Ashoka's Changemakers and CommunityMatters Announce Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change Competition

Through the Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change competition, Ashoka's Changemakers and CommunityMatters are inviting individuals and organizations to submit innovative projects and ideas to engage citizens in building strong communities across the United States and Canada.

The Strong Communities competition is open to all types of individuals and organizations (charitable and nonprofit organizations, private companies, and public entities). The competition will consider all entries that reflect the theme of the challenge. To be considered for an award, entries must indicate growth beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated social impact and sustainability. While the program supports new ideas at every stage and encourages their entry, the judges are better able to evaluate projects that are beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated proof of impact.

CommunityMatters is interested in solutions from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to)conservation, planning, economics, politics, education, deliberative democracy, and the arts, and especially encourages submission of interdisciplinary approaches. CommunityMatters has a special interest in receiving submissions from young people.

Online competition submissions will be accepted until August 11, 2010. At any time before this deadline, competition participants are encouraged to revise their entries based on questions and insights that they receive in the Changemakers online discussion

An expert panel will review entries and select eight finalists by September 22, 2010. The Changemakers community will then vote online to select the award-winners from the field of finalists. Each of the eight finalists will be showcased at the CommunityMatters 2010 conference. One person representing each of the eight finalist entries will win the opportunity to attend the conference (includes conference and workshop registration, lodging, transportation, and meals). The top three finalists will win $5,000 each.

Visit the Changemakers Web site for complete guidelines and participation information.