Feature Story:
 |
Last year's Teen Goverment Day students listen to Mayor Harvey L. Hall
discuss with the students the duties of the Mayor of Bakersfield. |
City of Bakersfield Hosts Teen City Government Day on November 16, 2011
The 57th annual City of Bakersfield Teen City Government Day will take place on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. A morning full of activities begins with an Honors Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at the Garden Spot Restaurant at Truxtun and Oak, hosted by the Optimist Clubs of Greater Bakersfield. Immediately after breakfast, the sixty eight (68) Teen Government Day students will travel by school bus to City Hall to spend the rest of the morning learning about Bakersfield’s City government.
After a short orientation in the City Council Chambers starting at approximately 8:45 a.m., students will team up with department and division heads at 9:30 a.m. Students, through their interactions with City employees, will gain insight into the many services that the City of Bakersfield provides its citizens. Employees, too, will have an opportunity to learn about what students feel are important needs in the community. Students will visit 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 will return to City Hall and then travel to Hodel’s Country Dining for a luncheon in their honor, sponsored by the Bakersfield-area Kiwanis Clubs. The luncheon will conclude the morning's activities.
In the evening, seventeen (17) student body representatives (one from each school) will have a second opportunity to participate in City government as they sit with elected and appointed leaders during the City Council meeting in the Council Chambers at 5:15 p.m. These students, as student counterparts to Bakersfield's Mayor, seven City Councilmembers, City Manager, Assistant to the City Manager/PIO, Assistant to City Manager, Administrative Analyst – City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, Public Works Director, Planning Director, Building Director, and City Clerk, will have a chance to view the public meeting process first-hand and see policy-level decisions being made. A brief recess is planned to allow the students to dismiss in order to prepare for the following day's classes.
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 seventeen (17) area high schools participating are: Bakersfield, Bakersfield Christian, Centennial, East Bakersfield, Foothill, Frontier, Garces, Golden Valley, Highland, Independence, Liberty, Mira Monte, North, Ridgeview, South, Stockdale, and West.
News media personnel are encouraged to attend any of the planned activities. A schedule of morning activities is attached.
|
