For university students around the world, it was a tough year. Students used to the traditional in-person educational setting were forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to continue their learning from behind a screen. Programming and events were moved to video conference platforms, and opportunities for engagement were moved online.

Our ICMA Student Chapter members worked hard this past year to find new ways to engage from their virtual school environments. They were creative and innovative in using their resources to plan events, programs, and activities that engaged fellow students interested in the local government profession.

This year, the theme of ICMA’s Annual Best Chapter Event Contest was innovating student engagement in a virtual world. Chapters presented their most successful and creative event of the year to members of the ICMA Executive Board, highlighting the event’s topic, involvement, and impact. With this annual contest, ICMA shows its support for student members and all the work they do throughout the year to engage students who aspire to join the local government profession.

Our winners—Grand Valley State University, Central Michigan University, University of Arizona, and University of Georgia—are a true testament to resiliency and creativity when barriers are present. These chapters found new ways to engage virtually and still create dynamic experiences for their student members and campus community.

Grand Valley State University and Central Michigan University

Winning Event: Joint Virtual Conference, “Michigan Emerging Leaders Student Local Government Conference”

This was the first time these chapters came together to create an event of this size, with over 100 participants. The goal of the conference was to provide students and emerging local government leaders with meaningful professional development and networking opportunities by bringing them together with current local government leaders at different points of their career.

According to Natalie Davenport, vice president of the ICMA Student Chapter at Grand Valley State University, “The conference was an exciting and unique way to foster connections, build relationships, and uplift local government leaders. Networking has undoubtedly been an obstacle for students throughout the pandemic, so it was nice to bring everyone together in this format. I am grateful for all the managers and working professionals that took time out of their day to offer advice and input to students; it truly is inspiring to witness their dedication to the profession.”

The event consisted of four parts, starting out with a presentation by retired finance director Karen Lancaster from the city of Ann Arbor, titled, “Eight Things About Finances Every Local Government Manager Should Know.” There was a round of presentations by representatives from a variety of state and national affiliate organizations and time for breakout rooms around topics in local government management. The event concluded with a labor negotiation simulation activity written by the city manager of Muskegon, Frank Petersen, in which students practiced collective bargaining.

“I want to thank Dr. Sohee Jeon for collaborating with me to restore the CMU ICMA Student Chapter, along with the individuals who are a part of the chapter to make this all possible,” said Christopher Frazer, president of the ICMA Student Chapter at Central Michigan University. “In addition, I want to thank Katie Beemer and Neil Buckwalter for their  collaboration, as well as the Oakland University ICMA Student Chapter.”

University of Arizona

Winning Event: Four-Part Webinar Series, “Student Connections: 4 Steps in Your Public Service Career”

As a way to remotely integrate students into local government, this webinar series helped current students connect with recent MPA graduates, as well as seasoned and executive-level local government professionals across multiple fields, to discuss current and future challenges and to establish recurring mentorship opportunities.

The webinars featured an opening panel event with MPA and MPP alumni, a mentorship program between alumni and current students, a speaking event with ICMA member Darin Atteberry, concluding with a virtual panel of four regional local  government professionals. Overall, the series engaged approximately 60 attendees, providing them the opportunity to establish new professional relationships, create mentorships, and learn about the dynamics of municipal management.

University of Georgia

Winning Event: Black Professionals Panel

In recognition of Black History Month, the UGA ICMA Student Chapter held a panel highlighting the voices and experiences of four black professionals in the state of Georgia: Antonio Brown (Atlanta city council member), Krystle Cobran (inclusion officer of Athens-Clarke County Unified Government), Nathaniel Smith (founder and chief equity officer of Partnership for Southern Equity), and Tangela Beard (executive director of Project Safe).

For this event, the chapter garnered the support of the UGA Graduate Student Association, the UGA Student Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, and the School of Public and International Affairs Honors Society of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This collaboration allowed the event to reach even more students to introduce them to local government and how various public service professions can positively impact local communities.

One particularly enlightening piece of advice given by panelists came from Nathaniel Smith and was echoed by the rest of the panel. Nathaniel described public service leadership as taking part in a relay race, highlighting both the limits of individuals or specific organizations to singlehandedly address community issues and the importance of collaboration and cooperation in their efforts to improve their local communities.

We congratulate our winning chapters, and we thank all our students for their hard work and dedication this past year. Learn more about ICMA Student Chapters here.

 

REBECCA DESANTIS is a program manager of career and equity advancement, ICMA (rdesantis@icma.org).