Rising juniors and seniors across the Lakewood Ranch area have 11 days to apply for a new county program that will put them inside real Board of County Commissioners and School Board meetings this fall.

Manatee County announced Model Manatee, an experiential civics program that runs from a Sept. 14 orientation through a Dec. 17 graduation ceremony. Students will attend live government sessions, hear from elected officials, and trace how local decisions move from proposal to action. The program culminates Monday, Nov. 30, when participants step into the roles of constitutional officers and run their own mock county commission meeting.

"We want our young people to understand that local government belongs to them, too," Commissioner Amanda Ballard said in a statement reported by MySuncoast.

Ballard, who represents District 2 and previously spent nearly eight years as a child welfare attorney in Manatee County, is the named champion of the initiative. The county published the program's official page on its website Friday, July 24.

Who can apply

Students must have completed 10th grade, live in Manatee County, and be enrolled full-time in a public, charter, private, or home education program. That means Lakewood Ranch High School students and homeschooled teens in the community are all eligible.

Applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian's consent.

Application window

Applications open at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, the same day Manatee County schools start the new year. The deadline is 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, giving families just 11 days from the first day of class to submit.

Upcoming dates

• Monday, Aug. 10: Applications open (8 a.m.)
• Friday, Aug. 21: Applications close (3 p.m.)
• Monday, Sept. 14: Model Manatee orientation
• Monday, Nov. 30: Mock county commission meeting
• Thursday, Dec. 17: Graduation ceremony