“A Valiant Effort” to Convince Gov. Newsom to Opt Into EFTC Named Anthem Awards Finalist

Students seek to secure billions in potential annual education funding for California, benefiting children in public, charter and private schools.

PANORAMA CITY, CA, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A group of California high school students on a mission to convince Governor Gavin Newsom to opt their state into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) has earned recognition as finalists in three categories of the 6th Annual Anthem Awards, an international competition honoring outstanding social impact initiatives.

Their campaign, appropriately named “A Valiant Effort,” is the centerpiece of an innovative Leadership and Advocacy course at St. Genevieve Parish Schools in Panorama City, California. Serving students from preschool through 12th grade, St. Genevieve is recognized as a National School of Character.

Offered in partnership with Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the three-college-credit course has one objective: convince Governor Newsom to opt California into the EFTC.

At stake is the potential for billions of dollars annually in additional educational assistance for California families. Under federal guidelines released
October 1, the U.S. Treasury estimates that approximately 96% of children in participating states would be eligible for assistance. The program could benefit students attending public, charter and private schools, helping families cover expenses ranging from tutoring and educational technology to specialized services and tuition.

There are no hypothetical assignments. No simulated legislative debates. No imaginary campaigns.

Instead, students are working on an actual public-policy issue, meeting with government officials, collaborating with national education leaders, organizing public information events and learning firsthand how ordinary citizens can participate in the democratic process.

Their work has now been recognized as a finalist in three Anthem Awards categories:

Education, Art & Culture — Community Engagement

Education, Art & Culture — Grassroots Effort

Education, Art & Culture — K–12 Education Innovation

The Anthem Awards, established by the organizers of the prestigious Webby Awards, recognize individuals and organizations whose work is making a positive impact on society. Entries are evaluated by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, an independent judging body that includes leaders from prominent nonprofit organizations, foundations and major corporations.

More than 2,000 projects from 42 countries competed in 2025. Previous Anthem Award honorees include UNICEF USA, Sesame Workshop, Google, World Central Kitchen, the ACLU and Make-A-Wish America.

For St. Genevieve students, the recognition comes after months of work that has taken them far beyond their classroom.

In April, students solicited and mailed 15,000 purple postcards to Governor Newsom, each asking him to opt California into the EFTC. The campaign involved students across St. Genevieve's preschool-through-12th-grade community and demonstrated how young people could organize around an issue they believed deserved greater public attention.

That same month, four students traveled to Sacramento for an in-person meeting with Brooks Allen, Education Advisor to Governor Newsom.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 30 minutes, lasted more than an hour. Allen listened to the students' presentation, asked questions and commended their preparation and advocacy.

When one student asked how they should respond to people who insisted Governor Newsom would never opt in, Allen explained that no decision had been made and encouraged them to continue their efforts.

They did.

Since then, the students have worked with education leaders and advocates representing different political perspectives, including Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, and representatives of Teach Coalition, the California Catholic Conference and other organizations.

Recently, the students organized and hosted a statewide Zoom information rally that brought together representatives of Catholic schools, Jewish schools, Armenian schools and charter schools.

Joining the students as presenters were Jorge Elorza; Samara Palko, now with the American Federation for Children; Sydney Altfield of Teach Coalition; and Greg Dolan of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The gathering reflected an important development in the students' work: their effort to encourage discussion of the EFTC across different educational communities.

The federal program, scheduled to begin in 2027, would provide eligible taxpayers with a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations. Those organizations would provide assistance for qualified educational expenses, potentially benefiting eligible students attending public, charter and private schools.

California's participation requires a decision by Governor Newsom.

As their campaign has progressed, students have discovered that many of the political, education and community leaders they encounter are unfamiliar with the program and its potential implications for California families.

That discovery has shaped their approach.

After initially pursuing an ambitious statewide postcard campaign, the students adjusted their strategy to make participation easier. Working in partnership with Teach Coalition, “A Valiant Effort” is now distributing a link to a prepared letter concerning California's participation in the EFTC. Individuals can enter their personal information and complete the process in approximately 40 seconds.

The students have also met by Zoom with California's Catholic school superintendents during their statewide gathering in Monterey, encouraging education leaders to inform their school communities about the program.

For the students, these encounters are not extracurricular activities. They are the curriculum.

They are learning to research legislation, evaluate competing arguments, communicate with public officials, organize coalitions, speak before unfamiliar audiences and adapt their strategies when circumstances change.

And they are discovering that meaningful civic engagement requires persistence, preparation and a willingness to work with people whose perspectives may differ from their own.

For a school whose mission is “To know God, to live with honor, to change the world,” the Anthem Awards recognition carries special significance.

The students have not yet accomplished their stated objective. Governor Newsom has not announced a decision to opt California into the program.

But the recognition of their work in three Anthem Awards categories illustrates something important about education: young people need not wait until graduation to become active, informed participants in their communities.

“Part of our school's mission statement is to change the world,” said Alisa Bongco, a St. Genevieve student participating in the Leadership and Advocacy course. “That's exactly what we're attempting to do through A Valiant Effort — change the world for millions of families across California.”

Daniel Horn
st. genevieve schools