{"id":57235,"date":"2025-08-12T17:42:38","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T21:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=57235"},"modified":"2025-08-12T17:42:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T21:42:44","slug":"city-of-lakeland-launches-learning-lakeland-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/08\/12\/city-of-lakeland-launches-learning-lakeland-program\/","title":{"rendered":"CITY OF LAKELAND LAUNCHES LEARNING LAKELAND PROGRAM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CIVIC EXPLORATION FOR KIDS GETS A FUN FRESH NEW LOOK<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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The City of Lakeland is proud to officially launch Learning Lakeland, an exciting new youth engagement initiative. The program is designed to educate the City\u2019s youngest residents about local government, public services, and those that make the City operate\u2014all through the eyes of five animated characters known as the Learning Lakeland Explorers.  These colorful characters \u2014 Morty the Swan, Toby the Turtle, Ollie the Otter, Blinky the Alligator,<\/em> and Polly the Butterfly<\/em>\u2014 will serve as tour guides for children as they journey to learn what makes Lakeland such a unique and vibrant community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLearning Lakeland is our way of introducing civic pride and public service at an early age,\u201d said City Manager Shawn Sherrouse. \u201cThese characters and their interactive guides make learning fun, accessible, and meaningful for kids and families alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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In-House Creation with Citywide Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Learning Lakeland Explorers were developed entirely in-house by the City of Lakeland\u2019s Communications Team as a creative way to centralize outreach efforts across Departments. The goal was to build a cohesive cast of characters that could be used not only for educational outreach, but also as a shared storytelling tool across the City\u2019s many divisions. By establishing a unified visual language and voice through these Explorers, the City is building an engaging, chapter-by-chapter way to educate and inspire future generations of Lakelanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Included at Launch?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Several themed activity and coloring guides are already available for download or distribution, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n