Action of the Week
Follow Monterey’s Example and Encourage Civic Engagement
August 3, 2025
“[T]he man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic—the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done.”
~ Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
Action of the Week, August 3, 2025
Follow Monterey’s Example and Encourage Civic Engagement
A subscriber let us know that the city of Monterey, California is offering its residents an opportunity to “dive into the world of local city government” by applying to participate in its 2025 First City Academy. Notably, the program is open to applicants 16 years of age or older, an apparent signal of the city’s interest in cultivating civic-mindedness among young people.
As explained by City Manager Hans Uslar, the goal of the eight-week program (which will run from August 28 through October 16) is “to reach residents who are currently less engaged with city hall, who would enjoy learning more about city programs and services and how they can participate in making our community a great place to live.”
The comprehensive curriculum, which includes a field trip component to visit city facilities, neighborhoods, parks, and business districts, will cover:
- City Governance, City Manager, and City Council
- History of Monterey
- Finance/Budgeting, Human Resources, and Technology
- Community Development
- Public Works
- Community Services (parks, recreation, library, museums)
- Fire and Emergency Management
- Police
Monterey—a small city with roughly 30,000 inhabitants—has a rich and colorful history, including serving as an international port when the city transitioned from the Spanish to the Mexican empires; hosting a series of California “firsts” in the late 1840s (first jury, newspaper, public library, and public building); becoming the “sardine capital of the world” (immortalized in books by John Steinbeck); launching the innovative Monterey Bay Aquarium in the mid-1980s; and earning the moniker “language capital of the world” (the city is home to the U.S. Army’s Defense Language Institute and Middlebury Institute of International Studies). There is even an annual Language Capital of the World Cultural Festival.
As our subscriber commented, “What a great way to fight centralization of power by getting young people involved in understanding local government.” Why not reach out to your own locality and suggest that they offer a similar program?
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