The City of Toledo Mayor’s Office is giving fourth graders a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to act as mayor and members of city council for a year. In partnership with the Human Relations Commission, Washington Local Schools, and Toledo Public Schools, the Kid Mayor Kid Council program is a wonderful opportunity for some of Toledo’s youngest residents to get involved in local government to learn firsthand how a city works.
The selection process ran from November 22 to December 6 for fourth graders in the greater Toledo area. Today, thirteen finalists have been chosen from fourth grade classes in Toledo Public and Washington Local Schools. Each student that applied was asked to write about the following prompt: “If I were Mayor of Toledo, I would…” to get the creativity moving and to see which candidates would be best for the mayoral position, as well as who should serve on the council.
Part of the fourth grade school curriculum is learning about civics and government, which is why they’ve been chosen for these positions. The program is a wonderful hands-on way to teach kids about how important local government is and how it can positively affect the lives of all individuals within the city.
The Kid Mayor and Kid Council members will meet quarterly for engaging and educational sessions. Trips will include attending a City Council meeting, a tour of the City of Toledo Water Treatment Plant, meeting with Toledo Police and Toledo Fire Departments, and attending a Toledo Mud Hens game. Students will also have the opportunity to attend additional meetings, ribbon cuttings, and other public events around the city.
At the end of their terms, the Kid Mayor and Kid Council will present a policy or initiative they would like to see implemented on behalf of their constituents to Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and the Toledo City Council.
Though the time to submit an application for your child has passed, the success of the program in 2022 may open up more opportunities for the Kid Mayor Kid Council program in future years, so keep an eye out for more news!
For any questions about the Kid Mayor Kid Council program, reach out to Caryn Maloney from the Human Relations Commission at caryn.maloney@toledo.oh.gov.
