July 3, 2007 > Area high schools receive Civic Mission of Schools Award Area high schools receive Civic Mission of Schools Award The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) held an awards ceremony on Tuesday, June 26, to honor three area high schools cited for their work in Civic Education in the Constitutional Rights Foundation's inaugural Education for Democracy: the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools awards program. Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton and Irvington High School of Fremont both received the Schools of Distinction Award by the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) for implementing a civic-based plan to strengthen current practices or for already having programs in place that operate at a high level of excellence. Irvington High is being acknowledged for developing a program that exemplifies the six promising practices throughout the students' four-year experience. During freshman year, all students do civic-style service-learning through their English and Science classes; they choose an issue from their community, research it, and provide a service that contributes to the resolution of that issue. In the sophomore year, all students participate in a mock UN simulation. And in the senior year, all government teachers use the "We the People" curriculum, and all seniors complete a civic-style senior project.