Douglas 101 Citizen's Academy Program

Douglas 101 is a citizenship program to familiarize residents of Douglas with the operation and structure of the municipal government and services. The program provides residents with the tools, information, and resources to become knowledgeable community members. Elected officials and City staff will conduct informative, hands-on learning sessions about city government and department operations. Participants in the program will be encouraged to take an active role in these sessions.

Program Objectives

• To provide an introduction to City Officials and Staff
• To provide information and materials that will enable citizens to understand how officials and departments serve the community.
• To understand the processes of each city department involved.
• To provide citizens with networking opportunities between officials, city staff, and participants.
• To help class members understand and work to resolve issues in the community by providing information that will enable them to successfully communicate government operations and services to other citizens.

Session Information

The Douglas Citizen’s Academy is a ten (10) week program held one evening per week (Tuesdays), including one Saturday tour of city facilities.  Classes will be held in-person or virtually. Students are permitted to miss (2) two sessions with reasonable, advanced notice and still graduate the course.  Students must attend (1) one volunteer committee meeting and (1) one City Commission meeting (Work Session & Regular Meeting).

Every class is packed with activities and information.  Classes are interactive with opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback.  Students will have the opportunity to tour city facilities and view equipment used by various departments in their specialized fields.

Qualifications

The applicant must be a must be 18 years or older to participate in the program. Classes are limited to 15 participants. There is no charge for the program. The only cost is your time, effort, and commitment.