If you’re looking for a way to be more civically engaged, why not attend the Aurora Public Library District’s (APLD) hybrid program, Civic Education Series: School Boards at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30? You can join the event in person at the Santori Library (Room 125/126) or on Facebook Live. To attend the program at the Santori Library, registration is required: aurorapubliclibrary.org/events.
What exactly is a school board? While practices vary, a school board’s essential function is to provide local citizen control over education at a point as close to the parent and child as possible,” (Illinois Association of School Boards).
During the session, attendees will learn more about the role school boards play in education and the community from Daniel Barriero, vice president, District 131 (East Aurora); Laurie Donahue, President, District 204 (Indian Prairie); Donna Marino, president, District 308 (Oswego); and Robert Gonzalez, past president and Board member of West Aurora District 129.
“School Boards” is sponsored in partnership with the League of Women Voters Aurora Area, a nonpartisan political organization, [that] encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
APLD is a partner with the League of Women Voters in the past, along with the Gail Borden Public Library District in Elgin, to present a webinar for those who are interested in running for the board of library trustees.
“As a new library district, it was our first time to have an election for library trustees, and working with the League allowed us to make sure that Aurora residents had the information they needed if they were interested in running. It was a great webinar and I’m looking forward to working with the League again in the next election cycle!” Michaela Haberkern, APLD executive director, said enthusistically.
“School Boards” is part of the larger APLD Civic Education Series. Some past events include Civic Education Series: County Board and Civic Education Series: Township Government, where attendees learned about the roles these forms of legislature and government play in community life. Along with many other past APLD programs, these sessions are still available for viewing on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/AuroraPublicLibraryIL) and Facebook page (facebook.com/APLibraryIL)!
People usually associate civic engagement with political organizations or town halls, so why is it important for libraries to be involved?
“Libraries are all about making sure that people have the information that they need, and understanding how our local, state and federal government agencies work is information that everyone can use,” Haberkern siad. “Whether it’s making sure that you know what resources are available to you, or how you can participate in government, or just staying informed so that you can keep your elected representatives accountable – everyone needs to have a solid civic education. Because we live in a democracy, it’s our right and our responsibility as citizens to understand all we can, so that we can make informed decisions about what’s best for ourselves and our communities,” Haberkern said.
We hope to see you at Civic Education Series: School Boards, on your way to becoming more civically informed. And if you prefer to learn through reading, we always have plenty of books in our catalog!