Jared Fajardo testifies on civic readiness as college readiness
Jared Fajardo, a Lehman College undergraduate and civic engagement workshop facilitator, says hands-on civic learning teaches students to analyze budgets and execute community actions. He urges passage of Res 418, 451, and 620 to create a seamless pathway from high school civic action to college success.
Good afternoon, chairs, Joseph and Dinowitz, and members of the committees on education and higher education.
My name is Jared Fajardo.
I live in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and I am an undergraduate student at Lehman College.
I serve as a commuter assistant in Lehman's camp.
The commuter assistant mentorship program, and as a civic engagement workshop facilitator.
Working hands-on with both high school students and incoming CUNY undergraduates.
Thank you for holding this vital hearing.
I am testify.
I am testifying today in strong support of Resolution 0418, Proposed Resolution 0620, and Resolution 0451.
Together, these resolutions create a complete pipeline for youth civic leadership across New York City.
Through my workshop, Facilitating High Schoolers, I see how transformative hands-on civic learning is.
Students aren't just memorizing facts, they're also analyzing municipal budgets, researching neighborhood issues,
and executing real community actions.
This is why we must pass Resolution 0451 to enact the NextGen Civics Act, embedding project-based civics statewide and propose Resolution 0620 to ensure it.
The Seal of Civic Readiness is offered in every single New York City public high school.
Equity starts with access.
No student in Flatbush, the Bronx, or anywhere else should miss out on this opportunity simply because of their zip code or high school.
But our commitment cannot end at high school graduation.
Through camp, I mentor first-year CUNY commuters navigating long travel times, financial pressures, and academic transitions.
The analytical research and writing skills high schoolers develop while earning the seal are the exact same college-level skills I mentor Lehman freshmen on every week.
Civic readiness is college readiness.
This is why Resolution 0418 is so critical.
It's standardizing college credit across CUNY for the seal rewards, hard work, lower tuition burdens for working class families, and proof that our city values community leadership as real academic achievement.
By expanding SEAL access in DOE high schools, embedding hands-on civic across New York, and granting CUNY college credit, we build a
a seamless pathway from high school civic action to college success.
So I urge the council to pass all three resolutions.
Thank you for your time and consideration.