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Kinston 101
Kinston 101 has graduated it's first citizen cohort! Congratulations!
Kinston 101 Alumni: Stay updated with City projects and your fellow Alumni through our quarterly newsletters:
What is Kinston 101?
Kinston 101 is a seasonal program that shares information with citizens about city operations while increasing their capacity to participate in local government.
Each week, participants see a different city department through the eyes of its department head. Participants tour the police station, visit city parks, create a mock city budget, see the wastewater treatment plant, and more! Kinston 101 is for any resident interested in how the city works and how public decisions are made!
Kinston 101 in part fulfills the 2015 "Plan Kinston" strategy to "continuously engage the citizenry to solicit feedback, generate ideas, and garner support for projects, policies, and improvements to Kinston’s quality of life."
Objectives
Kinston 101 aims to:
- Inform citizens about city operations and opportunities for engagement
- Invest in a body of citizens interested in future public service
- Identify further opportunities for transparency and effective communication by city departments
- Build relationships between citizens and public servants
Learn from citizens in Kinston 101
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Kinston 101 2020 group photo
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Kinston 101 first session
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Kinston 101 City Council
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Kinston 101 Wastewater tour
Citizen Input Survey
Even though applications for this year are closed, we could always use your help! To make Kinston 101 as interesting and accessible as possible, we need feedback. What do you want to know about city government? How would you want Kinston 101 to work? Share your thoughts here to help shape the program!
Requirements
Kinston 101 is held either Thursday evenings from 530-8pm or Saturday morning from 9am-12pm, depending on the activity planned. To participate, you must:
Attend the first session
Attend 8 of 9 sessions
Attend a city council meeting during the course of the program
*Preference will be given to residents of Kinston or the ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction), but anyone may apply!
Kinston 101 General Schedule
| Session | Topic | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intro to City Government | TBD | 530-8pm | City Hall |
| 2 | Police | TBD | 530-8pm | Police Department |
| 3 | City Operations: Finance, HR, and MIS | TBD | 530-8pm | City Hall |
| 4 | Public Services I | TBD | 530-8pm | City Hall |
| 5 | Public Services II | TBD | 9am-12pm | Tour of Wastewater Treatment Plant |
| 6 | Planning, Inspections, and Code Enforcement | TBD | 530-8pm | City Hall |
| 7 | Pride of Kinston | TBD | 530-8pm | Kinston Enterprise Center |
| 8 | Parks and Recreation | TBD | 9am-12pm | Kinston Community Center |
| 9 | Fire & Rescue | TBD | 530-8pm | Fire Station 1 |
| 10 | The Budget | TBD | 5-8pm | City Hall |