Outside City Hall, students clustered together against the midday chill, their conversations quieting as the doors opened and Councilmember Philip Falcone stepped out to greet them. What followed was a fast-paced hour through City Hall's inner workings, from the traffic operations center to the helipad perched above downtown. The visit, organized as part of Falcone's "50 for 50 Challenge," celebrated City Hall's anniversary by inviting young people to see their local government up close with their very own eyes.
Two months ago, Riverside City Hall commemorated its 50th anniversary since its establishment on Oct. 6, 1975. In honor of the milestone, Falcone announced the "50 for 50 Challenge," a mission that aimed to host 50 youth tours in 12 months to help students understand how local government functions.
"This is really about planting a seed," Falcone said. "I talk to people all the time who grew up in Riverside in the '80s and '90s who visited City Hall during Youth and Government Day, and they tell me it inspired them and helped shape their career paths. Even though this effort is small, it can inspire young people to pursue government work in the future."
Today, a growing disconnect exists between youth and civic engagement. While classroom lessons help to a degree, the chance to look behind the scenes satisfies human curiosity on a much deeper level. By bringing students directly into City Hall, Falcone hopes to spark interest and empower the next generation of civic leaders.
"Humans are curious — people like seeing what's behind the scenes," Falcone said. "Because we're such visual beings, seeing it firsthand is more illuminating, enjoyable, and educational than just reading about it in a textbook. People want to see it for themselves."
On the Dec. 1 youth tour, Notre Dame High School's ASB members had the opportunity to explore the city's operations firsthand. Over the course of an hour, several parts of the building quickly became student favorites.
"My favorite part of the tour was getting to see the security cameras scanning the streets downtown," junior Ventura Renteria said. "I also liked standing on the helicopter pad and getting to see all of downtown Riverside from up there."
These tours also aim to dispel common misconceptions that deter youth from civic involvement.
"Oftentimes I hear young people say, 'I don't like politics,'" Falcone said. "And I always say, 'Working for the city and making your community better is not politics.' Local government has political aspects, but it's nothing like what you see in Washington, D.C. or Sacramento. People see how toxic and argumentative those environments can be, and they assume that's what we do here — but it's very different at the local level. That's the misconception I see most."
By the end of the tour, the experience prompted several students to think differently about their local government. For students like Renteria, the tour shifted their perspective on how City Hall impacts daily life.
"I feel more curious about my local government now," Renteria said. "I never fully grasped what City Hall did for our city until after the tour. Now I realize its importance. I would definitely want to do another tour like this in the future — it was cool getting to know more about the city I live in."
With more tours scheduled in the coming months, the "50 for 50 Challenge" is set to bring hundreds of students of all ages through City Hall's doors. For Falcone, each visit reinforces that civic engagement begins with exposure — and that a single afternoon behind the scenes can reshape how young people view their city.
As City Hall marks its 50th year, Riverside is placing its future in the hands of the next generation — one tour at a time.
By Erik Chen
