Shorewood students honored for Global Scholars and seals of biliteracy

Shorewood High School on Feb. 11 recognized students earning Global Scholars certificates and seals of biliteracy, with students, staff and board members celebrating the first-year growth of both programs.

The awards matter because they create formal credentials for students’ language skills and global learning at a time when the district is emphasizing equity and expanded pathways. Board members and administrators said the programs give multilingual students a way to document the academic value of their home languages and cross-cultural experiences.

Principal Kenny introduced program leads and student representatives and noted the scale of the effort: 11 students will receive Global Scholars certificates this year and 11 students will receive the state Seal of Biliteracy, while an additional three to four students will receive a global seal through exchange programs.

Madame Jacques Hart and co‑chair Roxanne Tibbets described the district’s Global Pathways framework, which now includes three components: Global Scholars, the Wisconsin State Seal of Biliteracy and an international/global seal available through partnerships with AFS and CIEE. The district plans a separate awards ceremony this year because participation has grown.

Student speaker Santi (last name provided in meeting record as Santi) described the seal and Global Scholars work from a student perspective: the seal requires students to demonstrate proficiency in both English and a home language and to present on navigating “two worlds.” He said the credential recognizes more than common world languages — it can include ASL and Indigenous languages — and that he has advocated for the seal at the federal level.

Santi said Global Scholars promotes reflection on personal cultural experience and cited classroom reading and projects that shaped his thinking; he also described personal experiences in Peru and Germany that informed his language development and cultural perspective. Board members praised the student testimony and thanked staff who support the programs.

Administrators confirmed that students may earn the state seal by demonstrating proficiency via AP exams or other validated assessments and that global seals are awarded through external exchange program assessments. The district will publish details for families about eligibility and future recognition events.

School leaders noted several students receive both the scholar certificate and a seal, and they encouraged community members to attend upcoming recognition events and the district’s winter musical and Black History Month programming.

Evidence from the meeting: the recognitions and the student presentation were presented during the student achievement portion of the meeting.