There are countless ways to communicate and students at Colonie Central High School are proving they can do that in multiple languages. 

For the fourth year in a row, CCHS students are participating in the New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB) program. NYSSB is a statewide initiative that recognizes students who have demonstrated high levels of proficiency in English and at least one additional language.

Fifty-one students are on track to earn the Seal of Biliteracy at graduation this year, which is added to their diplomas and appears on their transcripts. Some of those students even set out to earn more than one Seal of Biliteracy. Two seniors in the Class of 2026 have completed the Seal of Biliteracy process with two languages. They will earn two seals and a have different medal than some of their peers for their graduation ceremony in June: 

• Alaa Abdulabari: Kurdish (Kurmanji), Arabic, and English
• Tiffany Shi: Mandarin, Spanish, and English

Students in this year’s group presented in 10 different languages: Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, French, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Mandarin, Pashto, Spanish, Turkish, and Urdu. 

"Being able to send our students out into the world as multilingual communicators is incredibly rewarding," said Elaine Sheridan, 7-12 World Language Department Coordinator and Seal of Biliteracy Committee Member. "When they can speak more than one language, they're not just equipped with a skill, they're opening doors to new cultures, opportunities, and connections that will enrich their lives in ways that extend far beyond the classroom."

Our World Languages department says they are so proud this program helps share the cultures, skills, and languages of our diverse students.