The Winter 2023 Medford Citizen Academy students were recognized for completing the program during the April 6 City Council meeting. They also received a certificate of completion for this accomplishment.

The Medford Citizen Academy is a free, eight-week program designed to give participants an inside look into how the City's local government works and the services provided. Each week, students spent time with a different department, where they learned how it operates and then participated in a hands-on activity.

The first session, City Government 101, kicked off with students getting an overview of the City's departments. Then they met Mayor Randy Sparacino and City Manager Brian Sjothun, who both talked about their roles and why our local government is essential. The session concluded with students receiving a tour of City Hall and the Lausmann Annex.

Next was the Building Safety session, where students learned about how the department helps residents with building permits, inspections and business licenses. Then students took on the challenge of creating earthquake-proof buildings using toothpicks, marshmallows and Jell-O.

Week three was the Planning and Developing Our Community session, where the Planning department discussed housing and community development, current and long-range planning, and the Medford Urban Renewal Agency. Then students participated in a group activity where they came up with a development plan for a site on N. Riverside Avenue.

The following week was the We Keep Your City Healthy and Active session with the Parks, Recreation and Facilities department. The department gave students a tour of the Santo Community Center and highlighted some of its recreational programs. This session's hands-on activities included a self-defense demonstration and students developing their own neighborhood park. They also received a t-shirt for their participation.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Halfway through the Citizen Academy was the Public Works session, Students got to see how the streets signs are made and the traffic signals work. They also received their own personalized street sign during this session.

Week six was the Dollars and Sense session, where the Finance department talked about the financial services and budget process. Students were then tasked with creating a two-year budget for the Public Works department.

The next week, students headed over to the Medford Police Department for the We Keep Your City Safe: Pt. 1 session. MPD explained some of the different services that the officers provide and the work that goes into protecting the community. They also got to see a demonstration from the K-9 program and Drone Response Team.

We Keep Your City Safe: Pt. 2 was the last session of the program, presented by the Medford Fire Department. Medford Fire gave students a tour of the station, showed them some of the fire operations and gave a lesson on fire prevention. Some of the activities during this session included going for a ride on the aerial platform and knocking down a small fire.

Medford says they look forward to bringing back this program in Fall 2023 and that those interested can apply online.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-04-07 12:59:12

Last Update: 2023-04-07 13:22:18