Student Presentation on City Life Experience Copyrighted
January 21, 2020
City of Dubuque Presentation(s) # 1.
ITEM TITLE: Student Presentation on City Life Experience
SUM MARY: Students from the Community School DistricYs Alternative
Learning Center will provide a short presentation on their
experiences from participating in the City Life session as
part of their current Social Studies course on civic
engagement and local government.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Student Presentation on City Life Experience-MVM City Manager Memo
Memo
Cover Memo Requesting Student Presentation Staff Memo
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
uI�AaMca cih
DuB E � �
I � � I
Maste iece on the Mississi i Zoo�•zoiz•zois
YP pp zoi�*zoi9
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: City Life with High School Students- Request to Present to City Council
DATE: January 15, 2020
Human Rights Director Kelly Larson recommends City Council approval of a
presentation at the January 21 St City Council meeting by students who are participating
in a City Life session as part of their current Social Studies course. The students will
make a ten to fifteen-minute presentation on what they have learned about civic
engagement and local government.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
�
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
DU B E ;FAoenc�Ciq
I�„� I
2007�2012�2013
Masterpiece on the Mississippi zov*zoi9
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
DATE: January 6, 2020
SUBJECT: City Life with High School Students — Request to Present to Council
The purpose of this memo is to recommend a short presentation to the City Council by
students who are participating in a City Life session as part of their current Social
Studies course.
On December 4, 2019, Tim Hitzler, a social studies teacher with the Dubuque
Community School DistricYs Alternative Learning Center, contacted Assistant City
Manager Cori Burbach regarding an interest in focusing his January course on civic
engagement with City government. Cori forwarded this request to me and Community
Engagement Coordinator Temwa Phiri, and we decided to offer a mini-version of City
Life for the students.
Between January 7 and January 20, students will participate in 9 City Life sessions
during their school day which will include presentations about various departments,
tours of City facilities, and conversations with City staff.
The requested action is that Tim and his students be allowed ten to fifteen minutes on
the January 21, 2020, Council meeting agenda to present on what they have learned
about civic engagement and local government. It is important that the presentation be
on this specific council agenda as the students will have moved on to other courses by
the time of the first council meeting in February.
0v/,z9
The Alternative Learning Center
Dubuque Community Schools
"Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country"
-John F. Kennedy
"The most important political office is that of private citizen"
-Louis D. Brendeis
Alternative Learning Center's
Community Engagement Class Presentation
At the Alternative Learning Center (ALC), we provide hands-on project based learning opportunities for
our students. We educate mainly Junior and Senior students in the Dubuque Community School District.
During the month of January, of the 2019/2020 school year, we offered a class titled "Community
Engagement". Through collaboration with the Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach, the Community
Engagement Coordinator Temwa Phiri, and Social Studies teacher Tim Hitzler, we developed a plan to
incorporate the experiences of Dubuque's City Life program with the curriculum of this class.
The goals of the Community Engagement class was to educate our students on:
• Why community engagement, civic and political, is important
• The various ways to engage in the community
• Services offered throughout the community
• How resources for City services are allocated
We achieved these goals by having class discussions on the importance of community engagement as well
as visiting various public and private entities in order to learn various ways to become engaged. Our students
learned how local resources are allocated, such as real estate tax and private contributions. The images below
showcase our experiences in this class. Our next goal is to incorporate the experiences of this class into
American Government class, so the exposure can be offered to more students. It is my belief that ALL high
school students should be more aware of local civics.
Central Avenue Corridor
Students visited several businesses and organizations on Central Avenue. The students learned about how grass roots
efforts can improve a neighborhood.
Civil Engineering
Students engaging with Jon Dienst, Civil Engineer I1, about the role civil engineering plays in shaping a city.
Sustainable Dubuque
Gina Bell, Sustainability Coordinator, spoke with our students on our individual responsibility to help make Dubuque
more sustainable.
Finance & Budget
Jennifer Larson, Director of Finance & Budget, discussed how local tax money is allocated.
City Manager
Mike Van Milligan, City Manager, spoke with our students about the various responsibilities of a city manager.
Traffic Cameras
Students learned how Dubuque uses traffic cameras to improve traffic flow and to improve driver safety.
Carnegie Stout Library
Susan Henricks, Director of the Carnegie Stout Library, provided our students with a tour of the library showing them the
variety of services offered to patrons.
City Clerk
Kevin Firnstahl, City Clerk, explained the responsibilities of the city clerk and the city council.
Neighborhood Development
Jerelyn O'Connor conversed with our students on the various ways neighborhoods can be improved.
Fire Department
Our students learned about the importance of an effective fire department from Assistant Fire Chief Mark Burkle.
Public Works
John Klosterman, Director of Public Works, provided information to our students of the various services provided by the
Public Works Department.
Places we plan to visit:
• Water Treatment Plant
• Police Department
• Human Rights
• Health Services
• Economic Development
• Planning
• Leisure Services
• Dream Center
• Multicultural Center
Public Transportation
Renee Tyler, Director of Transportation Services, met with our students to discuss the various ways public transportation
is constantly improving.
Housing and Community Development
Alexis Steger, Director of Housing, presented information to our students on the various services offered through the
housing department.