Cultivating Connection: The Journey of Our Residents’ Academy

Published on April 02, 2026

By: Jeniffer Viscarra, Vice Mayor

At the May 2019 Commission meeting, I proposed the idea of a Residents’ Academy. At the time, Mayor Scholl encouraged me to work with staff to gauge public interest in such a program. Having rewatched that meeting, I detect little enthusiasm, and I suspect the idea did not gain much traction afterwards. When COVID-19 emerged, priorities understandably shifted, and the Residents’ Academy slipped further down the agenda. Yet, as our city began to recover and programs reopened, the Academy finally came to life, launching its first class in February 2022.

As I had hoped, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The inaugural session was so successful that we hosted another in the fall. Through experience, we learned that life’s unpredictability—like unexpected storms—meant we should hold the Academy just once a year in the spring.  I am happy to report that last month we concluded our sixth Residents’ Academy. When I asked participants about their key takeaways, their answers varied, but one sentiment rang true: a deeper connection to the community. That improved sense of belonging was always the heart of our mission.

In a city that brings together locals, newcomers, and people from around the world, misunderstandings and frustrations are inevitable. The Residents’ Academy was designed to bridge those gaps by offering a non-partisan introduction to civic engagement and city departments. Each session improved, thanks in large part to our Chief of Staff, Mayra Aleman, whose attention to detail was invaluable, and to our dedicated department heads who stayed late and shared their time and expertise.

I am profoundly grateful to everyone who contributed, including our guest speakers, city staff, and especially the participants whose enthusiasm affirmed the Academy’s purpose. Seven years later, I can confidently say there is strong interest in learning from and connecting with the "troublemakers"/“doers” in our community. We simply needed to offer a forum for it to happen.

Contact Vice Mayor Jeniffer Viscarra at seat4@sibfl.net or 305.792.1750.