Hartsville Named All-America City 2016
The City of Hartsville was named a 2016 All-America City Award winner over the weekend, joining a list of ten cities to win the title from the National Civic League at the competition in Denver, CO.
Hartsville first won the title in 1996, receiving it again 20 years later.
The criteria for winning an All-America City Award (AAC) include impact, inclusiveness, public engagement and the use of collaborative problem-solving strategies linking the private, public and nonprofit sectors.
National Civic League (NCL) gives the honor each year to towns, cities, counties, tribes, neighborhoods and metropolitan regions for outstanding civic accomplishments.
Listed alphabetically by state, the 2016 All-America Cities are:
Hayward, California
Lakewood, Colorado
New Britain, Connecticut
Fall River, Massachusetts
Columbia Heights, Minnesota
Asheboro, North Carolina
Hartsville, South Carolina
San Antonio, Texas
Norfolk, Virginia
Brown Deer, Wisconsin
This year, the All-America Awards program highlighted community efforts to “ensure that all our children are healthy and successful in school and life.” The AAC finalist communities addressed topics such as: school attendance, racial equity, health and well-being (of children, parents and community), neighborhood safety, poverty, nutrition, affordable housing, and healthy natural environments.
Working with groups such as the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, NCL is casting a spotlight on local examples of innovative and effective community problem-solving, recognizing the broad array of influences on the success of children and the need for all sectors to address those influences.
To win, each community had to complete an application demonstrating their efforts and make a presentation to a jury of civic experts focusing on three outstanding examples of collaborative community problem solving. More than 550 communities have won the All-America City Award since the program was launched in 1949.
The finalists this year were:
2016 All-America City Finalists
Avondale, Arizona
Marana, Arizona
Hayward, California
Indio, California
Whittier, California
Lakewood, Colorado
New Britain, Connecticut
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Fall River, Massachusetts
Columbia Heights, Minnesota
Woodbury, Minnesota
Las Vegas, Nevada
Asheboro, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Charleston County, South Carolina
Hartsville, South Carolina
Missouri City, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Norfolk, Virginia
Brown Deer, Wisconsin
