Eighteen local government projects, all designed to improve local services, have been selected for awards by the the Humphrey School of Public Affairs’ Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center.
And three of the projects are eligible for a $25,000 grant from the Bush Foundation to continue the innovative work. The winner will be selected by the public, via online or text voting, following a series of community meetings.
The winners came from more than 100 submissions for the competition, held in collaboration with InCommons, the Association of Minnesota Counties, the League of Minnesota Cities, and the Minnesota School Boards Association.
The Local Government Innovation Awards competition sought programs that showed "innovation, impact, sustainably, and potential for growth."
There were categories for counties, schools and cities.
The three finalists that will vie for the monetary prize are:
- Dakota County Community Services: Jail Re-entry Program Return on Taxpayer Investment Model
- Irondale High School of Mounds View Public Schools: Early College at Irondale High School
- City of Saint Paul: Saint Paul EMS Academy
More information on the projects, and the planned community meetings, is online.
The other award-winning projects are:
Counties
- Lac qui Parle County Economic Development Authority: Driving Forward in Lac qui Parle County
- Blue Earth County: Blue Earth County Community Farm — A Local Collaborative Approach to Addressing Hunger
- Stearns County Attorney’s Office and Stearns County Human Services Department: Stearns County Repeat Felony Domestic Violence Court
- Hennepin County: Top 51 Homeless Pilot
- Anoka County: MN First Municipal-led Highway Design Build Project CSAH 14
Schools:
- Family Service Collaborative (Northern St. Louis County): The Truancy Work Group
- Kelliher School: Kelliher Health and Resource Center (KHRC)
- Staples Motley Schools: Staples Motley Teacher Residence Programs
- Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD #8431) and Lakes International Language Academy (LILA): Collaboration Benefiting Students
- Robbinsdale Area Redesign (Robbinsdale Area Schools): Weekend KidPack Initiative
Cities:
- City of Royalton: Royalton’s Collaboration
- City of Falcon Heights: Falcon Heights Adopt-a-Crop-Program
- City of Austin, Austin Port Authority, Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority: Austin Main Street Project
- City of Silver Bay: Silver Bay Produces!
- City of Minneapolis and City Attorney’s Office: Downtown 100 Initiative.
All the winners will be will be recognized at an awards ceremony and reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Humphrey School, 301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis.