The inaugural class of the Hingham Local Government Academy received their certificates of completion at Town Hall on November 19th, after a final session that focused on Town governance and featured the Town Clerk, Town Moderator, and members of the Select Board, School Committee, and Advisory Committee.
Hingham launched the Local Government Academy in October for Town residents who are interested in a hands-on learning experience about their government and its operations.
Through the Academy, 11 Town residents over an eight-week period interacted with elected Town officials, department heads, and staff across all the Town’s operations, including administration, public safety, culture and recreation, permitting, public works, education, and governance.
Each weekly class took participants to a different Town facility and included much “hands on” experience. At the Hingham Fire Headquarters, the class got to ride in the bucket on the ladder truck “Quint’s” 100’ tower. The Hingham Police Department demonstrated the use of drones in police work and introduced the class to Opry, the Department’s comfort dog used in community engagement as well as being a calming presence to victims of trauma or those in crisis. Among other Academy “classrooms” were the South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center (the Town-hosted regional 911 dispatch center), the Department of Public Works, South Shore Country Club, Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, and Hingham High School.
“The residents who participated in the Local Government Academy expressed the same level of enthusiasm we’ve had over the years with the Citizen’s Police Academy,” said Town Administrator Tom Mayo, who based the Local Government Academy on the Town’s popular Citizen’s Police Academy. “I can’t think of a better way to really introduce people to the workings of THEIR local government, and to encourage their ongoing interest and hopefully participation on a Town committee or board.” The Town Administrator took full advantage of that last point by encouraging Academy participants to join a Town board or committee by completing a Talent Bank application.
Feedback from the graduates themselves was overwhelmingly positive, citing the enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication of everyone they met with, as well as having gained firsthand a deeper understanding of what it takes to run a Town and how complex it is.
Hingham’s Local Government Academy will be offered annually in the fall.
From classroom presentations (above) to field trips (below) Hingham’s inaugural Local Government Academy was a success.
Eight of the eleven members of the 2024 Inaugural Class of the Hingham Local Government Academy posed for a picture at the last LGA session.