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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.