The seal of biliteracy is an award given to high school students who have achieved proficiency in two or more languages. The New York State Seal of Biliteracy encourages the study of languages as they reward successful candidates with a seal on their diploma and a medallion which is worn on graduation.

Ms. Sciortino, one of the coordinators of the Seal of Biliteracy, said, “Many IB students, who often feel overwhelmed with testing during their senior year, have found this to be a beneficial strategy. This year, our primary goal is to provide the necessary support and guidance to as many junior students as possible, prioritizing the avoidance of any conflict with the IB testing during senior year.” This is Ms. Sciortino’s first year as a seal of biliteracy coordinator and she is determined to encourage students with different native languages to participate, not just those enrolled in the languages taught at school. The seal of biliteracy is a great way to display linguistic skills and can even serve as a motivation to learn a new language since it looks great on college applications.