2015 marks the ninth year of the City of Torrance Students and Government Day program. This program is geared toward 8th graders who attend public and private schools in the city of Torrance. Students and Government Day hopes to help students gain an understanding of local government and how it works to develop more informed and involved citizens and voters. It also exposes students to a possible career in public service.

To participate, 8th grade students were to write or neatly type a 100-150 word essay on the topic,""Voting in America is a privilege. The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older the right to vote. What can you do now and in the next few years until you are 18 to prepare yourself to be a well-informed voter and how will this preparation help your decision making?" Among those who submitted essays, 21 students were invited to participate in a variety of activities, including job shadowing elected officials or city management staff for the afternoon and opening an actual City Council meeting. While this program is geared for 8th graders, the City encourages all students to continue learning about local government and how they can help serve the community.

View the Council Meeting

The 2015 Students and Government participants were: