Did you know that Illinois is one of only 20 states with a township form of government? There will be more such information in the second part of the two-part Civic Education Series, Township Government: What does it do and why do we need it? Aurora Township trustee, Brenda Hernandez, will discuss the answers to these questions and more from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 18 through Zoom and streamed live on the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) Facebook page, www.facebook.com/APLibraryIL.This program is presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters Aurora Area.
Brenda Hernandez was elected to Aurora Township as a trustee in 2017 to make her the youngest elected official in Kane County at the time. She has focused on sustainable solutions and engaging the youth to get involved in community government and sports, specifically those in underserved communities. Brenda has been a partner with State representative Barbara Hernandez to bring career day to East Aurora High School where juniors and seniors are encouraged to explore a variety of career paths in fields such as law, manufacturing, government, education, criminal justice, and global exporting. Brenda has been a partner with colleges and universities to take future first generation college students on tours to explore degrees and find scholarship opportunities.
With unique layers of government such as Townships, Illinois can be a complicated State to understand as young people and adults alike strive to engage with democracy and participate in the public decision-making process. The actions of both elected and appointed governing bodies affect residents of cities, counties, and townships, in various ways. The Civic Education Series is designed to illuminate these lesser-known units and demystify the structure of government that can seem confusing or redundant. The first part of this series, presented in January, focused on county boards, featuring Kane County Board members Mavis Bates and Myrna Molina along with Kendall County Board members Robyn Vickers and Amy Cesich. Panelists discussed what county boards do, how they work, and where they fit in the community governing structure. Video of this program is available on the Library YouTube page at youtube.com/c/AuroraPublicLibraryIL.
The series is targeted toward a broad audience, including teachers, teens, and even middle-grade students who are learning about civic engagement and basic government in the classroom. Trustee Hernandez will speak directly from her experience to provide reliable and trustworthy information and a primary resource. Likewise, young people and adults who are interested in joining local government and politics will benefit from hearing the lived expertise Hernandez offers as a young leader in our community.
Krista Danis, events and program coordinators said, “The opportunity to hear from passionate local leadership about their service to our community and the role they fill as our representatives in various levels of governance is invaluable to the development of an informed civic populace. With the Civic Education Series, including the county boards’ panel in January and upcoming township program, we have provided an objective and safe space to learn about these building blocks to democracy that is otherwise unavailable to many community members.”
For those who are unable to attend this session at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, a recording will be made available on the Library’s social media channels, including YouTube and Facebook. To subscribe to our YouTube channel to view this and hundreds of amazing programs, visit www.youtube.com/c/AuroraPublicLibraryIL
To register for your exclusive Zoom link, visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/event/4875334
Krista Danis is the events and program coordinator for the Aurora Public Library District.