I wanted to share with you some of the recent successes of our “Certified Winning Communities” so you can get some ideas and inspiration for your own cities, towns and counties.
Blackford County, Indiana (certified since 2006):
- Gearing up for 4th Blackford Leadership Academy
- Building a Better Blackford County continues volunteer work to assist local property owners with removal of blighted structures
- Youth Leadership Academy beginning its second year this year
- New gateway signs with enhanced graphics promote a unified county
- 4th Round of One Book – One Community program
- Launching Safe Kids program (through Leadership Academy) to promote kids’ safety issues
- Local school system funded Parent Resource Centers
- Winning Communities progress board meets monthly to continue to look for growth and improvement opportunities
Princeville, Illinois (Certified since 2009):
- Creation of New Parks Committees
- Started Spring and Fall Community Cleanup Days
- Promote Princeville Heritage Museum
- Have an Americorp VISA representative promoting community and economic development
- Initiated a “Shop Princeville” program with monthly newsletter, contests and communication encouraging residents to shop locally
- Promoting Princeville via information distributed to community members
- Updated village website, logo, promotional DVD and other materials
- Dressed empty storefront windows with village promotional information
- Hosted Spring and Fall Business Connection for business owners and new business mentoring program
- Worked with Village of Princeville to restructure building codes and ordinances
Kokomo – Howard County, Indiana (Certified July 2009):
- Completed the 13-Step Action plan outlined in the Certified Winning Communities process and was given a Touchdown Award by Indiana University coach Bill Lynch
- Development of new community website and a faith-based website link
- Creation of an ongoing hospitality training program
- A series of summits to inform and educate the public
- Six measurable initiatives for economic development
- A program of collaboration of non-profits marketing to the private sector
- A life long learning program to improve the percentage of successful preschoolers
- A developing plan for illness prevention and healthcare maintenance
- A government team to improve communications and positive attitudes
- Seventeen other initiatives in the planning stages
Will your community be the next Winning Community that I feature ? It’s up to you.
