Valparaiso Invites Participants to City Government Academy

To encourage community engagement, the City of Valparaiso offers an eight-week City Government  Academy for residents to learn more about how city government works in Valparaiso. “Nearly 200 people  have graduated from our City Government Academy. We’re pleased to see them go on to become more  engaged in the community. In fact, several of our graduates are currently serving in elected or appointed  positions throughout the city,” said Maggie Clifton, Valpo’s Director of Community Engagement and  creator of the academy. The 2026 academy will run from May 13 to July 1, meeting on Wednesday  evenings, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  

“The City Government Academy shares the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of Valparaiso government and participants  learn more about how decisions are made, how dollars are allocated and how services are delivered  each day,” said Clifton. Academy participation is free but limited to 35 participants per session, with  priority given to Valparaiso residents.  

Register for the 2026 Class  To learn more about the academy and register for the next class, visit tinyurl.com/ValpoAcademy or  contact Maggie Clifton at (219) 462-1161, MClifton@valpo.us.