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Sanford honors Citizens Academy graduates and unveils Mayor’s Youth Council small-business campaign
Summary
The commission recognized Citizens Academy Class 23 graduates and heard a presentation by the Mayor’s Youth Council announcing a social-media program to promote local small businesses; the youth council will run eight posts per month and plans class 24 applications in February.
The Sanford City Commission took time on Nov. 10 to recognize the graduating class of the Citizens Academy and to welcome members of the Mayor’s Youth Council, who presented a small-business marketing initiative.
City staff described the Citizens Academy as a free, 10-week program that exposes residents to city departments and services; the current class reunites a group of about 35 residents, business owners and volunteers and brings the program’s total graduates to nearly 500. "This class started in September and was 10 weeks every Wednesday night from 6 to 8PM," staff said during the presentation. The city announced applications for Citizens Academy Class 24 will open in early December, with sessions beginning February 2026.
Youth council members — students from Seminole High School and Crooms Academy of Information Technology — presented work that each district group completed promoting two local businesses via Instagram Reels and Facebook posts. "My name is Shrinika, and I'm the president of the youth council," the youth council president introduced the team, describing plans to partner with local merchants to produce short-form video ads and to run an ongoing schedule of posts to increase local visibility.
District teams reported metrics from early posts — several posts reached thousands of views — and described outreach steps: selecting businesses, contacting owners by email/in person, producing short videos and slideshows, and coordinating with business managers to ensure accuracy and consent for content. The mayor and commissioners applauded the students’ work and encouraged local businesses and residents to follow the city’s social pages to see the campaign.
The commission also noted the youth council entries will be submitted to the Florida League of Cities youth-council competitions; past entries have received statewide recognition. The city urged interested residents to watch the city’s Facebook and Instagram pages for youth-council content and for information on the next Citizens Academy.
