The National Civic League announced today that City of Avondale, Arizona is a finalist for the 2016 All-America City Award (AAC). The award, given to 10 communities each year, celebrates and recognizes neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties, tribes and regions that engage residents in innovative, inclusive and effective efforts to tackle critical challenges.
The finalists represent the diversity of American communities from the largest cities to the smallest towns, from east to west and north to south. Finalist communities include the 7th largest city in America (San Antonio) and a town of only 7,000 people (Hartsville, South Carolina). But the 20 finalists share a common bond of working to ensure that all their youth are healthy and supported in school and life.
The 2016 All-America City Finalists:
| Avondale, Arizona | Woodbury, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Marana, Arizona | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Hayward, California | Asheboro, North Carolina |
| Indio, California | Salisbury, North Carolina |
| Whittier, California | Charleston County, South Carolina |
| Lakewood, Colorado | Hartsville, South Carolina |
| New Britain, Connecticut | Missouri City, Texas |
| Council Bluffs, Iowa | San Antonio, Texas |
| Fall River, Massachusetts | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Columbia Heights, Minnesota | Brown Deer, Wisconsin |
The focus of the 2016 All-America City Award is on communities that have taken innovative action to engage residents in ensuring that all children are healthy and supported to succeed 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 influences on the success of children and inclusively uses all sectors to address those barriers.
“All-America Cities are places where people are coming together to address important issues like youth success and racial equity,” said Doug Linkhart, the President of the National Civic League. “These cities and towns are harnessing the power of community to build their own future.”
Teams of residents, leaders from nonprofit, business, and government; and young people from each of the communities will present their story and programs to a jury of nationally recognized business, local government, and philanthropic leaders on June 17-19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. Through workshops they will share insights with innovators from across the country. The event is every bit as much about learning and networking as it is about competing for the coveted All-America City title.
“Each year we use an extensive process with an expert jury to determine the All-America Cities,” said Linkhart.” All-America Cities aren’t perfect. There’s no such thing as a perfect community. The award honors cities that mobilize community partnerships to address local challenges. These stories inform and inspire other communities facing similar challenges.”
Stephanie Small, Avondale’s Neighborhood & Family Services director, said that this year’s focus on healthy children and families makes Avondale an ideal contender for the award. “Avondale is a community that prides itself on building partnerships to support its families, neighborhoods and businesses. Our entry for the All-America City Award highlights the effectiveness of those partnerships and the importance of community building.”
