Several local schools were honored by the state for promoting civic engagement and registering students to vote in the next election.

Fifteen schools across Pennsylvania achieved "gold level" in the first year of the Governor's Civic Engagement Award program for registering at least 85 percent of their eligible student population.

Among the top winners were Fox Chapel Area High School, Seneca Valley High School, Canon-McMillan High School, Mt. Pleasant Area High School and Derry Area High School.

Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12 received "silver level" for registering more than 65 percent of its eligible students.

“It is never too early or too late to teach someone about the importance of their civic duties and responsibilities,” said Pedro A. Rivera, Pennsylvania secretary of education, in a statement. “I applaud these students for not only being active participants in the democratic process but teaching their peers about the value of voting and being engaged in their communities.”

The program was launched at the beginning of the school year by the Pennsylvania departments of state and education in partnership with Inspire U.S., a nonprofit that works with student leaders to educate their classmates about the importance of civic engagement, according to a press release.

Eligible students are those who are the age of 18 or will be 18 by the time of the next local or national election, the release said. Nearly 3,000 students across Pennsylvania were registered to vote this year through the civic engagement award program.

Elizabeth Behrman: Lbehrman@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1590 or @Ebehrman on Twitter.

First Published: June 12, 2018, 4:36 p.m.