LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Students at Apollo Career Center received a firsthand look at how city government operates as Sharetta Smith and her administration held their weekly staff meeting at the school for the second consecutive year.
The visit gave government students the opportunity to observe an actual city administration meeting and hear directly from department heads about their roles and how decisions are made within the city.
Mayor Smith also used the meeting to explain the collaborative process behind major city projects, including the decision to provide water service to the Google data center currently under construction in Lima.
“It is really important to show young people really all of the collaboration that has to happen across departments and making decisions to move the city forward, to give them an inside look about how city government works, but also to answer any questions they have, with the hopes of expiring our next generation of public servants,” said Smith.
Government teacher Justin Key said the experience helps students connect classroom lessons with real-world leadership and civic engagement.
“We're a lot more than just classroom education, right? We want to get kids next ready. That's our goal. We always want to make sure they're seeing our community, seeing the people they can talk to, and having a chance to really meet someone that can help them make a difference,” said Key.
One student also had the opportunity to join the administration during the meeting. Mayor Smith swore in health science junior Za'Niah Watkins of Elida as deputy special assistant to the mayor for the duration of the session.
