Harvard Awards Program Seeks Innovators for 2002 Competition

The Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government recently announced open competition for its 2002 annual awards program.



The Innovations in American Government Awards focuses on the quality and responsiveness of U.S. government at all levels and promotes innovative approaches to meeting challenges. Begun in 1986, the program has recognized 295 innovative programs that have received $17.9 million in grants. Of these programs, 150 have been named winners and received $100,000 grants while 145 have been named finalists and received $20,000 grants.



Five initiatives were chosen among 15 finalists in the 2001 competition, including California’s Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program. MESA has built a network of support for disadvantaged students by teaming educators with corporate activists. The program's accomplishments are many:

• More than 30,800 students are served via a network of 462 schools, 35 community colleges and 23 universities;
• 85 percent of MESA seniors attend college;
• 100 percent of MESA community college students transfer to four-year schools; and,
• MESA students comprise 90 percent of California’s underrepresented students who earn engineering degrees.

Other tech-based education programs, such as the OK-First Program, also were among the 2001 finalists. The Oklahoma program uses state-of-the-art computer technology to provide local public safety workers in Oklahoma with up-to-the-minute information about severe weather.



The Innovations in American Government Awards are administered in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government in Washington, D.C., a national, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. More information, including the awards process, past award winners and application guidelines, is available at: http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/home.html