By Amelia Bickel
Copy Editor
This spring, The Kent County Board of County Commissioners is offering a free five-week program to give residents and students insight into a variety of government departments and how they function at the county level.
The weekly 90-minute sessions, held at the Commissioner’s Hearing Room, feature speakers who present on a wide range of topics related to county government and provide the opportunity for attendees to ask questions.
The Citizen’s Academy program was made partly possible by a grant awarded to the Kent County Board of Commissioners from the Maryland 250 Commission to “support a local initiative commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America,” according to the program overview.
As part of this initiative, the commissioners organized a free educational program: Kent County Citizens Academy. The course includes two five-week cohorts, one that began Feb. 12 and a fall course scheduled for October.
“[A Citizen’s Academy program has] been something we wanted to do for a while now,” the county’s Director of Economic and Tourism Development Jamie Williams said.
Williams hopes that the program gives people an opportunity to “understand what local government does [in the] county and the towns and… how citizens can get involved and have their voices be heard.”
The program has been attended by Washington College students, com- munity members, and even county staff who would like to further familiarize themselves with other departments. Session attendance doubled from the first week of the program to the second.
“Even though we’re one local government, you’ve got all these departments that do so much of a different variety of things,” Williams said. “I’ve been here 15 years and I’m learning something at every session.”
Each week of the course focuses on a particular theme: the first four weeks focused respectively on county administration, citizen engagement, and public safety and services, and the final week will recognize participants with a certificate. At each session, different speakers from relevant departments presented on what they do in their field.
“It’s always good to learn about different
things and what you might want to do in the future,” Hickman said. “If you make yourself more accessible, go out there and be a part of the com- munity…then you have the opportunity to meet some local people, and some people have some really cool stories.”
Williams said the interaction with people that work with different departments and organizations who give presentations during the course sessions is one way the Kent County Citizens Academy is beneficial for students who are looking for local jobs or other ways to become more involved in the community.
For example, on Thursday, March 4, Parks and Recreation Director Jill Coleman is scheduled to present.
“Parks and Rec has a lot of part-time positions available, especially during the summer, for any students who might be sticking around … I haven’t heard anybody who’s worked for them not enjoy it,” Williams said.
Along with a presentation on parks and recreation, the session on March 4 included presentations on public works, planning and zoning, and economic and tourism development.
“I’ve learned a lot of things,” Johnson said. “I think [county government is] a topic that people should know more about because … it’s really important to be civically engaged and participate.”
The last spring session on March 17 will include presentations on information technology and human resources, and the session will conclude with a recognition ceremony. The final course has been rescheduled from its original date a week prior to accommodate Washington College’s spring break.
The fall cohort of the course begins in October. Registration will be available online.
“I think that this is the perfect opportunity because it’s only five Thurs- days, just an hour and 30 minutes out of your day, just to learn about some- thing new and about the county,” said freshman Robert Johnson, who has attended all the program’s sessions to date.
“It’s always good to learn about different things and what you might want to do in the future,” Hickman said. “If you make yourself more accessible, go out there and be a part of the community…then you have the opportunity to meet some local people, and some people have some really cool stories.”
Williams said the interaction with people that work with different departments and organizations who give presentations during the course sessions is one way the Kent County Citizens Academy is beneficial for students who are looking for local jobs or other ways to become more involved in the community.
For example, on Thursday, March 4, Parks and Recreation Director Jill Coleman is scheduled to present.
“Parks and Rec has a lot of part-time positions available, especially during the summer, for any students who might be sticking around … I ha- ven’t heard anybody who’s worked for them not enjoy it,” Williams said.
Along with a presentation on parks and recreation, the session on March 4 included presentations on public works, planning and zoning, and economic and tourism development.
“I’ve learned a lot of things,” Johnson said. “I think [county government is] a topic that people should know more about because … it’s really important to be civically engaged and participate.”
The last spring session on March 17 will include presentations on information technology and human resources, and the session will conclude with a recognition ceremony. The final course has been rescheduled from its original date a week prior to accommodate Washington College’s spring break.
The fall cohort of the course begins in October. Registration will be available online.