So good morning.

Welcome to the City of Weston.# Weston University is perhaps one# of our favorite programs that we# get to do as city staff.

Being able to teach## students about what we do in local government is really, really great for us.# Today, we're here at the city of Weston with 20 some students from local high schools## that are participating in Weston universities.# And it's the first introduction# for these young adults into# what municipalities do, how# a local government is run.

This program is in its 23rd year.

It's the brainchild of our## director, Miss Denise Barrett Miller, and our previous city manager, who made# a determination that it would# be great to educate our local# community and starting at# the ages, a young adults in# high school so that we could# educate them on what you know,# what it means to live in a# city and how it operates.# Our goals were always to one.

Provide information on local city services# and local government.

How to make a difference## in your community that you as an individual do have a voice## and how to use that voice.

And then three expose## students to careers in public service that they might never## have known otherwise existed.

The students after today go## to various departments, such as a day with fire,## a day with police, which is the Broward Sheriff's Office,## a day with Parks and Recreation and landscape and public works,## a day with a zoning.

They will look at site plans.# They will go up on fire ladders.

They will do just such a wide## variety of hands-on activities that are not available or offered## to the average person so that they can see## what it's like to be somebody in that department and see what they deal with every day.

I'm most excited to kind# of further my understanding# of the criminal justice# system and stuff like that.# I'm really excited to work# with BSO because I'm already# in their program for Broward# Sheriff's Office Explorers# and expanding my my knowledge# of that, and then combining# that with how the local# government works with Broward# Sheriff's Office, I would# I find it super exciting.# By far my favorite aspect# is the simulation that they# do when they come into this# chamber and they actually take# city commission positions,# somebody, a mayor, somebody,# a city manager, and they're# given rural issues that our# city commission has considered# in the past, and they're asked# to debate and make decisions# on those having been through# the program and understanding# how government works a little# better, it kind of informs# their decision making, and it# even gives them a little# sense of what the pressure and an actual elected official# faces when they're on the dais# trying to make decisions.

As representatives of the people## I get to see students who are absorbing the information,## are asking good questions and are being challenged a little bit about## their preconceived notions about what government was.# If they leave at the end, just# slightly more trusting of us,# I consider that a victory.

The real success is when## it culminates with our visit to DC.

We visit like, you know, Congress, we visit our# congresswoman or our# senators, and they're excited.# It's a very different feel the confidence.

They're sharing, the collaboration between them, how collegial they all are.

Even today.# Some have shared that they're# looking at military academies.# Some may go on to be aides with# local state representatives or# like state senators.

And I'm hoping that## we're giving them the basis and foundation.

Plus, anytime they have a question, they're always# welcome to come back and ask.

I think you'll find if you# were to talk to all the staff,# is this program lights their# fire again about government?# I mean, we do the work on a# day in, day out basis, but when# we can share what we do with# the community, in this case,# the students, and it's well# received and they're engaged# and they ask good questions, it# makes what we're doing worth it.# We have had so many students come through.# It has changed.

Some career paths open doors.# We see these young adults blossom into kids going off to college and then having the wherewithal# and the knowledge to be# involved in their community.# We're not telling them that they need to stay in Weston and be involved.# We're teaching them that wherever life leads them, this is how to be involved.

I started my career in local government through the city of Weston's Western University program.# I'm currently an employee# at the City of Boca Raton.# I've been there approximately# 12 years and my in my# current capacity, I am the Deputy Director of Municipal Services and I'm## also the city civil engineer.

We were the first class of Weston University.# Everyone was kind of learning# as we went, which made it# even more exciting because# everybody that was part of# the program at the time really wanted to be there.

The civics education is not something## that you learn about in your normal curriculum.# It's something you kind of have to seek out.

And when you start digging into it,## you find that there's a whole world of government## that exists that is not covered in your textbooks or in the media## or in anything these days that kids are normally exposed to.# And I think I'd always wanted# to be part of the community,# and I just really didn't know what that meant.

And credits so much to Denise Barrett## and Weston University for all of the opportunities,## not only for my education but for my career.# I wouldn't be here today.

I wouldn't be the civil## servant that I am without the city of Weston and the Weston University program.# I think that over time, 23# years later, it's demonstrated# that proven evidence that the# students have gone through# this program have gone on# to be successful in their# careers, whether they choose,# like working in as an elected# official or in a municipality.

It really has helped them## hone their professional skills.

And for that, I think it's been very successful.# Three years ago, Mr. Decker tasked my## department with creating a program for adults.

It has been incredibly rewarding to see how many# people sign up and the passion# that they have for their city.# It has been positive from day one.

They want to learn more and## more and more about every intricacy of every department,## because you have people from all over the world and in## other countries, they don't have the access that they## do here to their city government, and they find it fascinating that## we would invite them in, and then they, in turn,## go back into their neighborhoods and tell people where they can get## correct information versus disinformation.# I strongly believe there is a natural distrust in government right now,## not necessarily because of what's happening at the local level,## but we're all lumped into the same conversation.# Government is government to a lot of people.

And so if we can introduce students and## adults to actual people who work## in government, who are charged with the the goal of providing good services in a responsible# way, and then we can show that# that's exactly what we do.# Maybe we can start earning# back some of that trust,# but we just want to have# a more informed citizenry.

These young people coming up today are bright.

They're energetic.# I think they are well intentioned.

And if they're our future leaders,## I have a lot of reason to be optimistic.