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Feature Story:

City of Bakersfield Hosts Teen City Government Day

The 54th annual City of Bakersfield Teen City Government Day took place on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.   A morning full of activities began with an Honors Breakfast at the Norris Road Veterans Hall, hosted by the Optimist Clubs of Greater Bakersfield.  Immediately after breakfast, the 60 Teen Government Day students traveled by school bus to City Hall to spend the rest of their morning learning about Bakersfield’s city government.

After a short orientation in the City Council Chambers, students teamed up with department and division heads.   Students, through their interactions with City employees, gained an insight into the many services that the City of Bakersfield provides its citizens.  Employees, too, had the opportunity to learn about what students feel are the important needs in the community. 

Students visited many departments, including Police and Fire, City Hall offices, Economic and Community Development, Water Resources, and others. Following a morning spent "on-the-job" with City employees, students returned to City Hall and then traveled to Hodel’s Country Dining for a luncheon in their honor, sponsored by the Bakersfield-area Kiwanis Clubs.  The luncheon concluded the morning's activities.


In the evening, 15 student body representatives (one from each school) had a second opportunity to participate in City government as they sat with elected and appointed leaders during the City Council meeting in the Council Chambers.  These students, as student counterparts to Bakersfield's Mayor, seven City Councilmembers, City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Assistant to City Manager, City Attorney, Public Works Director, Development Services Director, and City Clerk had a chance to view the public meeting process first-hand and see policy-level decisions being made. 

Teen City Government Day is jointly sponsored by the City of Bakersfield, the Kern Union High School District, the Optimist Clubs of Greater Bakersfield, and the Bakersfield-area Kiwanis Clubs.  The fifteen area high schools participating are:  Bakersfield, Bakersfield Christian, Centennial, East Bakersfield, Frontier, Foothill, Garces, Golden Valley, Highland, Liberty, North, Ridgeview, South, Stockdale, and West.[View complete list of participants]
        

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