Classes focus on government workings
LIBERTY LAKE – Liberty Lake City Academy is set to make a return this October, offering residents an opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of their city government and its services.
The academy is an eight-part weekly series, and runs from October through December.
The city said they hope to offer an illuminating experience for those looking to delve deep into the workings of their local government.
The City Academy series aims to educate residents about the city government and its various services. Each weekly session will feature presentations from topic experts, including members of the city’s staff and leaders from local partnering organizations.
Every topic-specific session of the series will take place on Thursday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Liberty Lake’s City Hall.
As explained by city administrator Mark McAvoy, who developed the upcoming series, the City Academy is designed to be a conversational series of classes.
Looking to the future of the City Academy series, McAvoy mentioned that there is an ongoing evaluation of the program’s topics and duration to ensure it meets participants’ needs.
“We’ve only had the one class, but based on that, we believe that we are doing well,” said McAvoy, referring to the original run of the series, which ran from April 13 to June 1. “We had universally positive feedback from all of the participants. We want things to be engaging, people need to have a positive outlet where they can learn about the community. We can hopefully prompt people to volunteer, participate in the city council, or even run for election.”
The format encourages open dialogue, and each session is structured to spark conversation rather than being a traditional lecture.
While there are no current plans to expand the program, the city is actively engaged in other community engagement initiatives, including a podcast, online engagement tools, and public event booths to encourage interaction and gather feedback from the community.
Participants are encouraged to attend each installment of the entire eight-part series.
Recognition will be given during the December 19th City Council meeting to participants who attend all (or nearly all) of the City Academy series.
The program also concludes with a graduation-like ceremony. Each participant is individually recognized, receiving a certificate, and they have the opportunity to take a photo with the city council.
This combination of informative sessions, engaging dialogue, and recognition underscores the city’s commitment to fostering community engagement and educating residents about the workings of their local government.
McAvoy said “A city academy is something some cities do to engage residents and provide more insights in how their local government works. It can also help encourage, inspire, and inform potential future leaders of the city.”
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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