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The City of LaGrange is currently accepting applications for the 2022 Class of LaGrange 101.

LaGrange 101 is a free class hosted by the City of LaGrange that allows local citizens to experience an inside look at city government. The class will last six weeks and will meet Monday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each week participants will learn about different departments of local government. The goal of the classes is to develop more informed and involved citizens.

“The reason why it would be good for someone to come to these classes is that all governments are run differently. If you come from a different community and you move to LaGrange, this is a great opportunity to learn about our government,” said Katie Van Schoor, the City of LaGrange Marketing and Communications Manager.

During LaGrange 101, participants get the opportunity to attend meetings with department heads in the city of LaGrange government, which then conduct a presentation with the class and talk about what they do. There also will be tours of government facilities and many opportunities to know who runs each department, she said.

According to Van Schoor, each Monday night from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. dinner will be provided by a local restaurant or a local caterer. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., they will have two different department heads sometimes three, depending on their schedule, discussing what their jobs are.

The first class will take place on Monday, Oct. 3. and the final class will be on Monday, Nov. 14. Graduation from the class will take place at the LaGrange City Council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 22.

“On the first day, we’ll have an intro to the city of LaGrange government, and we’ll have Mayor Jim Thornton discuss why it’s important to educate our community. Then, we’ll also have our city manager Meg Kelsey, give an overview of our city government,” Van Schoor said.

Only 15 citizens will be selected for LaGrange 101. Applicants will be notified if they are chosen by Friday, Sept. 23.

“Unfortunately, we only have room for 15, so we give a lot of attention to each and every one of the participants. We strive to make sure that it’s a diverse group and that it’s open to everyone,” Van Schoor said. “We just want to make sure that you learn as much as you can about our community and about the city of LaGrange government.”

The application deadline for the 2022 Class of LaGrange is Friday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m.

For more information on the application and process, email Van Schoor at kvanschoor@lagrangega.org.