Tours to show students the everyday of city work

A group of Costa Mesa teenagers will get a chance to see how government works inside and out this fall as participants in Youth in Government, an annual city program that is accepting applications.

Open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in Costa Mesa, the program takes students on tours of important city agencies and facilities.

“The main goal is to get kids interested in their local government and understand how the city runs,” said Coordinator Lisa McPherson.

Highlighted elements of the program are opportunities to shadow a department head in city hall, hold a mock water district debate and possibly go on a ride-along tour with police or firefighters, McPherson said.

The free program starts in November and is not based on academic performance. Kids will be taken out of school twice, and the rest of the sessions will be in the evening. For more information, call (714) 754-5300.

— Alan Blank