The city of Goleta has completed its second bilingual LEAD Goleta Academy (LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate, and Discuss) with 31 participants, including six Spanish speakers.

LEAD Academy graduates come together with Goleta Council members for a group photo. (Courtesy photo)
Mayor Paula Perotte told LEAD Academy graduates she hopes they will get involved city government. (Courtesy photo)

Participants have met every week for the past six weeks for two or more hours and learned about how the city of Goleta is run.

This is the fourth LEAD Goleta Academy hosted by the city, and the second time the program included Spanish interpretation and translated materials.

On the last night of class, Feb. 15, participants received a graduation certificate and a City of Goleta pin from the mayor and City Council.

For the first time the graduation ceremony was held at the Goleta Community Center, and included family and friends of the graduates.

“I hope you will take what you learned and share it with your neighbors, friends, and loved ones, and consider being on a board or commission, running for City Council, and staying engaged,” said Mayor Paula Perotte, who applauded the group for their participation.

“This was a very special class. They came in the door every week eager to learn and ready to get to know the city and each other,” said community relations manager Kelly Hoover.

“They were incredibly social, enthusiastic and asked great questions. We all learned a lot together during our time. We will miss seeing their faces every week but know they will stay connected.”

The program began with participants hearing from the city manager, mayor and City Council. During the course there were presentations from a variety of city departments including the Goleta city attorney’s and city clerk’s offices, finance, planning, sustainability, environmental services, emergency services, police, and Goleta Valley Library.

LEAD Academy students also participated in a Mock City Council meeting and took tours of the Goleta Valley Library and Goleta Community Center. The last class featured a Goleta Trivia Game where the graduates got to put their knowledge to the test.

Before receiving their certificates, some of the graduates expressed what they enjoyed most about the academy.

“I joined the LEAD Goleta Academy to learn more about our city and how it all works,” said Gareth Kelly, who played the role of mayor in the Mock Council. “These past weeks have been both eye-opening and rewarding.

“Even though Goleta is still a young city it’s clear it has an amazing group of staff and leaders who care about the city, its people, and its natural and open spaces – things that also matter to me.

“Learning about what goes into running a city has been fascinating, and I would recommend the LEAD Goleta Academy to everyone.”
 
“The LEAD program was exceptional,” said Myah Mashhadialireza played the role of city attorney in the Mock Council. “I’ve learned a lot about how Goleta operates behind the scenes, the projects they work on and the people that make it happen.”
 
The city thanks Spanish engagement specialist Marcos Martinez and Spanish interpreters Viviana Marsano and Hugo Santos for their work in the bilingual LEAD Goleta Community Academy.

To sign up for a future LEAD Goleta class, email jshaw@cityofgoleta.org to be notified when applications are available.