Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The MMA is moving its 8th Grade Essay contest from January to the spring in order to coincide with the second annual Municipal Month in Massachusetts.
In past years, the MMA solicited submissions for the essay contest during the fall, with the winner recognized at the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show in January.
With the advent of Municipal Month, the MMA will officially kick off the essay contest at its Annual Meeting, with the winner receiving the award in May.
The contest encourages the potential local leaders of the future to reflect on the role of key elected officials and how cities and town operate. At a time when cities and towns find it increasingly difficult to fill important positions on volunteer boards or to reach quorums for town meetings, the contest seeks to expand students’ knowledge of local government and to instill an interest in civic participation at a young age, leading to a more informed constituency and greater engagement by residents.
A third-grade poster contest held at the 2018 MMA Annual Meeting will not be held this year.
Complete information about how students can enter the essay contest will be available early next year.