City officials honor Citizens’ Academy graduates

 group of Bloomington residents ranging from young IU graduates to retired business owners met in the City Council Chambers Thursday.

The meeting served as the final class of a nine-week program called the Citizens’ Academy, an interactive program allowing Bloomington residents an opportunity to learn about the services, responsibilities and challenges of local government, program manager Vickie Provine said.

The meeting began with Beverly Calendar Anderson, director of the Safe and Civil City program, speaking about the different commissions and responsibilities of the Community and Family Resources Department.

She was followed by presentations from City Council President Tim Mayer and Councilman Darryl Neher, as well as a presentation from City Clerk Regina Moore.
Following the presentations, participants who had attended the class six out of the nine weeks were given a certificate of completion.

Thirty applicants are selected for the free program, which took place every Thursday night from Aug. 16 through last Thursday, according to the application. Preference for the program is given to Bloomington residents, Provine said.

Each week, the group is provided with presentations and reading materials from city leaders and department representatives, including four of 11 elected city officials, Moore said.

Aside from presentations in City Hall, the group attends several off-site meetings and tours, Provine said.

This year, the group’s field trips included tours of the police and fire departments and a walking tour of several parks and neighborhoods. They also planted a tree at Third Street Park, she said.

This is the 14th year of the program, Provine said.

When the program began, Provine said she received phone calls from around the country and even from Europe on behalf of communities seeking to model Bloomington’s program.

“I have lived in several cities, and I have not lived in a city that has this kind of program,” Anderson said.

The group was initiated by the Housing and Neighborhood Development department in 1999 as a way to educate neighborhood leaders about city hall operations, Provine said.

“It evolved into something no one expected,” Provine said.

Program participation has expanded to include candidates running for office, social services workers and college professors, she said.

Participants Mohammed Mahdi and Anthony Duncan, who graduated from IU in 2006 and 2011, respectively, said they believe the program is a great way for IU students to learn about job opportunities.

“We just started a small business, so we wanted to learn more about Bloomington and what programs were available,” Duncan said.

Mahdi and Duncan recently signed a lease in the City Technology Park for their small soap-making business.

Moore said she has realized that the further away students are from downtown, the more isolated they become from the Bloomington community.

Provine said she hopes participants take away the understanding that any resident can become invested in the local government process.

“We’re all attuned to state and national news, but this is what affects you the most,” Provine said.