The other finalists are Goodyear, Ariz.; Cerritos, Calif.; Aurora, Colo.; New Haven, Conn.; Kissimmee- Osceola County, Fla.; Sarasota County, Fla.; Somerville, Mass.; Gladstone, Mo.; the St. Louis Region, Missouri-Illinois; Lenoir, N.C.; Reidsville, N.C.; Akron, Ohio; Upper Dublin Township, Penn.; Abbeville County, S.C.; Selma, Texas and Caroline County, Va.
Each finalist completed an extensive application providing detailed descriptions of the challenges they face and the impacts of three community projects to address those challenges.
The next step is for each community to send a delegation to Tampa for an awards competition and innovations forum from June 4-6. The winners will be announced June 6.
The All-America City Awards recognizes communities for collaboration, inclusiveness, and successful innovation. All-America Cities demonstrate community-wide civic accomplishments, cross-sector cooperation, grassroots participation, and creative approaches to issues such as the need for low-income housing, support for at-risk youth, downtown revitalization, and healthcare for the uninsured.
“The original community award, the All-America City Award is the ‘Oscar’ for communities of all sizes,” said National Civic League President Gloria Rubio-Cortés. “It recognizes the efforts of entire communities and exemplifies extensive civic engagement.”
During the three-day competition, a delegation from each community will present its programs and solutions to a jury of national experts from across the United States. Their presentations will address the community’s social and economic issues, including at least one project that focuses on the needs of young people.
A jury of national business, government, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders will select the top 10 communities based on their presentations and applications.
This year the awards program will feature Innovation Forums to promote peer-to-peer dialogues among the finalist communities and regional and national leaders. The topics include best practices of All-America Cities, effectively marketing your community, a youth forum, and a chief elected and appointed officials forum on civic issues. Hot topic workshops are being developed on green solutions, immigrant integration, the community side of the subprime lending crisis and other issues.
Now in its 59th year, the All-America City Award is an honor achieved by more than 500 neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties, and regions across the country.