“The only way to keep government going is to get young people involved.”
- Janet Sirabian
One of the greatest challenges facing our nation today is declining trust in public institutions, particularly government. This reality is reflected in many ways, including the low voter participation rates we continue to see in local, state, and national elections. Some individuals believe we can address this issue through our current teaching of Civics in our local schools, but while Civics Education remains an important part of our schools’ curriculum, classroom instruction alone is not enough to reverse this trend.
As noted in a recent issue of the Illinois Municipal League’s Review magazine, “to truly resonate, students need to experience government in action.” Here in Darien, we have embraced that philosophy through the creation of a six-week summer “Local Government Internship Program,” an initiative designed to provide students with a firsthand understanding of local government and the important role citizens play in shaping their communities. This six-week immersive program at its initiation in 2025 welcomed three Hinsdale South students with the goal of introducing them to the many facets of municipal government.
Throughout this six-week program, the students spent ten hours each week working within a different city department, including: City Administration; Municipal Services; Community Development, Public Safety, and the working of elected officials at the city, county and state levels. As they worked directly alongside city staff, they gained insight into how local government functioned, and how decisions made at City Hall impact the daily life of residents.
In addition to their departmental experiences, students met with local business leaders who discussed the importance of a strong partnership between the business community and our local government. They also had opportunities to meet and interview elected officials at the local, county, and state levels, who provided valuable perspectives on public service and civic leadership.
A cornerstone of the program is the “Capstone Project,” whereby each student identifies a city issue, researches the topic, and develops a plan to address and provide a reasonable solution. At the conclusion of the internship, students presented their Capstone Project to the Darien City Council, and later to the District #86 Board of Education. The completion of these projects demonstrated not only what the students learned, but also how they could contribute to solving real-world community challenges.
The success of the 2025 inaugural program and the overwhelmingly positive feedback it received led us to expand the initiative this year. During the summer of 2026, six students, two from Hinsdale South and four from Downers Grove South will participate in a slightly revised program. Over the coming weeks they will rotate through each of our major departments as last year’s group did, and will conclude their six-week journey with the development of a Capstone Project.
Students from each of these schools will present their Capstone either individually or as a group, and as opposed to last year’s interns, they will present their Capstone Project before the Darien City Council and the District #86 and District #99 school boards. They will each receive one-half credit from their respective schools, and in recognition of their commitment and achievement, they will be awarded a $500.00 Darien Lions Civic Participation Scholarship.
The broader objective of this program extends beyond simply teaching students about government; the goal is “not just educating students about government, but showing them that local government is accessible, impactful, and, for some, a meaningful career path. That is precisely what we hope to accomplish here in Darien. By connecting the classroom to the community, we are helping students understand how local government works, why civic engagement matters, and how they can play a role in shaping the future of our city. Through experiences like these, we can inspire the next generation of informed citizens, community leaders, and public servants.
The future of our democracy depends on engaged and informed citizens. In Darien, we are proud to invest in that future today.