Citizens in Stafford County were interested in becoming better-educated about their local government.  Stafford County acquiesced by creating the Citizen Academy.  The Academy hosts classes taught by County staffers on various facets of Stafford's government, such as departmental overviews and the budget process.  

The instructors are staff who choose to donate their time, as such costs to the county are minimal.  The result is a better-informed community and an expanding curriculum as the popularity of the program increases.

This case study was nominated for ICMA's Annual Awards Program.