students can get out of participating in it.

“They [individuals who earn the seal] prioritize their community, and not just their immediate community, but their state, and their country. Mrs. Schleuter and I thought it was kind of a component missing from OC. Not necessarily just OC, but honestly youth around the country,” said Uriah Cross, history teacher and social studies department chair.

On a more tangible level, the Seal of Civics Literacy enables students to stand out on resumes and applications, which is especially beneficial for seniors. 

“It’s more things that you’re putting onto your high school diploma; that make you a more engaging candidate for college admissions, putting on your resume, anything like that, it just makes you a more outstanding, opportunistic student…. All those things, even if you didn’t do them in the Academy, those are noticeable, beneficial things to do for college and for work beyond,” Thompson said.

However, the Seal isn’t guaranteed for all members of the Academy. It is earned through the achievement of three different components that prove them worthy individuals of the organization and Arizona.

“Your civics learning is the first component, so that means getting good grades in all of your social studies courses, so you’re mastering the information you’re learning in your classroom. And then, the second category is civic engagement… They can be in clubs like Model UN, they can participate in the NJROTC, they can do national honors society… And then, the last part of the whole thing is a written reflection, where you basically write an essay reflecting on your experiences and seeing how you want to continue to apply these things in your future,” Schleuter said.

There are high hopes that the seal will bring new students to the program and help recognize those already in it. 

“I mean [the Seal of Civics Literacy is] just something else O’Connor could be known for. I see it as the work most of all you Academy kids are doing, and we just give you something to show. You guys are going to go to college and maybe this one little thing could let you get into Yale, or Princeton, or Harvard, or are you going to be stuck at GCC,” Cross said.

Another large part of the Academy in previous years was the internship programs seniors had to complete to be recognized. This year, however, students have to participate in a different project instead of internships in order to match the proper requirements of the seal.

“This year, they’re going to participate in a program called Project Citizen… the steps in the program require you to explore what issues and problems we have in our community today and you have to research that problem and come up with a solution that could actually, possibly work to that problem,” Schleuter said.

Being a part of the Academy also entails an optional summer trip to different states all over the country. The trip itself has also gone through various changes, making it more extensive.

“The trips [originally] were provided through the school, so only up to junior year could go, but because we’re outsourcing our trip planning to a company [this year], this company makes it possible for seniors to come along too. It’s a little bit more expensive because of the company… but it’s allowing us to go to more places and have a more indulgent trip,” Thompson said.

By making changes, the Academy plans to gain a foothold amongst reputable organizations in OHS and attract students to the prestigious program. 

“It has always been kind of like a niche group, you kinda have to ask around to hear about it. So I think in the future, they want to get more of that recognition, so I think they would want to get more people in the future,” Thompson said.