Is your town an “All-America City?” Award applications due March 9

The National Civic League recognizes ten communities each year for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, each community must demonstrate innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross sector collaboration by describing successful efforts to address pressing local challenges.

The 2016 All-America City Award will recognize community efforts to ensure that all children are healthy and supported in school and life. Our goal with this spotlight is to raise up local examples of innovative and effective community problem-solving that recognizes all the factors that influence the success of children and uses all sectors to address those factors. Potential efforts could include:

School attendance Child/family health (including targeted community health efforts) Positive discipline interventions Transportation (particularly focused on enabling children and their parents to access key services, employment or school) Poverty/housing Healthy food access Job opportunities/skill development Creating safe neighborhoods Creating healthy natural environments that support young people’s learning, activity or health. These examples are intended to give a sense of the range of programs which fit with this year’s theme, they are not exhaustive. NCL is particularly committed to identifying and recognizing efforts which support and engage vulnerable young people.

If you are wondering whether you should apply – feel free to contact Sarah Lipscomb, All-America City Coordinator to discuss your projects and the application process. Email Sarah at: aac@ncl.org

Please click here for more information or to how to apply.

Key Dates in the Application Process

1. March 9, 2016 — Submit Application Submit your application along with $200 fee (unless you submitted a Letter of Intent before November 5)

2. April 2016 — Finalists Announced Finalists will be announced in early April.  And Finalists community delegations will be invited to Denver to compete to win the All-America City Award.  Teams from each Finalist community will travel to Denver to present the story of their work and community to one another and to a jury of national civic experts.

3. June 2016 — All-America City Award Event (Dates TBD) The All-America City Award event is a multi-day celebration of community, innovation, and excellence.  The event includes peer-learning workshops,  presentations from each of the Finalists, panel discussions, and cultural showcases.  The Awards Event takes place in Denver, Colorado.