On May 23, 2024, the Pennsylvania departments of State and Education announced South Fayette High School won the Governor's Civic Engagement Awards (GCEA) during the 2023-24 school year. We were one of 36 high schools in the Commonwealth to receive the award and one of 18 schools winning Silver Level Awards for registering to vote at least 65 percent of eligible students to vote. In total, about 160 students helped register more than 3,300 of their peers to win gold- or silver-level awards for their schools.

“These prestigious awards celebrate the efforts of Pennsylvania high school students to register their eligible classmates to vote and to hopefully launch them on a lifelong habit of voting," Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. “Engaging the next generation of voters is crucial to the future health of our representative democracy."

In addition, 20 students from across the Commonwealth won Student Poll Worker Awards for participating in a voter registration event at their school and serving as a poll worker in their communities on Election Day in November. While South Fayette has earned a Silver GCEA in the past, this is the first year for a Student Poll Worker Award. Junior Alexa Ankrum was the recipient. 

“Those students who served as poll workers on Election Day helped ensure that members of their community could cast their vote and make their voices heard," Schmidt said.