Selecting a coordinator

The person selected to coordinate a citizens academy in larger communities is often the public information director, communications specialist, or trainer. Smaller communities may not have the same depth in their staffing, so the selection of a staff member to take on this responsibility should be based on the individual's skills, rather than job title. The coordinator needs to be a "people" person who enjoys contact with the public, is extremely well organized, and, if not readily accessible during the day, is conscientious about responding promptly to phone calls and e-mails. The person also must have the confidence of the board and administrative staff and have a comfortable working relationship with department heads.

In most cases, the coordinator has a key role in mapping out the overall program, such as helping department heads to narrow the topics to be covered and brainstorming hands-on activities for the participants. The coordinator is responsible for fielding all the initial phone calls and e-mails from citizens, sending out the acceptance letters, preparing the binders, providing maps to each meeting location, arranging for the meals or snacks, checking in with each department as their session approaches, and providing feedback to department heads — in short, all the behind-the-scenes details that make the program run smoothly. In addition, this person usually acts as facilitator for each session: introducing the speakers, serving as time-keeper both for presentations and break times, and moderating the question-and-answer periods. So choose the coordinator with care, and give this person all the support he or she needs to be successful.

Ice-breaker exercises

If you've done a great job at recruiting, you will have a diverse group of citizens taking part in your program — perhaps a high school student, young professionals, working moms and dads., and a few retirees. Some will be quite comfortable in social situations and others may be slower to participate. Ice-breakers are quick exercises that relax the group and help to put everyone on an even footing. It's easy to ask each person introduce himself or herself and share some basic personal information in turn, but even this simple activity can be stressful for introverts. Instead, try something new. Click here for a few sure-fire icebreakers recommended by Dave Blum of Dr. Clue's Treasure Hunts, the world's largest team building company. The firm specializes in clue-based, business-focused scavenger hunts and treasure hunts, so you can expect these ice-breakers to be both entertaining and effective.

Ideas for hands-on activities

Most academies spend a good portion of each session in information exchange, relying on verbal presentations or presentations supplemented by PowerPoint slides. This technique may be the best way to cover a lot of territory, but don't spend the entire time period in presentations. One academy coordinator requires each presenter/department to include at least one interactive activity as part of his/her allotted time. Several communities foster competition among their departments by asking the academy participants to vote for their favorite presentation and then recognizing the department with the best presentation. (One organization even presents a traveling "Peacock" trophy to the winning department.)

The possibilities for hands-on activities are limitless. Encourage your presenters to be creative. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Short brainteasers or quizzes covering interesting facts and figures about a department
  Use this approach to open a presentation, or as the format for the entire presentation (i.e., answering each question and elaborating on related aspects of the service provided). Click here to see a sample brainteaser. The presenter may award a token prize to the participant who does best at answering each question or the overall quiz.
  
  
• A quick walk-through tour of a department or facility
  Equipment and materials can help explain your staff's job more clearly than anything you can say; think of the planning department's or inspection department's rolls of plans, or the row of North Carolina State Statutes in the attorney's office, or the bank of electronic equipment at each station in an emergency communications center. A related idea is a behind-the-scenes tour of a public facility such as a stadium or civic center.
  
  
• A demonstration of department equipment
  Several communities show participants their public works equipment in action, allowing division heads or lead operators to explain what they're doing. Another puts participants on the line of a recycling facility so they can see firsthand how the process works.
  
  
• Informal interaction with department employees
  The best example of this approach is perhaps participants enjoying a real fire station meal with a crew of firefighters, as offered by more than one academy.
  
  
• A group exercise related to the department's work
  Two common examples are a budget-balancing assignment and a planning activity about a proposed development. Both exercises help to make the point that the issues confronting staff and elected officials are rarely simple; many situations force a choice between competing priorities (i.e, park improvements versus more library materials, more shopping options for citizens versus more traffic for nearby neighborhoods, etc.) Click for a sample budget-balancing assignment or planning activity.