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Florida City Government Week Suggested Activities
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Here’s a list of suggested ways to celebrate the week, some of which can be ongoing activities:
Use the League's model booklet containing lessons and activities about city government. Share it with your local schools.
Use the League’s ABCs booklet, an educational supplement for elementary teachers, grades 2 - 5. Share it with your local schools.
Set up exhibits at local shopping malls with information on your city government and its services.
Sponsor a heritage day focusing on the history of the city and its government. This could be coordinated with a local historic group and include community workshops on selected historical city government events, buildings, parks, facilities and people.
Involve businesses, sorority and fraternal organizations. Offer to send a speaker to their meetings to discuss current city issues. Enlist their help in celebrating Florida City Government Week.
Contact your area Chamber of Commerce, get them involved in the activities. Work on sponsoring a joint effort (i.e., downtown festival or parade celebrating Florida City Government Week).
Contact your local library, advise them of the week's activities. Ask if you can make available at their information desk details on celebrating Florida City Government Week.
Initiate a good citizenship "merit badge" program in which younger citizens earn recognition for learning about city government and performing related public services.
Work with senior citizens groups to find innovative ways to involve seniors in city government.
Send speakers to senior citizen-related activities/events to tell them about the special week.
Sponsor an essay contest for city residents.
Offer tours of city hall and other city facilities. Stagger tours to allow for small group interaction with city staff. For school groups, limit the focus of the tour to one aspect of city government, work with teachers to prepare students in advance and plan follow-up activities.
Coordinate ongoing or new partnership programs with schools to stage something special during the week -- student "mock" city council meetings (election of a Junior “student-based” city council) or "mock" code enforcement hearings, shadowing of city officials and staff, guest speakers from city government addressing school groups, city government career day, recognition of students and teachers at a city council meeting, beautification projects at city sites, dedication of (or special events staged at) recreational facilities shared by cities and schools, recycling or environmental-related student activities, etc.
Get acquainted with local school personnel and encourage opportunities for integrating city government into the school curriculum. For example, key city government terms and definitions could be supplied for use in English classes (many can be found in the teacher handbook; math classes could address the city budget or could be exposed to the computer technology used in all aspects of city government today; and, of course, there could be more integration of the local government curriculum into all the social studies classes (government, civics, history, geography, economics). This could lend itself to in-service training of teachers as to what resources and information on city government are available in their particular county; the development of localized teaching materials; more use of speakers from city government in the classroom; one-on-one mentor opportunities with city personnel; and "hands on" special class projects related to city government.
Plan a local recognition ceremony during Florida City Government Week for teachers using the lesson plans in the classroom.
Develop a teachers' packet from your city. Include such items as: a letter from the mayor or key official offering assistance in helping students learn about city government; a list of available speakers from city government; a list of resource materials available on city government; information on any special educational programs or services provided by your city (such as internships, mentor programs, etc.); and a "fact sheet" on the city government.
Add schools to city mailing lists and provide materials that give background information to teachers or would serve as a resource for students. This could include the city budget, organizational chart, copies of council meeting agendas, etc.
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Provide teachers with a resource list of materials available from city government, including audio/visuals and publications.
Create a city government shadowing program for teachers and students.
Start a city newsletter for area schools to keep teachers and students up-to-date on city government activities and issues.
Develop a Speakers' Bureau of city officials and staff for area schools and civic groups.
Produce a slide show or videotape highlighting your city government and its services.
Fly your city government's flag at school sites and distribute copies of your city's logo. Encourage schools to study the significance of the flag and/or logo design.
Host a city "showcase or expo" with city departments staging special exhibits and demonstrations of their activities and equipment.
Create an "adopt-a-school" program. Various departments of city government could "adopt" a school, or department within the school, to share information and plan activities for students that would enhance learning about a particular aspect of city government.
Sponsor a school City Government Club to study community issues that involve municipal services and citizen participation in decision-making.
Provide students with information from your planning department on anticipated changes in your community and encourage them to create future scenarios for your city. These scenarios could be shared in class discussion with a representative from the city who can raise the various issues that would have to be considered (for example, having the available infrastructure, available revenues, environmental impacts and various interest groups), and how students and their parents might participate in shaping the future direction of the city.
Develop a workbook or coloring book for elementary school children covering city government issues.
Working in coordination with a middle or high school, create an advisory committee of students to study a particular city government issue of importance to teenagers (for example, recreation) and prepare a formal report with recommendations to council. Or, include student representation on an existing citizen committee, commission or board studying an issue of consequence to teens. Make a formal announcement of these appointments during Florida City Government Week.
Coordinate with different city departments to interact with or expand programs for school-aged youth. For example, after-school Recreation Department programs could be enhanced by informational programs on drug prevention, latch-key, bike safety, fire safety and related issues available through Police and Fire departments.
Sponsor a "creative" contest in conjunction with art, music and/or English teachers where students create an original piece of art (including photography), music, poetry, etc., focusing on some particular aspect of city government and its role as the "government closest to the people."
Sponsor a poster contest for area children related to a particular city government issue, e.g., recycling, water conservation, fire or police services, recreation and parks, transportation, planning, etc. This idea could also focus on careers in city government.
Host a competition to seek the best solution to a city government problem. Recognize students and teachers at city council meetings.
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