Vote for Your Favorite Local Government Innovation Award Finalist

The Local Government Innovation Awards have been decided, but votes are still being accepted to determine which of the three finalists will receive a grant of $25,000 to continue innovating. Online and text votes can be cast until noon on Jan. 15.

The three finalists are:

  • City of St. Paul: St. Paul Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy. The EMS Academy provides an opportunity for minority, low-income, and at-risk youth of St. Paul to be trained as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), helping youth to break the cycle of poverty and to pursue meaningful and well-paying vocations in health care.
  • Irondale High School of Mounds View Public Schools: Early College at Irondale High School. Irondale was the first school in Minnesota to offer a comprehensive early college program allowing students in the academic middle the opportunity to earn a free two-year associate degree.
  • Dakota County Community Services: Jail Re-Entry Program Return on Taxpayer Investment Model. Dakota County’s Re-Entry Assistance Program works to improve the probability of long-term success for individuals exiting jail by providing community-based wraparound services tailored to each former offender’s needs.

Cast your vote and watch short videos about each innovation online. Or, text ‘School’, ‘City’, or ‘County’ to 228466 to vote via text message. All voters will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win a $100 Target gift card.

Awards ceremony An awards ceremony honoring the 2012-2013 Local Government Innovation Awardees will take place on Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. in Minneapolis. Come meet winners from across Minnesota, learn and share about local government innovation, and be the first to hear which finalists will receive a $25,000 grant to continue innovating.

The Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota partnered with the Association of Minnesota Counties, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota School Boards Association, and InCommons to conduct the 6th annual Local Government Innovation Awards. This year’s awards have been made possible with the support of InCommons, an initiative of the Bush Foundation that inspires, supports, and connects community-powered problem-solving.

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