Akron is among 17 finalists in contention for the top national award and the only Ohio city selected for the final competition.

Mayor Don Plusquellic will lead the Akron delegation, which also includes members of City Council and 24 community organizations supporting Akron it its bid for what has been called the Oscar for American cities.

Akron completed an extensive application (2008Application.pdf) providing detailed descriptions of the challenges faced by the City,  and the impacts of three community projects to address those challenges:

• The innovative joint venture by the Akron Public Schools, the City of Akron, and the Urban League;
• The conversion of Akron’s Industrial Incubator – celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008 last month, the recipient of the National Incubation Innovation Award – into the Akron Global Business Accelerator; and,
• Perkins Middle School’s "Activities Central," supported by the Knight Foundation, and other after-school programming including those funded by the City.

Akron’s delegation arrives Thursday, June 5 for the presentation before a panel of judges at the Tampa Marriott hotel. In addition to the 10-minute presentation in support of the three projects, judges will have an opportunity to pose questions to the entire delegation on any subject of their choosing that relates to understanding community engagement and participation.

The Conference begins June 4 and ends on the evening of Friday, June 6, with the All-America City Awards dinner. 

According to the National Civic League, "the All-America City Awards recognizes communities for collaboration, inclusiveness, and successful innovation. All-America Cities demonstrate community-wide civic accomplishments, cross-sector cooperation, grassroots participation, and creative approaches to issues such as the need for low-income housing, support for at-risk youth, downtown revitalization, and healthcare for the uninsured."                  

Akron was previously named an All-America City in 1981 and 1995.

The conference also features an Innovation Forum to promote peer-to-peer dialogues among the finalist communities and regional and national leaders. The topics include best practices of All-America Cities, a youth forum, and an elected official’s forum on civic issues. 

Akron area groups participating in the event include: Akron Public Schools, the Akron Global Business Accelerator, Akron Urban League, International Institute, Summa Foundation, Perkins Street Area Action Group, Greater Akron Chamber, R.I.G.H.T., Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, GlobeChem Marketing, Akron Area YMCA, United Way of Summit County, University of Akron, Salvation Army, Akron Children's Hospital, John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Community Support Services, Akron Zoo, Alchemy, Inc., Info Line, Inc., University Park Alliance, Summit County Juvenile Court