St. Genevieve students named finalists in three Anthem Awards categories

Students at St. Genevieve Parish Schools were named finalists in three international Anthem Awards categories for a college-credit Leadership and Advocacy course and its student campaign, A Valiant Effort. The recognition spotlights a hands-on civic engagement effort aimed at persuading California Gov. Gavin Newsom to opt the state into a new federal education tax credit program.

Why it matters: - The finalist nod gives national recognition to a student campaign that is already operating in the real policy arena, not as a classroom simulation. - The effort could affect how California families learn about, and potentially access, the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program set to begin in 2027. - The campaign also shows how a school-based course can connect students with government leaders, education advocates and different school communities.

What happened: - St. Genevieve Parish Schools students were named finalists in three categories of the 6th Annual Anthem Awards. - The categories are Education, Art & Culture — Community Engagement; Education, Art & Culture — Grassroots Effort; and Education, Art & Culture — K–12 Education Innovation. - The recognition is for the school’s Leadership and Advocacy course and its student-led campaign, A Valiant Effort. - The course is offered in partnership with Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and carries three college credits. - The stated goal of the course is to persuade California Gov. Gavin Newsom to opt the state into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit.

The details: - The Anthem Awards were created by the organizers of the Webby Awards and honor social impact work. - Entries are judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which includes leaders from nonprofit organizations, foundations and major corporations. - More than 2,000 projects from 42 countries competed in 2025. - Previous honorees include UNICEF USA, Sesame Workshop, Google, World Central Kitchen, the ACLU and Make-A-Wish America. - In April, the full class traveled to Sacramento and met with the chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and an education adviser to State Sen. Caroline Menjivar. - Two weeks later, four students met in person with Brooks Allen, education adviser to Gov. Newsom. - The planned 30-minute meeting ran for more than an hour. - Allen listened to the students’ presentation, asked questions and praised their preparation and advocacy. - When a student asked how to respond to people who said Newsom would never opt in, Allen said no decision had been made and encouraged the students to keep going. - In May, students mailed 15,000 purple postcards to Newsom asking California to opt into the program. - The campaign involved students across St. Genevieve’s preschool-through-12th-grade community. - The students have also worked with leaders and advocates across political perspectives, including Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, plus representatives of Teach Coalition, the California Catholic Conference and other groups. - Most recently, the students hosted a statewide Zoom information rally with representatives from Catholic, Jewish, Armenian and charter schools. - Presenters included Jorge Elorza; Samara Palko, now with the American Federation for Children; Sydney Altfield of Teach Coalition; and Greg Dolan of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. - The federal program would offer eligible taxpayers a tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations. - Those groups would help provide scholarship support for qualified educational expenses. - The program could benefit eligible students in public, charter and private schools. - California must choose to participate, and that decision rests with Newsom. - The students were encouraged by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Oct. 9 announcement opting New York into the program. - Hochul became the second Democratic governor to do so, after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. - The students have found that many leaders they meet are unfamiliar with the program and its possible impact on California families. - That led the campaign to shift from the postcard push to a simpler action step. - Working with Teach Coalition, A Valiant Effort is now sharing a link to a prepared letter about California’s participation in the EFTC. - Supporters can enter their information and complete the process in about 40 seconds. - The students also met by Zoom with California Catholic school superintendents during a statewide gathering in Monterey. - The students say the work is helping them learn to research legislation, weigh competing arguments, communicate with officials, build coalitions, speak publicly and adapt when circumstances change. - The school’s mission is “To know God, to live with honor, to change the world.” - Gov. Newsom has not announced a decision on whether California will opt into the program. - The Anthem Awards recognition suggests young people can engage in meaningful civic action before graduation.

Between the lines: - The campaign’s reach across Catholic, Jewish, Armenian and charter school communities suggests the students are trying to build a cross-sector coalition around a policy issue that usually lives far from a typical classroom. - The shift from mailed postcards to a prepared letter link shows the students are learning a basic advocacy lesson: lower-friction actions often produce wider participation. - The recognition also gives the project a credibility boost at a moment when the students are still trying to move a governor, not just win publicity.

What's next: - The campaign will continue pushing for California to opt into the federal tax credit program. - Students and partners are expected to keep sharing the prepared letter and building awareness among education leaders and school communities. - The key unresolved question remains whether Newsom will make California part of the program.

The bottom line: - St. Genevieve’s students turned a course into a live policy campaign, and the Anthem Awards finalist status shows that kind of hands-on civic learning can resonate far beyond the classroom.