August Boeger Middle School Honored with the Civic Learning Award

SAN JOSÉ, Calif. (September 12, 2025):  The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is proud to announce that August Boeger Middle School has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Civic Learning Award for the 2024–2025 academic year.

The school earned the Award of Distinction, a remarkable achievement given that this was the first year administration applied. August Boeger joins a district already recognized for civic excellence: the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District is also home to Ida Jew Academy and Valle Vista Elementary (this year’s Award of Excellence and last year’s Award of Distinction). August Boeger was just four points shy of the highest honor and is determined to reach the Award of Excellence category in the future.

Principal Raquel Topete shared, “We are most proud that 98.7% of our students (391 out of 396 in grades 6–8) volunteer outside of the classroom by fundraising for causes, organizing community events, and serving as activists and advocates.”

The school’s award application highlighted a rich civic learning program, including:
•    Civic curriculum integrated across subjects
•    Discussion-based learning such as Socratic seminars, mock trials, and debates
•    Service-learning projects
•    Active student governance
•    Extracurricular clubs and activities that foster civic engagement
•    Simulations of democratic processes that teach advocacy, legal reasoning, and community responsibility

To celebrate this achievement, the Court participated in a special award ceremony at the school on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. The Honorable Julia Alloggiamento, Chair of the Court’s Community Outreach Committee and Vice Chair of California’s Power of Democracy Steering Committee, together with Administrative Presiding Justice Mary Greenwood of the Sixth District Court of Appeal, formally presented the award to school leaders, educators, and students.

The Civic Learning Award honors schools that provide students with meaningful opportunities to engage in civic education. August Boeger was recognized for its innovative project-based learning (PBL) initiatives, which empower students to connect classroom lessons with real-world issues while developing the skills to become active, informed citizens.

“August Boeger Middle School is a shining example of how educators can inspire the next generation of civic leaders,” said Judge Alloggiamento. “By integrating civic learning into hands-on, project-based instruction, the school is not only teaching students about democracy but also giving them the tools to participate in it.”

The Civic Learning Award is a statewide initiative co-sponsored by the Chief Justice of California and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. It seeks to highlight and replicate models of excellence in civic education across the state.

With this recognition, August Boeger Middle School joins a distinguished group of schools across California that are preparing students to be thoughtful, engaged, and responsible members of their communities.