Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Applications are due by Feb. 15 for the National Civic League’s 2023 All-America City awards.
The theme for 2023 is “Creating Thriving Communities through Youth Engagement.” Award finalists will be announced in March, and the awards will be presented in Denver from June 9 to 11.
The National Civic League is looking for 10 communities that are breaking down barriers to meaningful youth participation and enacting programs that will improve quality of life for youth, and all residents, by extension.
To win, each community must demonstrate innovation, impact, equity and inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross-sector collaboration by discussing the strength of their civic capital — the formal and informal relationships, networks and capacities they use to make decisions and solve problems — and to provide examples of community-driven projects/programs that have adapted and transformed the community to be more receptive to youth voices and have addressed their concerns for the future.
The National Civic League views civic engagement as more than presenting information or having people respond to questionnaires (though both are important). The league promotes efforts that seek to listen to, and learn from, residents in ongoing conversations and leverage those insights to shape the way programs are administered, designed and executed.
The All-America Cities award celebrates the best in local innovation, civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration, a reminder of the potential within every community to tackle tough issues and create real change. Since 1949, the National Civic League has recognized more than 500 communities, including 19 from Massachusetts.
The application fee is $150 for communities that submitted a letter of intent by Dec. 15 and $250 for communities that did not.
For more information, visit the All-America City Award website.