On Thursday, September 29, Mayor Barbara Delgleize hosted nearly 40 middle school students who were hand selected to participate in the City’s first Junior Citizens Academy.
Over the past few months, City staff worked closely with the Ocean View and Huntington City School Districts to develop curriculum for the six month program with takes a deep dive into how our City operates.
Joining Mayor Delgleize were Council Members Rhonda Bolton and Natalie Moser, City Manager Al Zelinka and Assistant City Manager Travis Hopkins. Students were given an overview of each City Department, as well as the City’s budget and history. Afterwards, the students were given a tour of the City’s Council Chambers. The next Junior Citizens Academy session will explore Public Works and provide a bike safety overview from our Huntington Beach Police Department.
This program was the vision of Mayor Delgleize who started the adult Citizens Academy for residents to learn more about the inner workings of City Hall. To date, more than 100 Surf City residents have attended the nine-week program. The next Citizens Academy for adults will kick off in Spring 2023. As for the Junior Citizens Academy, we look forward to meeting with these bright future leaders on a monthly basis and giving them insight on City government, community service, and public safety.