The Questar III and HVCC STEM High School Class of 2029 at the annual Pathway Signing Day.

On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Questar III and HVCC STEM High School hosted its annual Pathway Signing Day event. The Class of 2029 publicly announced which pathway they will be pursuing for the remainder of their time at the school, a decision made by students in the fall of 10th grade. Students will now begin taking specialized classes related to their pathway, network with related business partners, and prepare for continued education or a career in related industries.

“Pathway Signing Day is such an exciting time at Questar III and HVCC STEM High School,” said Questar III BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Gladys Cruz. “It’s a moment to recognize our sophomores’ decisions to pursue in-demand fields that can lead to rewarding careers. We are proud to offer these pathways to students and are grateful to HVCC and our business partners for helping us create innovative opportunities to support students throughout their journey.”

The event was attended by family and friends, STEM High School peers, and Questar III and HVCC staff. We look forward to seeing the amazing work our students do over the next 3-5 years in our P-Tech and Smart Scholars Early College High School programs. Congratulations to our students!

• Alexander Garrett, Lansingburgh CSD

• Sean Gallivan, North Colonie CSD
• Jalen Glascoe, Troy City SD
• Richard Salvatore, East Greenbush CSD
• Luke Visagie, Hudson City SD

• Abigail Hallenbeck, Schodack CSD

• Allen Andrews, Lansingburgh CSD
• Giuseppe Carbonaro, East Greenbush CSD
• Kaya Szalay, East Greenbush CSD
• Spencer Zarak, East Greenbush CSD

• Gavin Abitabile, Hudson City SD
• Zachariah Francis, Troy City SD
• Kyle McWhirt, Rensselaer City SD
• Leland Swint, Troy City SD

• Charlotte Beardsley, East Greenbush CSD
• Avery Huls, Lansingburgh CSD
• Madeline Jobin, Lansingburgh CSD
• Justin Sanderson, Lansingburgh CSD
• Elizabeth Schumaker, Rensselaer City SD

The November 3 election reminded us of the importance of participating in our democracy. But civic engagement extends beyond the ballot box and begins well before a student is old enough to vote.

Students can begin to practice the democratic process before they enter the voting polls. For example, in elementary school, students may help design a classroom project, practice respectful dialogue, or work together on a community initiative. Middle school students may research statewide issues, represent classmates in student government, or present recommendations to school leaders. High school students may examine broader public policy, speak at a school or town board meeting, volunteer at a community-based organization, or develop solutions to local needs.

These experiences teach young people that their voices matter and that using them responsibly requires preparation, facts and evidence, and consideration of others.

A powerful statewide example is the Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute (PR/HYLI). For more than three decades, this enrichment program has helped more than 15,000 Hispanic and Latino high school students develop leadership skills and understand how government works. Students from Columbia, Greene, and Rensselaer counties participate alongside hundreds of peers from throughout New York each year.

Students research legislation, practice public speaking, learn parliamentary procedure, and prepare to debate bills at regional workshops held afterschool or on the weekends. Their yearlong experiential program culminates in a statewide institute that includes a mock assembly in the State Assembly Chamber, where they debate active state bills in front of elected officials.

Some PR/HYLI students earn college credit in a public speaking course in partnership with colleges, such as Hudson Valley Community College and CUNY. Many students also qualify to receive a NYS Seal of Civic Readiness and/or NYS Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma through their work in this program.

Selected student delegates extend their learning through experiences with federal representatives in Washington, D.C. in June and at the SOMOS conference in Puerto Rico in November. SOMOS Inc., a longtime supporter of PR/HYLI, brings together government and community leaders – including the Governor, Attorney General, and State Comptroller – for policy discussions and workshops.

Earlier this month, PR/HYLI students participated in a SOMOS panel facilitated by their peer Dalilah Massey, a senior at Tech Valley High School, located at the University at Albany. By placing students at the center of the conversation, the panel demonstrated why youth perspectives belong in public policy debates. Young people bring firsthand knowledge of their generation’s challenges, from social media and mental health to preparing for college and careers in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. They deserve opportunities to help shape the decisions affecting their futures.

These opportunities connect directly with NY Inspires and the New York State Portrait of a Graduate. The Portrait recognizes civic engagement as an essential part of preparing students for life. It identifies six interconnected attributes: academically prepared, a creative innovator, a critical thinker, an effective communicator, a global citizen, and reflective and future focused.

Programs like PR/HYLI put these attributes into practice. Researching legislation requires academic knowledge and critical thinking. Developing solutions calls for creativity. Presenting and defending a position builds communication skills. Weighing a policy’s effects develops civic responsibility. Reflection helps students understand how legislation affects them individually and collectively.

Under the State Education Department’s implementation plan, students graduating in 2028 will no longer be required to pass a prescribed set of Regents exams to graduate. The Regents exams will continue to be offered along with broader measures of academic achievement and continue to serve as a federal accountability measure.

This shift makes meaningful demonstrations of learning increasingly important. PR/HYLI offers an example: students apply knowledge, evaluate evidence, defend conclusions, and respond to different perspectives. These experiences require rigor, clear expectations, and evidence of each student’s learning and participation.

PR/HYLI shows how the state’s vision can come to life when students apply their learning to issues that matter. Our responsibility is to provide opportunities like these throughout every student’s educational career. As we move forward with NY Inspires, preparing students for informed, engaged citizenship must remain central to our schools’ mission.

For additional information on how the statewide average interest rate is calculated, please see here.

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(Stillwater, NY) — Students from Questar III BOCES’ Rensselaer Academy recently visited the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s most consequential engagements, thanks to a grant from the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program. 

This trip, organized by Questar III teacher Jennifer O’Hara, provided students with an exceptional, hands-on history learning opportunity to explore the Saratoga National Historic Park. It was there in the fall of 1777 that American forces dealt a stunning blow to British General John Burgoyne’s invading forces, leading to the capture of his entire army and ultimately persuading the French to join the war on the side of the Americans.

Students took a guided tour of the battlefield, explored the exhibits in the park’s visitor center, and watched an informative video highlighting the importance of what took place there almost two-and-a-half centuries earlier.

The Trust grants are awarded based on a competitive national application process, demonstrating Ms. O’Hara’s commitment to excellence in the classroom.

“The American Battlefield Trust’s grant allowed us to afford an experience that would not be covered in our budget.” O’Hara said.

The American Battlefield Trust is the largest battlefield land preservation organization in the country, having saved more than 60,000 acres of hallowed ground across 25 states. Through visiting preserved battlefields and walking in the footsteps of the citizen soldiers who fought there, the Trust aims to provide a foundation of good citizenship for the leaders of tomorrow. The Trust strives to produce excellent educational resources in a variety of formats for both educators and the public alike, ensuring that Americans never forget how their country was forged.

Every year, the Trust receives applications from classrooms across the country to participate in the History Field Trip Grant Program, which offers funding and assistance to K-12 teachers planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812, or Revolutionary War battlefields and related historic sites. During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 12,000 students from 35 states took part.

“How wonderful for these children to get a chance to go to where history was made, where our country was created and defined,” said Trust President David Duncan of the History Field Trip Grant Program recipients. “Battlefields and other historic sites exemplify the ‘power of place.’ They are outdoor classrooms that will teach future Americans about our democratic republic.”

O’Hara has enormous enthusiasm for teaching history and was excited to utilize the Saratoga Battlefield as an outdoor classroom that gave students a meaningful and memorable experience. The American Battlefield Trust is proud to support and empower such excellent educators as they inspire the next generation of proud Americans.

“A field trip lets us turn history into something more tangible,” O’Hara said. “The opportunity to turn a lesson into an experience our students are excited for is the surest way to help them connect with the material in a way they won’t soon forget.”

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

New Visions programs, offered by Questar III BOCES, provide high school seniors with valuable insight into career opportunities from a real-world perspective. A one-year, honors-level, half-day program, New Visions turns area businesses, healthcare facilities, and community spaces into classrooms for highly motivated, academically successful students. This program provides seniors with a college level learning experience, preparing them with the pace, rigor, and expectations they’ll face the following year.

Questar III BOCES currently offers seven New Visions programs in eight locations:

• Business, Finance, and Marketing – Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson
• Emergency Preparedness, Informatics, Cyber, and Homeland Security – UAlbany ETEC Building, Albany
• Medical – Samaritan Hospital, Troy (Rensselaer County students) and Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson (Columbia and Greene County students)
• Pathways in Education – UAlbany, Albany
• Scientific Research and World Health – UAlbany’s Health Sciences Campus, Rensselaer
• STEM – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy
• Visual and Performing Arts – The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy

These programs accept a limited number of students from across our region and require an application process. Class of 2028 students interested in attending next year should have a conversation with their school counselor immediately and sign up to attend a Family Information Session in January. Following the Information Session, students will be required to submit an application by Monday, January 25, 2027. This includes references from teachers.

Family Information Sessions – registration required: 

• January 7, 2027 at 6pm
  • Visual and Performing Arts – The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy
• January 11, 2027 at 6pm
  • Business, Finance, and Marketing – Columbia-Greene Community Collage, Hudson
  • Medical (Columbia and Greene County students) – Columbia Greene Community College, Hudson
  • Medical (Rensselaer County students) – Samaritan Hospital, Troy
• January 12, 2027 at 6pm
  • Scientific Research and World Health – UAlbany Health Sciences Campus, Rensselaer
• January 13, 2027 at 6pm
  • Emergency Preparedness, Informatics, Cyber, and Homeland Security – UAlbany ETEC Building, Albany
  • Pathways in Education – UAlbany Main Campus, Albany
• January 14, 2027 at 6pm
  • STEM – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy

Take a deeper dive into the program you’re interested in by watching our videos. Here, you’ll get a program overview and hear testimonials from our students.

Student interviews will be held in February and March, with accepted students being contacted in April. For any questions, please contact NVTeachers@questar.org and include the program in the subject.

The template is password protected, but it is the same password used in previous templates. If you need a copy of the password, please email stateaidplanning@questar.org and we will email it to you.

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Topics: Review of the SBO Calendar for December 2026, Overview of Survey 2/3 Due 1/15/27, EXCEL Grants – Steps for Claiming Remaining Balances, and Ten Areas to Check in December for Good Fiscal Health.

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