The Innovations in American Government Program is a significant force in recognizing and promoting excellence and creativity in the public sector. Through its annual awards competition, the Program provides concrete evidence that government can work to improve the quality of life for citizens and that it deserves greater public trust. By highlighting exemplary models of governments’ innovative performance, the Program serves as a catalyst for continued progress in addressing the nation’s most pressing public concerns.
Innovations Awards Winners
National Selection Committee
Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation
Innovations Publications
Innovations News
Innovations Database
Applications are accepted throughout the year. Applications submitted on or before September 30th will be considered for the upcoming application cycle. Click Here for more information on the Innovations in American Government Awards program.
Innovation in American Government Awards Application
Click here for information on applying for the 2009 Innovations in American Government Award.
The finalists for the 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards as well as the Annie E. Casey Innovations Award in Children and Family System Reform were announced on June 3, 2008. These programs will compete for the 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards to be announced and honored at an awards gala and reception on September 9, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Finalists presented before the National Selection Committee on June 12, 2008. To watch their presentations, please view the following links (in both RealMedia and MP4 formats):
Part I: (RealMedia) (MP4)
1:30 p.m. - Introduction
1:40 p.m. - Intelligence Community Civilian Joint Duty Program, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
1:50 p.m. - Learn and Earn, North Carolina
2:00 p.m. - Global Maritime Domain Awareness, US Department of Transportation
2:10 p.m. - Fresh Food Financing Initiative, Pennsylvania
2:20 p.m. - Youth Leadership Advisory Team, Maine
Part II: (RealMedia) (MP4)
2:50 p.m. - Getting Ready: Keeping Communities Safe, Arizona
3:00 p.m. - Teacher Residency, Boston Public School District, Massachusetts
3:10 p.m. - Division of Youth Services, Missouri
3:20 p.m. - Acquisition Fund, New York City, New York
3:30 p.m. - Welcome Back Center, California
Part III: (RealMedia) (MP4)
4:00 p.m. - Project Zero, New York City, New York
4:10 p.m. - Access Plus, Pennsylvania
4:20 p.m. - Knowledge Management, Virginia
4:30 p.m. - MassDocs, Massachusetts
4:40 p.m. - Solid Waste and Energy Management, Yukon River Tribes
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National Selection |
David Gergen, Chairman |
Each year, the members of the Innovations National Selection Committee meet to select the winners of the Innovations Awards. To view the current members of the Committee, along with brief biographies click here.
In 2007, the Ash Institute celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Innovations in American Government Awards Program. This milestone is an opportune time to revisit the impact of and lessons learned from government innovations worldwide, as well as to identify areas for new research in the field of government innovation. The Ash Institute is executing a constellation of activities surrounding the 20th Award Year, commenced at the awarding of the 20th Year of Innovations Award Winners in the fall of 2007, and culminating in an international conference where that will bring together finalists and winners of the Innovations in American Government Awards from the past 20 years and their counterparts from across the world.
The Innovations in American Government Awards Program, throughout its history, has generated a great deal of research based on winning and finalist programs and on the study of innovation. Below are the different types of research related to Innovations which others will find useful in their own work. The links below offer more information on Harvard Kennedy School case studies, books on government innovation, Ash Institute publications, as well as outside resources, some of which are produced by winners of the Innovations Award.
- June 3, 2008: Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Institute Announces Innovations in American Government Finalists
- June 3, 2008: Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Institute Names Children and Family System Reform Finalists
- April 15, 2008: Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Institute Announces Top 50 Innovations in Government
- April 15, 2008: Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Institute Announces Children and Family System Reform Semifinalists
- April 1, 2008: Ash Institute Announces Results of Innovations in American Government Awards Survey
- June 30, 2008: Diverse Education - "North Carolina Says Early College High School Initiative Has Curbed Dropout Rates"
- June 29, 2008: Herald Tribune - "How to Build a Thriving Arts Community from Scratch"
- June 27, 2008: Christian Science Monitor - "Wanted: Inner-City Supermarkets"
- June 17, 2008: The Herald-Dispatch - "Occupation Tax, Local Bank Authority are Main Components"
- June 13, 2008: Harvard Kennedy School - "Innovations in American Goverment Awards Finalists Trumpet Successes"
- June 9, 2008: The Philadelphia Inquirer - "Making the Police Safe for Gay Officers"
- June 6, 2008: Government Technology - "Innovations in American Government Finalists Announced"
- June 4, 2008: Kansas City Star - "Missouri’s Division of Youth Services Still in Running for Awards"
- June 3, 2008: Boston Globe - "Boston Schools Program Named a Finalist in Government Innovation Contest"
- June 3, 2008: Government Executive's Fed Blog - "The Finalists Are In"
- June 3, 2008: WSLS 10 - "VDOT Ranked High by Harvard"
- June 2008: Government Finance Review - "Beyond Silos: Cross-Boundary Internet Service Portals"
- May 28, 2008: The Kansas City Star - "Other States Take Notice of Missouri's Approach to Juvenile Corrections"
- April 30, 2008: InterGovWorld Blogs - "Innovation in Government: Not an Oxymoron"
- April 22, 2008: The Chief - "FDNY Officers' Course Up For Harvard Award"
- April 22, 2008: The Coloradoan - "Climate Wise Turning Heads Across Nation"
- April 21, 2008: The Olympian - "Governor's Program Gets Nod from Harvard"
- April 18, 2008: The Barnstable Patriot - "All-America City Takes a Holiday, but Harvard Doesn’t"
- April 18, 2008: The Daily Item - "Anti-Human Trafficking Group Hailed"
- April 18, 2008: Washington Post - "Government Innovations: 4 Programs are Award Semi-Finalists"
- April 17, 2008: American City & County - "Harvard Names 50 Top Innovations in Government"
- April 17, 2008: Charlotte Observer - "Learn and Earn; Visionary N.C. Program Gets Deserved National Attention"
- April 17, 2008: redOrbit - "Learn and Earn Initiative Gets Top 50 Recognition"
- April 16, 2008: Daily News (NY) - "3 City Bids Make Top 50 Gov’t List"
- April 16, 2008: Hartford Courant - "In Our Towns: Energy-Saving Effort Honored"
- April 16, 2008: Harvard Crimson - "Kennedy School Honors Innovative Programs"
- April 16, 2008: The Leland Tribune - "Gov. Easley Annouces 'Learn and Earn' Named Among Harvard's Top 50 Innovations in Government"
- April 16, 2008: TMCnet - "Santa Fe Homes Gets National Nod for Work"
- April 15, 2008: Boston Globe - "Harvard Institute Hails Six Innovative Government Programs in Mass."
- April 15, 2008: Kansas City Star - "Youth Services Division Honored"
- April 15, 2008: NBC 25 - "DHS Academy Honored"
- April 5, 2008: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - "Restoring Confidence in our Region's Political Leadership"
- March 29, 2008: The Daily and Sunday Review - "Pickett Appointed to Pa. Arts Council"
- March 25, 2008: CBS News - "Bring Crime Back -- To The National Agenda"
- March 18, 2008: The Morning Call - "Helping Young Offenders Make a Better Choice"
- March 17, 2008: The Morning Call - "Valley Police Study Intervention Program"
- February 2008: KSG Bulletin - "Outside of the Box: 20 Years of Innovations"
Since 1985, the Innovations in American Government Awards Program has recognized over 400 innovative programs and awarded a total of nearly $20 million in grants. Of these programs, 181 have been named winners and received $100,000 grants. An additional 266 programs were named finalists.
These programs represent the finest initiatives undertaken by American government during the last 20 years. Visit the Government Innovators Network to learn more about these creative government initiatives.
