The City of Gainesville is offering classes for the Fall semester, too.
Applications opened last week for the Citizens’ Academy: Gainesville 101, an educational program designed to increase awareness of the inner workings of local government, said Laura Rawson, communications and marketing assistant for the City of Gainesville.
It will begin Oct. 16 and run through Nov. 20.
Residents will visit different locations throughout the city each week, including Gainesville Police, the public works building and the Gainesville Fire Rescue, Rawson said.
“In a sense, we try to avoid offices and make it more interactive,” she said. “We don’t visit every department, but the ones that most likely would impact someone’s day-to-day life.”
Although 30 people may seem like a small class size, Rawson said, limiting the amount of participants ensures quality interaction.
“We had about 45 people in the past but learned that 30 is the sweet spot,” she said. “That allows attendees to get to know each other and the city staff. It allows people to establish relationships with each other.”
Beth A. Rosenson, a UF political science associate professor, said the program is helpful.
“Even as a political science professor, I don’t know the nitty-gritty about the inner workings of the government,” she said. “If the ideal for democracy is an informed citizenry, I think this contributes to that goal.”
To register, visit http://www.academy.cityofgainesville.org.
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 9/4/2013 under the headline "Registration for city classes open"
