Rockdale County recently received a $3,750 grant from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Verizon Foundation to provide civic education to the county’s youth.

ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation presented the Board of Commissioners with a check on Sept. 18. The Verizon Foundation provided funding to the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation to expand the Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students program. Rockdale County was chosen as one of the four new GCAPS programs in the state to launch this year.

This program gives students a chance to go beyond the government classroom and into the community visiting, talking to people and seeing different aspects to our government which, without a program like GCAPS, they never would see, Rockdale County GCAPS Program Manager Brittany Johnson said.

Around 12 students will be selected to participate in leadership training, team building exercises, tour county facilities, visit the State Capitol, and interact with local and state government representatives.

Those eligible for the program must live in or attend school in Rockdale County, and must be a high school sophomore or junior as of August 2012. Public, private and home schooled students are all invited to apply.

The program is scheduled to begin October 2012 to the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

The application deadline is Sept. 28. For more information or to apply for the Rockdale County GCAPS program, contact Brittany Johnson at (770) 278-7373 or britj112@uga.edu.