The Lakeview Academy Ambassadors took a field trip to city hall Nov. 20 to learn more about the inner workings of Milledgeville and meet local leaders.
Lakeview Academy elementary school art teacher Joel Respess created the Ambassador Program in 2021 as a role model and peer outreach group for fifth-grade students. Ambassadors learn about leadership around the county, alongside mentoring and being leaders to the third and fourth graders at Lakeview Academy. Respess partnered with City Manager Hank Griffeth to plan the day’s field trip for 49 ambassadors to meet city officials and learn about the local government.
“I had the idea for the trip a few years ago and got advice from City Council member Dr. Collinda Lee, who was a Baldwin County Schools employee at the time, to call Hank Griffeth. Then he and I would meet and hash out the trip details. He is amazingly supportive, enthusiastic, and encouraging about our trips to city hall,” said Respess.
The day began at 9:30 a.m. inside the chamber at Milledgeville City Hall. Ambassadors were given a tour of the chamber, where city council meetings take place. Ambassadors were able to sit in each of the council member’s seats and give their own presentations about what being an ambassador means. Griffeth then presented a slide show on the history of Milledgeville and discussed local civics, the difference between Baldwin County and Milledgeville governments, facts about the city, and the inner workings of managing a city.
“Ithinkit'simportant toteachthemaboutboth governments, how they are different, and how they work together. Then, we focus on introducing them to their city officials and some statistics on the city so they can know more about where they live,” said Griffeth.
Following his presentation, ambassadors set out on a scavenger hunt that was paired with a tour of the three city buildings downtown. The worksheets reviewed three major topics, including basic information about municipal governments, the local government, and government services and locations. Students were able to visit the Finance Department, executive offices, the Water and Sewer Department, the Planning and Zoning office, and more.
“To have the opportunity to get some younger folks to learn and be interested in public service and elected positions is important,” said Griffeth. “We enjoy having the ambassadors join us each year. It’s a really great group.”
Ambassadors Evie Pounds, Olivia Nelson, and Avah George expressed their excitement about the field trip and what it taught them.
“My favorite part was when we toured different buildings and completed our worksheets to learn about the different jobs in the city,” said Avah. Olivia added, “It really helped us understand more about Milledgeville and jobs we could have.”
Evie stated a big takeaway for her was learning how they could assist the city.
“It’s important to know what you can do and what to expect when you’re older. It’s important to understand how city hall and downtown works,” said Evie. Avah added, “It’s important to know what to expect of a job and how to keep a good record to apply for future jobs.”
To close out the day, Public Works Director Timothy Thomas told ambassadors his journey to become the director and about the importance of public works and their duties. As a Baldwin County High School graduate, he spoke about the importance of education, planning for the future, and pushing through the hardships.
“He taught us that it’s always best to keep going and trying,” said Evie. Olivia added, “He taught us that if you keep going and never give up, you can achieve what you want in life.”
Each of these girls stated they became ambassadors to be role models and leaders for the third and fourth graders beneath them. Each of them also agreed that they looked up to the ambassadors before them and look forward to being mentors and examples as they had.
“I want to be a good role model and to be good and kind and make it easy for my teachers and classmates to learn,” said Evie. “I wanted to represent my school and have the younger kids aspire to be an ambassador too,” said Avah.
Olivia stated she wanted to become an ambassador to inspire kids younger than her to be their best and achieve their own dreams.
“I want them to know that when they get older, they can do the right thing and be role models too,” said Olivia. “Just like what we learned at city hall.”
To learn more about the Lakeview Ambassador program, visit lvaambassadors. com/.