The City of Bismarck is accepting applications throughout the month of November for its third class of the Bismarck Citizen Academy. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on November 30.
The Citizen Academy serves as an interactive way for citizens to learn about their municipal government. Each week attendees learn about various City departments and will get a behind-the-scenes look at a variety of facilities throughout Bismarck.
The 2024 Citizen Academy will run for 12 weeks, starting on Thursday, January 4, 2024. Classes run from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Attendees will come together on Thursday evenings in January, February and March. Following the final week of the Academy, attendees will be recognized at the regular Bismarck City Commission meeting on March 26, 2024.
“The Citizen Academy serves as another way the City of Bismarck provides transparency for our citizens,” said Assistant City Administrator Jason Tomanek. “We have received a lot of really good feedback from people who have attended the first two Citizen Academies, and there is a real consensus that this is a pretty unique experience to learn about the City and its staff who provide a variety of services each day.”
Similar to the 2023 Citizen Academy, the class size will be 20 participants. Residents, business owners or students in Bismarck interested in participating in the Citizen Academy must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must be able to attend all sessions.
- One participant per household is allowed.
After the window for accepting applications has closed, applications will be scored and the top 20 participants, as well as two alternates, will be notified in December. Attendees will then need to come to the City/County building to receive an identification badge and a binder that will contain informational handouts from the 12 weeks.
More information about the program is available online.