The city of Battle Ground is temporarily offering classes every other week to teach residents of the community how its government functions through a community outreach program called Battle Ground University (BGU).
Classes are held once a year over five weeks, typically starting around the beginning of September and ending in late October to early November.
Admission to the program is free. Instructors for each subject are the same people who perform the specific government functions.
“It takes the mystery out of city operations to hear about the challenges and rewards of public service through the eyes of people who actually carry it out every day,” said Alisha Smith, communications manager and public information officer for the City of Battle Ground.
One of the main features of the program is the open discussion and dialogue opportunities where citizens can ask questions on pressing issues and have them answered.
“It’s really a two-way benefit, that outreach and education for our citizens, but also a deeper understanding for our staff being able to deliver those services,” Smith said.
How deep the discussions go on any given topic depends on the curiosity of the residents taking the courses.
“We try to do a broad-strokes guided discussion, but the depth of those discussions really comes from the students themselves,” Smith said.
The program initially started back in 2005, but with the Great Recession of 2008, it was suspended until the council brought it back in 2022.
Despite its deep roots, Smith said they do their best to keep it growing and developing with the community through surveys and reviews at the end of each run.
“We ask our students what their feedback was so we can better cultivate the program to meet the needs that they have for us,” Smith said.
Common subjects that BGU covers include administration, finance, public works, community development and public safety night, but they can change depending on what’s happening presently in the city.
“The first year, there was a teacher strike with the school district, and that was an opportunity for us to explain the difference between the city and the school district,” Smith said.
Among the benefits of the program is the possibility that former students go on to engage with the city beyond the course’s original intent.
“We’ve had graduates become members of our parks advisory board, our planning commission, all the way up to our city council,” Smith said.
Connection of residents to the inner workings of their local municipality lies at the heart of what city hall intends for BGU.
Eligibility to participate likewise lies in the applicants’ affiliation with the city, which usually depends on whether they live on the inside or outside of city limits.
“Students have participated that are outside our urban growth area, or even in surrounding communities,” Smith said.
Due to the program’s 25-student capacity, the organizers have to be selective of applicants, giving priority to those who reside within the tax base of the city.
The downside to this means that not everyone who has a 98604 ZIP code counts as being a City of Battle Ground resident.
Even with this roadblock, Smith believes that the greater reason for people not getting involved is the fear of “I don’t know.”
“It’s something that’ll help them grow their desire to want to get engaged with their community,” Smith said. “That’s what we’re really hoping, educate, engage and empower is our motto behind Battle Ground University.”
Learn more online at cityofbg.org/983/Battle-Ground-University
