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Suffolk Public Schools joins 49 other Virginia school districts that have earned the EVERFI Empowered Seal for 2023.

Nationwide, EVERFI has awarded its Empowered Seal to 1,335 school districts. The organization places these school systems and Suffolk’s in the top 10% nationwide for their commitment to whole-child education. 

In a news release announcing the designation, SPS officials state that the district’s dedication to providing an evidence-informed education that prepares students for success in the real world has led it to earn the annual EVERFI Empowered Seal.

EVERFI’s team of subject matter experts and curriculum designers established the criteria below that a district must meet to earn their K-12 Empowered Seal:

• Efficacy-based programs — accurate, supported by research, diverse instructional

methods

• Well-trained staff — educators implementing the program receive high-quality training
• Appropriate placement — correct grade-level and timing, meets curriculum standards
• Sufficient reach — courses deployed to an entire grade level with high usage and

completion

• Outcomes evaluated — results reviewed to ensure student impact and knowledge gain

Now in its fourth year, the EVERFI Empowered Seal is awarded to public school districts that have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to comprehensive education strategies on financial literacy, health, and careers. This is the first time Suffolk Public Schools has been awarded the seal.

“It is exciting to have our district’s dedication to its students nationally recognized with the EVERFI Empowered Seal,” Superintendent John B. Gordon III, Ph.D., said. “Our educators’ work and compassion will have a lasting impact on the lives of our students. We are thankful for this award and the opportunity for our students to participate in the Empowered Seal Scholarship contest.” 

In addition to being recognized nationally, the Empowered Seal allows districts to apply for the Empowered Seal grant. Six Empowered Seal districts will be selected as winners, with each district’s preferred non-profit receiving $1,000.