Forsyth County Opens Registration for Fifth Citizens’ Academy; Residents, Businesses, Students Invited

Forsyth County opened registration on Feb. 19, 2026, for what the county lists as the fifth Citizens’ Academy, a free, immersive program that provides a behind-the-scenes view of county operations. Residents, small business owners and students who attend local colleges are explicitly invited to apply.

The county described the offering as an immersive program; county materials list this session as the fifth Citizens’ Academy in the series. Registration began Feb. 19 and the announcement identified three specific applicant groups - residents, small business owners and students attending local colleges - as eligible to participate.

Forsyth County is positioning the academy as an entry point for civic engagement by opening access to a range of community stakeholders. The program is free, and the county’s announcement emphasized hands-on exposure by using the phrase behind-the-scenes in describing the curriculum and activities planned for participants.

Local small business owners and students at Forsyth County’s colleges have been singled out in county outreach. By naming small business owners and college students in its invitation, Forsyth County is targeting both the county’s commercial community and the next generation of civic participants for direct contact with county operations.

The county’s listing of this session as the fifth Citizens’ Academy signals continuity in the program; Forsyth County began accepting applications on Feb. 19, 2026, and positions the academy as part of an ongoing series. Interested parties were asked to note the county’s designation of this session as the fifth in the series when considering application timing and eligibility.

Forsyth County’s opening of registration on Feb. 19, 2026, marks the start of this year’s enrollment period for the Citizens’ Academy and reiterates the county’s focus on making a free, immersive, behind-the-scenes program available to residents, small business owners and college students. The county lists this session as the fifth such academy in its series.