The National Civic League has announced Carrboro as one of the 20 finalists for the prestigious All-America City Award. This recognition highlights Carrboro’s commitment to strengthening democracy through local action and innovation.
“We are honored to be recognized as a finalist for the All-America City Award,” said Town Manager Patrice Toney. “Carrboro’s inclusion among the finalists underscores the town’s commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability, using inclusive community engagement to create lasting, impactful solutions.”
The Town of Carrboro has organized a community delegation to present on three projects in the judging competition for the All-America City Award June 27-29, 2025 in Denver. Carrboro will present stories of success and showcase the impact of sustainability, resilience, and inclusive engagement across three main projects – Carrboro in Motion, the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program, and the Bolin Creek Watershed Collaborative. The jury will select 10 winners, which will be announced during the closing ceremony.
Watch Party for All-America City (AAC) Award Presentations
Attend an AAC watch party from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at Steel String Brewery, 106 Greensboro St. in Carrboro. Wear your Carrboro T-shirts and show your town pride!
AAC finalists will be presenting on Saturday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Town of Carrboro will present from 12:45 to 1:05 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Another group of finalists will present from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29. (EST times are noted here.) Winners will be announced on Sunday night.
Watch the All-America City Livestream to YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@allamericacity
John Parr Youth Leadership Award
In addition to the AAC presentation, the Town of Carrboro is pleased to nominate Madeleine Wares for the John Parr Youth Leadership Award. A recent graduate of Carrboro High School (CHS), Wares was a member of the Community Outreach Club, which works to inform students about important issues in the community and encourage activism. The group helped with the CHS Social Justice Fair, the CHS voter registration drive, and other events. Wares has also been active with the Inter-Faith Council and the Carrboro Youth Council, and she participated as an inaugural member of the Carrboro Rise program, a civic education class at Carrboro High School organized by the Town of Carrboro.
Cultural Entertainment Showcase
Carrboro’s celebrated Zumba instructor Oscar Garcia will be performing in the Cultural Entertainment Showcase during the conference.
Carrboro Community Delegation to Denver
The Town of Carrboro community delegation to present at the AAC conference include Mayor Barbara Foushee, Town Manager Patrice Toney, and staff members Anita Jones-McNair, Amy Armbruster, Catherine Lazorko, Katherine Graham, Stephen Wright, Reilly Stahl, and community members Donald Landon Hawkins, Meg Molloy, Oscar Garcia, Carrie Donley, Lama Moakel (Refugee Community Partnership), Kennedy Lytle (youth member, Carrboro High School), Madeleine Wares (youth member, Carrboro High School), Braxton Foushee, Abhi Sivadas (Three Muses Card Shop), Liza Wolff-Francis (Carrboro Poet Laureate), and agency partners Brian Litchfield (Chapel Hill Transit), Taylor Gay (Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro) and Laurie Paolicelli (Orange County).
AAC Social Media and Online Outreach Award
The Town of Carrboro will be sharing more about its experiences with the All-America City Award across its social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Nextdoor and Bluesky. Show the National Civic League our culture of engagement across the Carrboro community by liking and reposting! We will be using #AAC2025 on our posts!
About the All-America City Award
For over 75 years, the National Civic League’s All-America City Award has highlighted and celebrated outstanding civic innovation, recognizing communities that harness the power of local collaboration to drive meaningful change.
"Communities thrive when all residents have a voice in the policies and decisions that shape their lives,” said Doug Linkhart, president of the National Civic League. “This year’s finalists are leading the way by removing barriers to participation and implementing programs that foster sustainability, resilience, and inclusive engagement."
The 20 finalist communities, spanning 12 states, range in size from 11,000 residents to nearly one million. Despite their differences, says the National Civic League, they share a commitment to empowering residents, fostering civic engagement, and ensuring meaningful participation in local decision-making.
The award theme this year is “Strengthening Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive Community Engagement.” Finalists were chosen through a competitive review process led by an independent panel of experts, with each application evaluated on the criteria of shared vision, civic engagement, inclusiveness and equity, collaboration, innovation, and impact.
Each year, cities, towns, counties, and regions nationwide apply for this prestigious recognition, showcasing how their civic capital—the relationships, networks, and capacities that enable problem-solving and resilience—fuels progress.
Learn more at https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/2025-all-america-city-finalists/