The All-America City Award recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues.

The National Civic League invites you to apply for the All-America City Award, the nation’s most prestigious community recognition. This award, now in its 74th year, offers a moment for:

• Reflection, as communities come together to assess their strengths, assets and challenges;
• Celebration, as local coalitions mobilize to display on a national stage the people, organizations and initiatives that make their community a great place to live, work and play; and
• Recognition of the resilience that communities across the country show when people come together to respond to local challenges.

2023 Theme

The 2023 All-America City Awards will recognize communities that are working to improve the health and well-being of young people, with particular attention to efforts that engage young people in this work. Democracy thrives when all residents are active and engaged in the policies and decisions that shape their lives. The 2023 awards seek to identify communities that are breaking down barriers to meaningful youth participation and enacting programs that will improve quality of life for youth, and, by extension, all members of the community.

2023 Areas of Focus 

Projects adhering to this year’s theme include, but are not limited to, those that:

• Build the civic capacity of young people
• Promote youth participation in voting and policymaking
• Provide leadership opportunities for youth
• Enhance civics education
• Improve police-youth relations and engagement in public safety
• Reform school discipline and community justice systems
• Improve mental health and trauma systems for youth
• Reduce poverty and income inequality
• Address issues of youth homelessness
• Increase job readiness and employment opportunities for youth
• Foster youth-oriented efforts to improve equity and inclusion
• Create safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth.

Important Dates

August 2022-May 2022: All-America City Promising Practices Webinar Series
December 15, 2022: Letters of Intent Due
February 15, 2023: Submit Application
March 2023: Finalists Announced
March-June 2023: Competition Preparation
June 9-11, 2023: AAC Competition and Event in Denver, CO