Townships Governance Academy

Township Governance Academy
Bringing township governance to a new level

The Township Governance Academy (TGA) is a voluntary credentialing program intended to give township board members and other leaders the knowledge and skills needed to make effective decisions for the benefit of their township. It’s designed to professionally challenge you and enhance your experience serving as an elected official.

The Academy offers new ideas, shares “best practices” in township government and provides a hands-on approach to help you deal more effectively with everyday issues that your board faces. The program consists of 70 required credits, obtained by attending a curriculum of 11 courses and earning electives credits. The coursework is divided into three categories:

Foundations Courses (28 credits)
Boardsmanship Courses (24 credits)
Electives (18 credits)

After completing each course, TGA candidates will be asked to take the information they’ve learned a step further by trying out an idea or concept of their choosing in their township and then reporting the results to MTA. It’s a simple process, but one that will get you thinking and putting what you’ve learned into action. For more information about TGA, download an informational brochure here or email tga@michigantownships.org.

Apply for a TGA Scholarship

Thanks to our main sponsor--BS&A Software--along with our supporting sponsors, the Burnham & Flower Insurance Group, ITC Holdings and Foresight Group, several "Governance in Action" scholarships are available to elected officials in member townships, based on demonstrated financial need and other criteria. Applications must be received at the MTA office by March 1 to be considered for a scholarship this year.

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TGA Group on Community Connection

Join the TGA Group on Community Connection where you can interact and ask real time questions of your TGA candidate peers.

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Online classes

Several of the required courses in the TGA curriculum are available in MTA's Online Learning Center for purchase and viewing at your convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! To obtain credit, you must purchase and view all segments/parts of the webcast, submit the standard PAC form and receive a minimum passing score of 70 percent on the quiz offered following the last segment of the course.

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Upcoming TGA classes

The TGA curriculum will repeat on a regular basis, so you can enroll in the program at any time taking courses as they work out in your schedule. Once you enroll in the Academy, retroactive credit will be applied for courses attended within six months prior to enrollment.

Questions?