LITTLETON —At least 20 Littleton area high school students gathered at , 2255 W Berry Ave., on Sept. 25 for a lesson in municipal government and an assignment to complete.
The Youth in Government program is in its second year and is meant to educate youngsters about how different city departments function.
According to Mark Barons, neighborhood resources coordinator, there was a short lesson on government and an overview of the different departments after Lisa White of Colorado Municipal League spoke to the students.
Students must either attend Littleton Public Schools or be a resident of Littleton to participate.
Some of the city’s individual department heads explained what they do and, after lunch, students interacted with city employees for advice on a special project that exists as a competition for college funds.
Barons said last year students competed for $4,000. There were four winners, with the one student getting $2,000. The funds are provided by the city of Littleton and local business partners. Once students are enrolled, they call the city and the check goes directly to the college.
“We know we are not funding a keg party,” Barons said.
He said the competition is based on how municipal government works and how well the students understand the various processes.
He said students could pick whatever business they wanted, but to learn the gritty aspects of planning, zoning, building permits and the like, it came with a lot of hidden roadblocks.
“The kids need to identify all those issues,” Barons said.
Though the session lasts only a day, the students have three weeks to complete their project. The completed project may be submitted as a video or Powerpoint presentation. After it’s submitted, it is reviewed and graded by a committee.
Barons said the project is judged on its creativity and how well city requirements are followed.
“Last year we assigned businesses. This year we allowed the kids to create their own home-based business. It seemed to spark a little more creative thought,” said Barons.
Karen Groves: 303-954-2303, kgroves@denverpost.com
