If your community does a great job at engaging the public or creating opportunities for public participation, you may have the opportunity to be recognized for the fine work you are doing.  The International Association for Public Particiation (IAP2) is accepting award nominations through July 17 for its 2013 IAP2 USA Core Values Awards.

These awards recognize submissions in the following categories:

• The Project of the Year award recognizes excellence in the tools, techniques and efforts in public participation within a finite framework.
• The Organization of the Year award recognizes the application of the core values in all aspects of an organization and how they are embedded into decision-making that features public participation.
• Research Award - Research is critically important to IAP2 and its members if we are to understand and overcome challenges in everyday public participation and build upon P2 theory and practice. The Research Award acknowledges important contributions to the body of public participation knowledge.

Information on this awards program can be found here.

IAP2 is an Association of members who seek to promote and improve the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, institutions, and other entities that affect the public interest in the United States and around the world.  It is a partner of the ICMA Center for Management Strategies in its research on quality civic engagement programs.