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Florida City Government Week Suggested Activities
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Here’s a list of suggested ways schools can celebrate the week, some of which can be ongoing activities:
Use the League's model booklet containing lessons and activities about city government titled My City: I’m Part of It, I’m Proud of It!
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 school’s civic education project.
Sponsor a heritage day at your school focusing on the history of the city and its government. This could be coordinated with the city, government, local historic group, and include community workshops on selected historical city government events, buildings, parks, facilities and people.
Involve your city government, businesses, sorority and fraternal organizations. Contact your area Chamber of Commerce, get them involved in the activities. Enlist their help in celebrating Florida City Government Week.
Conduct student tours of city hall and other city facilities. Stagger tours to allow for small group interaction with city staff. You may want to limit the focus of the tour to one aspect of city government, work with officials to prepare students in advance and plan follow-up activities.
Coordinate on-going or new partnership programs with cities to stage something special during City Government 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, beautification projects at city sites, recycling or environmental-related student activities, etc.
Set-up one-on-one mentor opportunities with city personnel; and "hands on" special class projects related to city government.
Get and familiarize students with the city budget, organizational chart, copies of council meeting agendas, etc.
Get a municipal resource list of materials available from your city government, including audio/visuals and publications.
Create a city government shadowing program for teachers and students.
Work with your city to create a city newsletter for area schools to keep teachers and students up-to-date on city government activities and issues.
Check and see if your city has a Speakers' Bureau of city officials and staff for area schools and civic groups.
If available, have students watch a videotape highlighting your city government and its services.
Fly your city government's flag at school sites and encourage students to study the significance of the flag and/or logo design.
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Host a school "showcase or expo" with city departments staging special exhibits and demonstrations of their activities and equipment.
Work with your city to 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 city’s planning department on anticipated changes in your community and encourage them to create future scenarios for your city, e.g., "The Year 2010 in My City." These scenarios could be shared in class discussions 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 the city, a middle or high school could 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. Encourage 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 on 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. Winning students and teachers could be recognized at city council meetings.
Sponsor an essay contest (i.e., Why I Love My City or “My City: I’m Part of It, I’m Proud of It”) for students.
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