The city will launch its 10-week East Lansing Emerging Leaders Program at 6:30 p.m. today at the Hannah Center, 819 Abbott Road, to help 22 East Lansing citizens hone their leadership skills and achieve a better understanding of city government.

City officials said they hope the workshop will encourage these citizens to take a more active role in pursuing positions with the city, said Annette Irwin, the city’s operations administrator for the Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation Department.

“We’re hoping to share information with residents in the city about East Lansing city government and how we operate,” Irwin said. “We’re hoping this will make them want to take leadership roles within the city – not necessarily by running for City Council – but the city has many different volunteer opportunities.”

Locally or nationally known guests will speak at each session about topics ranging from new developments and zoning codes to conflict resolution and government procedure.

The opening night will feature MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason and Peter Plastrik, co-author of “Banishing Bureaucracy: The Five Strategies for Reinventing Government.”

Instead of lecturing, the guest speakers will use interactive methods to teach the students, Irwin said.

“We’ll be using different formats just so that it makes it more interesting for them,” she said.

Derek Dobies, a political theory and constitutional democracy senior, said he hopes the program offers unique ways to get involved in the community and learn how to be leaders.

“If you want to make a difference and be a leader, then the first step is to get educated, and that’s one of the main aims of this program, to give people the knowledge and the experience of the processes necessary for city government to function,” Dobies said.

East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh said the program will be a great opportunity for the city to breed the next generation of leaders.

“Long-term I can see people who have gone through this program serving the city on a board or commission or eventually on the City Council,” Singh said.