HOOD RIVER — Oct. 28 was graduation night for a small group of Hood River residents as they completed Civics Academy: Hood River 101. A ceremony and presentation were held at the city council meeting with Mayor Blackburn and Jackie Vanderpuye, community engagement coordinator.
Vanderpuye is the program lead for the course and said it is the second time they have offered it. City goals for the program are to inform the public and engage them with local government, build relationships and conversations within the community, and foster future leaders or committee members.
The first Hood River 101 was in 2023, but this year, they wanted to make the course more accessible by offering it in Spanish and providing dinner and childcare. Classes were held once per week for six weeks, and each week they spent two hours learning about a different city department. Topics included Fire and EMS (emergency medical services), wastewater treatment, planning and building.
Vanderpuye said that last winter, Hood River partnered with The Next Door on a grant application to the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative in order to offer the course in Spanish. That grant was a success and resulted in nine graduates from the Spanish course this fall.
At the program graduation, a few graduates spoke about their positive experiences taking the course, explaining the empowerment they gain from learning why the city makes certain decisions and what each department does.
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