{"id":12861,"date":"2023-02-04T16:22:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-04T21:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.cga.ct.gov\/osh\/?page_id=12861"},"modified":"2025-11-10T15:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:44:09","slug":"faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.cga.ct.gov\/osh\/home\/rwbschools\/faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Red, White & Blue Schools: Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Home<\/span><\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>| \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Annual Theme & Application<\/span><\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>| \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Civics Resources<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u202f \u00a0<\/span><\/span>| \u00a0<\/span><\/span>Events<\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/span>|\u00a0 FAQs<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong> <\/em>| \u00a0Past RWB Schools<\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/span>| \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Contact Us<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u202f<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]1. What is the Red, White, & Blue Schools program? <\/span><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Created in 2016, Red, White, & Blue Schools is a partnership<\/a> between the Office of the Secretary of the State, the Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Connecticut Democracy Center in residence at Connecticut’s Old State House. Its purpose is to recognize schools that are going above and beyond in their delivery of civic education. By participating in this program, schools promote being active and engaged members of their communities. Click here<\/a> to review the Red, White & Blue Schools Handbook.<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]2. Why is this program important?<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Research shows that the more students are exposed to civic education throughout their academic careers, the better the chance they will be engaged and active members of their communities throughout their lives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]3. What are the requirements for program participation?<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>The Red, White & Blue Schools Rubric<\/a><\/span><\/span> outlines the participation requirements used to evaluate submissions and determine awards. The program is designed for K-12 students. Submissions will not be evaluated in comparison to each other; they will be evaluated according to grade-level appropriate standards for each component of the Rubric<\/span>.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]4. Is the entire school system or district required to participate? <\/span><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>There is no requirement for entire school districts or systems to participate. It would be appropriate for all classrooms in one grade level at a school to complete one submission. Similarly, a district-wide coordinator could submit for an entire grade level across a district, as the curriculum and instructional activities would be consistent.\u00a0Download the Rubrics<\/a> for the complete requirements and criteria.<\/span><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]5. How can I still participate if I have limited instruction time and resources? <\/span><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>The Red, White, and Blue Schools program provides information and resources for students and educators through its website and partnerships. Resources include lesson plan ideas, field trip opportunities, interactive games, and informative videos. Our partnerships with scholarly sources provide a wide range of content suitable for all ages and grade levels. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We want to support your school’s Red, White & Blue projects! If you need help locating resources, navigating the rubrics, or identifying community partners, visit our Contact Us<\/a> page and reach out to one of our three partner organizations. We will work with individual educators to help you meet the criteria for recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]6. What is an example of a successful Red, White & Blue Schools project?
\n<\/strong><\/span>Click <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> to read the submission for the 2024-2025 Outstanding Red, White & Blue School: Stonington Middle School. Their project was selected for its strong alignment to last year\u2019s theme \u201cOur Government, Our Voices.\u201d As part of their <\/span>8th grade Public Safety, Service and Health in Stonington Encore course\u2019s students undertook an extensive project on local government. SMS\u2019s 8th-graders focused on bringing attention to a variety of issues being discussed in their local community.\u00a0 Over the course of 25 days, students engaged directly with representatives from key government institutions and participated in real-world activities learning about 911 calls, town beautification, parade logistics and more. The students researched issues by looking at the town website and developing inquiry questions for each department. They then read minutes from meetings, met with department heads, and created Public Service Announcements to share information. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have further questions about successful projects or additional resources, visit our Contact Us<\/a> page and reach out to one of our three partner organizations.<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]7. What are some incentives for program participation?
\n<\/span><\/span><\/b>Schools that meet the Rubrics’ minimum criteria will be honored as Red, White & Blue Schools, recognizing their outstanding commitment and dedication to civic education and engagement. RWB will select several schools to be recognized as Schools of Distinction. They will receive official certificates in spring 2026 and can display on their websites and materials that they are recognized as a Red, White, & Blue School.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One school will be selected as the 2025-26 Outstanding School. This school will receive a monetary prize of $1,000 and will be honored at an in-person ceremony at their school in spring 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All recognized schools will be announced at the end of the school year in an official press release that is often covered by the media.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]8. Where can I find more information if I am interested in participating?<\/span><\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>Explore this website – particularly the Annual Theme & Application<\/a> page – to learn more about this year\u2019s program theme, lesson-planning materials, and potential community partners. Sign up for our mailing list<\/a> for the latest program updates and news throughout the school year.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text css=””]9. How do I submit my project?
\n<\/span><\/span><\/b>The 2025-2026 submission form and questions are available on the Annual Theme & Application<\/a> page. Applications are due on Friday, April 24, 2026. If you have questions, please email info@rwbschools.org<\/a>.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/-ofFAiGcPec”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”65568″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”22926″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”65596″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”65597″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”22924″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”22931″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”65593″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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