Weston Ranch Little League players traded the baseball field for the council dais Tuesday, taking part in a mock government meeting at Stockton’s new City Hall as officials launched an expanded civic education initiative for local youth and community organizations.

The visit, organized by Vice Mayor Jason Lee and City Clerk Katherine Roland, gave the young athletes a firsthand look at how city government works. It also included the presentation of a $5,000 grant from Lee’s discretionary funds to help the league cover rising expenses, improve its fields and keep registration costs affordable.

“Our democracy is strongest when our young people understand how government works and recognize that their voices matter,” Lee said in a statement announcing the initiative.

During the mock meeting, children took seats normally occupied by the mayor and City Council members, participated in a roll call, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and learned how public hearings, motions and votes are conducted.

The young council members then considered a mock agenda item involving the $5,000 grant to Weston Ranch Little League. City officials walked them through the roles of council members, city staff and the city attorney, including how proposals are reviewed before government money can be spent.

The event was the first activity under a renewed effort by Lee and Roland to connect students, families, educators, coaches, sports teams and community organizations with local government through free City Hall tours and civic engagement programs.

Mark Spaulding, who has volunteered with Weston Ranch Little League for more than 20 years, said the money could prevent the organization from having to raise its fees next season.

“It’ll be huge,” Spaulding said. “Everything over the last couple years — fees and costs — have gone up.”

Spaulding said the league will likely use part of the grant to replace wood around backstops and make other improvements to its fields. The organization uses fields at August Knodt Elementary School and Paul E. Weston Park.

Although Stockton’s field costs are lower than those charged in some other cities, Spaulding said every dollar matters for a smaller youth organization.

“We should be able to add some improvements to the fields,” he said. “Very likely, we won’t have to raise any fees going into next season. We’ll be able to keep it like it was.”

The league served about 193 children this season, Spaulding said. It offers coed baseball for children ages 4 to 16 and began offering girls softball last season.

Spaulding said the league is working to expand its softball program as more girls register. He described Little League as one of the few youth programs that continues to emphasize participation and enjoyment over money and competition.

“You try to enforce the having fun over the winning-the-games part,” he said. “You just want all the kids to be able to come out and play baseball.”

Financial support can be difficult to secure in Weston Ranch, Spaulding said, because the community has few small, locally owned businesses that can sponsor teams or donate directly to youth programs. Many of the businesses operating in the area are corporations whose grants and charitable contributions are handled outside Stockton.

“Grants like this are just huge for maintaining costs,” he said.

Roland said the City Clerk’s Office wants residents to view City Hall as more than a place to attend meetings, obtain permits or complete government paperwork.

“City Hall belongs to everyone,” Roland said in the announcement. “Our goal is to make government accessible, engaging and educational for students of all ages.”

Free City Hall tours are available by appointment to schools, sports teams, youth organizations, nonprofits and other community groups. Standard tours last about 40 minutes and can include visits to the council chambers, information about Stockton’s history and a review of historical artifacts displayed inside City Hall.

Tours can also be customized based on a group’s age, curriculum and interests. Available topics include careers in city government, the responsibilities of council members, the history and architecture of City Hall, mock council meetings and ways residents can participate in local government.

Spaulding said experiences such as Tuesday’s visit can show children that there are ways to serve their community beyond athletics.

“I bet none of them — maybe one or two of them — had ever actually been to City Hall in any fun way,” he said. “Being able to come down here and interact with people, it makes them feel a bit more happy with city government.”

He said the visit could also encourage children to become involved in clubs, school activities or other community programs.

Lee said exposing young residents to local government can help them imagine themselves pursuing careers as elected officials, engineers, planners, attorneys, firefighters, police officers or public administrators.

“If we want to cultivate the next generation of leaders, we have to start by investing in their curiosity today,” Lee said.

Organizations interested in scheduling a free tour can contact the Stockton City Clerk’s Office at City.Clerk@stocktonca.gov.