Arkansas Volunteer Community Of The Year

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2023 COY AWARD WILL OPEN ON AUGUST 31, 2023.

The nomination period typically runs throughout September & October each year.

Add it to your calendar and check back on August 31, 2023. The nomination period will close on Sunday, October 22, 2023.

Before applying, please review the nomination guidelines. We recommend saving and answering the questions in a Word document, then copying and pasting your responses into the form when ready to submit. This will save time in case of a browser error. Google Chrome is the preferred browser for this form. Please do not use special characters, including hyphens, in the phone, address, and population fields. This will produce an error message within your application.

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Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Community of the Year Nomination Form

NOMINEE INFORMATION

Community Name

Population

County

Mayor's Name

Mayor's Mailing Address

City

Zip Code

Mayor's Daytime Phone

Mayor's Email Address

State District Officials:

Senator(s) Names

Representative(s) Names

NOMINATOR INFORMATION

Nominator's Name

Nominator's Title

(Mayor, city manager, community liaison, secretary, etc.)

Nominator's Street Address

Nominator's City

Nominator's Zip Code

Nominator's Daytime Phone

Nominator's Email Address

SECONDARY CONTACT

Name

Title

(Mayor, city manager, community liaison, secretary, etc.)

Street Address

City

Zip Code

Daytime Phone

Email Address

Nomination Statement

Nomination statements should focus on city-driven citizen engagement activities/initiatives in the community from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023. Please answer each question in its entirety and provide specific examples. The more information you provide, the better we will understand your community’s overall volunteer efforts and impact. Engage Arkansas is looking to see new initiatives begun due to an identified issue impacting the community.

Please identify the areas of greatest need within your community. What new civic engagement services and programs is the city leading to directly address these areas?

Describe the scope of these activities. Are these services sustainable? For example, consider the volunteer base: is it composed of students, retirees, and civic groups? Do these programs have a strong support system? What partners and other community organizations collaborate to strengthen impact?

What is the approximate total number of volunteers actively working on these initiatives? And what is the total number of volunteer hours served?

Describe why these activities are important to the overall welfare of the community. What evidence is there of positive impact from these citizen engagement programs?

Are these activities innovative? If so, how? (Innovation considers the degree to which the activities represent a new involvement of volunteers and/or a significantly new approach to a pressing problem or significant event. Innovation also considers a program’s ability to adapt and grow amid uncertainty).

Did the community have to overcome any unusual challenges to carry out these activities or achieve impact? (Such challenges might include a community crisis, polarized public opinion, a disaster, or limited resources).

Does your city have a Mayor's Youth Council?

Does your city have an AmeriCorps Program operating in your city?

AmeriCorps Programs include AmeriCorps State/National, NCCC, VISTA and AmeriCorps Seniors (Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companions)

If your city has an AmeriCorps Program, does the City engage AmeriCorps members in service initiatives or dialogue regarding the impact of AmeriCorps within the community?

Special consideration will be given to communities participating in one or more of the following initiatives. Please answer accordingly.

Does the community participate in a citywide service initiative annually?

Yes

This field is required

A service initiative is any day, week, or month-long campaign to promote volunteerism as a collaborative effort within the community.

What projects did the community develop and complete for the city-wide service initiative from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023?

How many volunteers were involved in the citywide service initiative, and how did they mobilize to impact the areas of greatest need?

Has the community joined (or does it have plans to join) the Engaged Cities of Service?

Yes

This field is required

For more information, visit https://engagearkansas.org/engaged-cities

Please discuss the scope and/or progression of your citywide service plan and any proof of impact (if measurable at the current stage).

If applicable, please upload your current City Service Plan for review as part of your nomination.

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