San Bernardino students highlighted as district biliteracy program grows; state seal recipients top 700

San Bernardino City Unified School District officials showcased the district’s pathway to biliteracy program and honored students who earned the California State Seal of Biliteracy at a ceremony hosted by the San Bernardino County Office of Education. Thousands of students across 72 district schools have participated in the program, officials said, and state seal recipients increased from 228 in 2013 to more than 700 in 2024.

Liliana Aceves, a senior at San Bernardino High School, said she felt proud to be recognized. "I felt really nice to be recognized. I got that award and those people up there who spoke way different languages than me, and I was like, wow," she said, adding that her parents supported her achievement.

District presenters described the pathway to biliteracy as a K–12 sequence that builds toward the state seal while also creating earlier milestones: third-, fifth- and eighth-grade students who meet established criteria are honored with awards, certificates, medals and cords. The program is presented as both an academic credential and a means of cultural validation for students from diverse backgrounds.

Students who spoke at the event linked biliteracy to confidence, opportunity and everyday utility. One student said bilingualism "makes me feel proud and useful" and "makes me see that I'm capable of learning hard things." Another described using bilingual skills to translate for family members when a translation app failed, calling the ability to help family and community a meaningful outcome of the program.

Speakers emphasized that while the California State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to high school seniors, the pathway’s value extends beyond the credential. District narration at the event framed biliteracy as "a lifelong skill" that can aid students in careers and community engagement. One student said becoming bilingual "opens so many doors" despite the effort required.

The ceremony and the program’s reported growth reflect the district’s emphasis on multilingual instruction and cultural inclusion in classrooms. No formal policy votes or motions were recorded in the transcript; the event focused on recognition and personal testimony. The district did not provide a breakdown of which languages accounted for the increase in state seal recipients or an exact year-by-year count beyond the 2013 baseline and the 2024 total noted at the event.