MORRIS, Ill. — Youth from area schools traveled to Morris last week to spend time with local community leaders and learn more about civic engagement during the 2026 Grundy County Government Day program hosted by the University of Illinois Extension’s 4-H program. Held this year at the Morris Hospital YMCA, the program provided students with a chance to hear directly from community-serving agencies, learn more about their jobs and programs, and engage in civic learning.
“Government Day is an excellent opportunity to give students a glimpse into their community,” said Kylee Zoran, Illinois Extension 4-H program coordinator serving Grundy County. “Giving youth the opportunity to interact directly with agencies that serve their community gives them a unique way to learn about how the community functions.”
This year’s event was different than past years and saw partnering organizations, called civic learning partners by Illinois Extension, come together to share more about their work in the community. Students visited with each civic learning partner and received a stamp. Once all stamps were received, the student received a prize to recognize their participation.
Participating partners included City of Morris, Guardian Angel, Grundy County Coroner, Grundy Highway Department, HLM Recovery, Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau, Morris Hospital YMCA, Morris Library, Senator Chris Balkema, WCSJ FM, and Will-Grundy Medical Clinic.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to ask questions, explore different career paths, and learn more about the organizations and public agencies. From healthcare and agriculture to public safety and local government, each partner shared how their work contributes to the strength and well-being of the community.
According to Jenna Siegel, Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau Manager, the event allowed her agency to educate youth on the impact of local careers tied to the agriculture industry:
"It was great to share the importance of agriculture, an important industry that provides countless jobs and contributes to our local economy,” said Siegel. “This is always a wonderful event, and I’m thankful to Kylee for inviting us to participate again. This year provided a unique spin on a ‘career fair’ and it was great to interact directly with youth from the community.”
Zoran said programs like Government Day help youth better understand the importance of community involvement while also encouraging them to think about ways they can make a difference in the future.
“Helping youth build connections with local leaders and organizations is an important part of preparing them to become engaged community members themselves. We hope students left the event with a stronger understanding of the many people and agencies working together to serve Grundy County.”
For more information about 4-H, visit go.illinois.edu/About4hGKW.
SOURCE: Kylee Zoran, 4-H Program Coordinator, Illinois Extension.
WRITER: Anthony Warmack, Communications and Marketing Program Coordinator, Illinois Extension.
INTERVIEWS: Contact Anthony Warmack, warmacka@illinois.edu, to request specialist interviews on this topic.
MEDIA ACCESS: Images in this story can be downloaded for media use.
About Illinois 4-H: Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.