The Local Government CECH-UP Program is designed to teach middle school students about local government in Missouri and to involve them in issues confronting their communities. While the program may need some modification to meet each community´s local needs and circumstances, its basic format utilizes classroom learning, site visits, the development of community projects, and participation in a projects fair to provide comprehensive learning experiences for participants

The specific goals of the program include:

1. teaching students about, and involving them in, local government.
2. bringing students into direct contact with local governments and local government officials.
3. familiarizing students with the profession of city management and public administration.
4. providing opportunities for students to research and discuss problems and challenges facing local government in their communities.
5. enhancing the learning process by having students develop class, small group and individual projects related to some aspect of local government.
6. providing schools with local government curriculum resources that can be tailored to local government and local issues.
7. fostering the development of a Local Government CECH-UP network among teachers, students, Extension field staff, and local government officials across Missouri, and
8. strengthening the relationship among local government, schools, and University Extension across the state.