The Biscayne Bay Kiwanis (BiscayneBayKiwanis.org), one of South Florida’s most active community service organizations, has launched a unique Civic Intern Program (CIP) pairing fifth graders from Frederick Douglass Elementary with City of Miami officials.
Each month, seven fifth graders from Douglass, an inner-city school with an “A” grade, are transported to City Hall and work in the offices of the mayor, city commissioners and city manager for the day. During the day, the students — Katherine Salgado, Lazaro Garcia, Keyli Martinez, Keaven Sadler, Montay Collins, Andrew Shotwell and Lloyd Malcom Jr. — also will have the opportunity to observe city commission meetings.
“This is an excellent opportunity for these youngsters to learn about the workings of city government firsthand,” said Mark Scheinbaum, coordinator of the CIP and a board member of the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis. “We talked to our school partners and they thought fifth graders — who have already started to show interest in elections, government, etc. — would most benefit from this experience.”
When the Kiwanis — a 67-year-old all-volunteer organization of professional men and women based in Downtown Miami that helps improve the lives of disadvantaged children in Overtown, Allapattah, and Midtown Miami through educational programs, field trips, and hands on service projects — approached City Hall, Miami Commissioner Wilfredo “Willy” Gort strongly backed the idea.
“I would like to congratulate the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis, the Miami-Dade County School System and Frederick Douglas Elementary for providing this opportunity to children in fifth grade so that they can be involved in local government first-hand,” Gort said after meeting the interns for the first time. “The students learned a lot as did all of us in City Hall. We are looking forward to the continuation of the program.”
Faor more information about the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis or to join in one of the community service projects, text or phone the club at 305-814-2225.
