By Sam Elliott
The City of Fishers is partnering with Hamilton Southeastern Schools to offer high school juniors and seniors a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of local government, public safety and social services.
The city will pilot its new Mayor’s Youth Council program with 10 students each from Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School beginning in September.
While Fishers already offers a City Government Academy, Police Academy and Fire Academy for residents 18 and older, the Mayor’s Youth Council will provide similar experiences but in a more hands-on experience designed for high school juniors and seniors.
“What we’re really trying to do here is offer an authentic hands-on version of our successful City Government Academy. It’s a lot more tailored to teenagers,” Fishers Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator Dan Domsic said. “The City Government Academy really gives adults the opportunity to learn about what the city actually does from a department-to-department perspective and a lot of that is lecture-based. I think adults have a certain bit of nostalgia or even novelty in going back to class, but we’re really offering something a little different for our high school residents.”
Participating students will meet once monthly during part of the school day from September through May, and will visit various departments throughout the city including police and fire, public works and parks and recreation as well as local services in the non-profit sector such as Good Samaritan. Students will do simulated trainings with police officers and firefighters, complete a community service project, design a 21st century park and will also have the opportunity to grant funds to local causes they’ll learn about.
“This really is about giving local students an opportunity to really get a hands-on experience with a lot of different career paths,” Domsic said. “When they go to college and get a degree maybe they think about an experience they had in Fishers and know they have an opportunity to come back here and change the world by starting in their own community.”
For more, or to apply online by the Sept. 6 deadline, visit fishers.in.us/mayorsyouthcouncil.
