Over the the past three years, CCEC has realized the need for greater knowledge on the part of most residents of Chatham County and its three towns - Goldston, Pittsboro, Siler City - about their own governments.
This program is intended to provide an opportunity for all citizens of Chatham County to learn about their town and county governments on a first-hand basis from those who are serving in elected and staff positions; to foster a mutual respect and understanding for each section of the county; to enhance diverse participation in local government; and to create the knowledge base for the growth of future leadership for Chatham County.
This PURPOSE serves the goal of CCEC - Institute, Inc. "to empower citizens to enhance Chatham's future" and serves the vision of Chatham County, "Chatham County will be a place that cooperatively controls its own destiny to assure the state of well-being desired by all of our people…"
The framework, development and responsibility of the project is shared with a staff member from county government to partner with a designated member of CCEC -THE INSTITUTE. The project is underwritten by CCEC- INSTITUTE, Inc., business and individual sponsors or supporters who offer in-kind services.
It includes the direct involvement of elected county and town officials, heads and/or members of departments, citizen advisory board chairs, etc., for the purpose of implementing a coordinated curriculum. The County representative and a CCEC - Institute member have organized the program, sessions and developed general curricula and guide lines to be covered. They also identify and support those who are asked to speak about their specific roles and responsibilities.
The program is organized around a semester of seven (7) sessions, given once in the Spring and again in the Fall. Sessions will be held one evening a week, for 7 weeks, and run from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Each semester will include 25 participants. Most of the sessions will be located at selected sites a Fire Department, Library, etc..
Any citizen of the county will be eligible for the program. A committee will select the participants with the goal of ensuring maximum diversity (region, gender, ethnicity, age - including senior high school students) of the group. Any person who cannot be accommodated in the current 7 week session, will become first on the list for the next session.
A $20 fee for participation is required, with scholarships available to those who cannot afford to pay.
At graduation a certificate of completion is issued.
Graduates of the program are maintained in a database as a potential source for boards and committee appointments in government, both county and towns.
Themes for each session are developed based on county/town departments and services. Each topic will include elected and/or staff persons from those departments as presenters and discussants of the materials to be offered. The intent of any session is to offer as much information as possible about "the who, what, when, and where" of the department. The last session supports the idea of responsible citizen participation and the scope of the roles they play in their governments. In addition to conveying information, all sessions will be interactive and citizen participation is expected.
Printed information already on hand from each department, as well as any other materials developed, is provided to the participants in every session. Participants evaluate the program at the end of each session.
