“The nuts and bolts of it was to give them exposure to an occupation that they probably didn’t know existed,” said the mayor. “They don’t know we have traffic engineers, they don’t know that we have environmental engineers in our utility department, they don’t know we have civil engineers in our public works.”
The group of juniors and seniors will form their own coalition, complete with a president, vice president and secretary, and then students will learn first-hand about departments of interest.
By giving them this opportunity through the schools, they’ll learn how local government works, and be involved by having regular discussions with department leaders. More than 40 students had shown interest in the program, and 36 signed up for it, Rhodus said.
“The mission is to have youth representing their city, community, and schools to work toward the common purpose of developing their individual leadership skills to strengthen their communities through volunteer service and increased communication with municipal leaders,” he said, referencing the organization’s mission statement.
Because of the size of the group, Rhodus has involved Fairfield City Schools.
Fairfield City Schools spokeswoman Gina Gentry-Fletcher said the real-world opportunities the district’s students will experience “will be invaluable.”
“We promote the importance of student engagement in our community as a way to strengthen leadership skills, volunteerism, community pride, and project-based learning,” said Gentry-Fletcher. “Partnering with the city in this endeavor is a win for all involved. We are excited that student perspectives will be encouraged and that our young people will learn from working directly with city leaders and staff. What better way to grow our future leaders than to provide this up-close-and-personal opportunity.”
Because of the vast interest of students, Rhodus recently approached Fairfield Twp. Trustee President Shannon Hartkemeyer about including the township. The mayor believes it may be appropriate for students that live in Fairfield Twp. learn more about their home government.
Hartkemeyer confirmed the mayor recently contacted her and said the first opportunity she’ll have to discuss the invitation to participate with fellow trustees will be at the April 12 board meeting.
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