The city of St. Cloud graduated its 2026 Citizens Academy class April 21 at the Marina Banquet Hall.
Citizen’s Academy is what the city calls, “An interactive, immersive experience designed to give our city residents an up-close look at their city government in action.” It is designed to provide residents with a deeper understanding of how their city government works, and give them a behind-the-scenes look at the daily operations and services provided by the city.
“Our goal is to create more informed, involved citizens and to drive more interest in joining city boards and committees or perhaps running for elected office,” a page on the city’s website mentions.
The Academy is hosted by various city departments each week. On most Tuesday nights from January to April, students heard presentations from the operations of various city departments, including the Police and Fire departments, Public Works, Finance, Community Development, historic preservation and Parks & Recreation. Class members also were required to attend one City Council meeting to witness their local government in action.
Each class session included interactive learning activities ranging from making real-world decisions on budget cuts, conducting building inspections, operating a side loader, and even going up in the fire department ladder truck and experiencing the police training simulator.
Fourteen graduates received a certificate and a tasty catered meal from St. Cloud barbecue restaurant Meat ‘n Fire, at the April 21 graduation ceremony which included Mayor Chris Robertson, Deputy Mayor Ken Gilbert, City Manager Veronica Miller, and several department heads whose departments participated in this year’s classes.
For those interested in attending the 2027 Citizen’s Academy, the application period will begin in the fall of 2026. Additional information is available on the city’s website at www.stcloudfl.gov/citizensacademy.
