Have you ever wondered how potholes are fixed or why the City decides to close some streets and not others? Or how neighborhoods are designed? Maybe you’re curious about how our Police and Fire and Rescue Departments keep us safe, or how your tax dollars are spent?
To get answers to these questions—and many more— sixteen Winchester residents took a leap of faith and signed up for the City’s inaugural “Civic Leadership Academy.” The Academy is a nine month-long course designed to get “under the hood” of City operations, so interested residents can learn how the City works behind closed doors.
So far, the current class has toured upcoming redevelopment sites in the City (think Ward Plaza), participated in critical exercise in the City Emergency Operations Center, toured Fire and Police stations, as well as the City Water Treatment Plant, and drafted a budget for the City. Not bad for a few months’ work!
The Academy is loosely modeled after the City’s previous “Citizen Insight Academy,” a similar program that was run by the City from 2004 through 2022. The Civic Leadership Academy, however, was broadened to include more site tours and exercises, to break away from PowerPoint presentations and give students a more hands-on experience.
According to class member Alyssa Grant: “The Academy has been really amazing. Apart from just being a fun experience, it’s helped me learn about how the city runs, which allows me to better help our library patrons with their needs. The Civic Leadership Academy has armed me with the knowledge I need to better help our library patrons who are Winchester residents!”
Winchester resident Karen Burroughs found that the class helped her achieve her goals: “When I moved to Winchester, I was looking for ways to get involved and wanted to find my place within the community. I found out I could get a free rain barrel which would give me a credit on my stormwater fee, I can get free glass stones or sand from the recycling center, and I was able to find ways to volunteer through opportunities like the City’s Snowbuster program. This has been a truly amazing experience and I’d highly recommend it for any citizen wanting to learn more or just find more about what our beautiful city has to offer.”
Class member Eli Bell might have had the most colorful description of the class: “This class is like pulling back the curtain, and instead of the old wizard, you find a collection of people working from different departments and walks of life, all working towards a common goal of making our city as good as it can be”. He added, “The civic leadership academy is a great way to dip your toe into getting more involved in your city”.
That said, other than the connections you can make with other like–minded, engaged community members, the best reward for taking the class is the confidence that comes with knowing how your City works – as an informed resident!
The current Civic Leadership Academy class will graduate in June, and the City will open the application period for the upcoming 2024-2025 class in mid-August.
Stay tuned for more information on how to apply!