by Niles Anderegg, research and content development associate, ICMA 

With back-to-school season upon us, it is a good opportunity to remind public administration and public policy students of the resources that ICMA has available for them as they look toward their future careers in local government. Here are four ICMA resources that all future local government leaders should explore:

1. Student memberships. ICMA offers student membership at a reduced $25.00 rate. Membership gives them access to such ICMA benefits as free webinars and waived ICMA Annual Conference registration fees.

2. Student chapters. ICMA has nearly 80 student chapters at universities around the world. They provide students with networking, scholarship, and leadership opportunities and, in some cases, first-hand experience with local government.

3. Fellowship and internship opportunities. ICMA's Local Government Management Fellowship program is designed to help recent graduates break into local government. ICMA also provides other resources to help students find opportunities, including the ICMA Job Center.

4. Emerging Leaders Development Program. This program matches early and mid-career professionals with ICMA Credentialed Managers, who help them develop the skill-set necessary to be an effective manager.  

To find out more about the resources available to students, check out our Student page.

Related resources

New Hampshire Students Learn the Ins and Outs of City Management Amid Snowstorm. In this 2018 blog post, one ICMA Student Chapter learned about local government management during a snowstorm.  

Students Leave Their Mark on ICMA Regional Conferences. This blog post from 2018 looks at the experience that ICMA student members had at ICMA regional conferences.

11 Things Students Can't Miss at the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference. In this article, ICMA looks at what events are best for students during the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference.