City of Hayward, Hayward Promise Neighborhood Recognized

The city of Hayward was recently recognized with an “All-America City Award” from the National Civic League, in part because of its partnership with Cal State East Bay through the Hayward Promise Neighborhood program. The award is given annually to 10 communities nationwide — neighborhoods, towns, villages, cities, counties or regions. Awardees are recognized for their work identifying and tackling community-wide challenges.

"These All-America cities are doing amazing work to engage their communities in helping to assure the well-being of young people," said Doug Linkhart, president of the National Civic League. "We're constantly impressed by their innovation and dedication in bringing together groups and individuals to address critical issues such as health and educational success.”

Hayward, along with the other applicants, had to complete an application outlining its efforts in addressing community problems and give three examples of collaborative community problem solving — one of which was HPN. City representatives accepted the award at a ceremony held in Denver last week.

The city of Hayward became one of the first five cities in the nation to receive a five-year $25 million Promise Neighborhood grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It is led by CSUEB and is a partnership of local educators, government agencies, businesses and nonprofits joining together to support residents and students within Hayward’s Jackson Triangle. The program works to provide comprehensive, high-quality educational and social support in an effort to ensure the long-term health and economic well-being of the community.

Dr. Carolyn Nelson, interim provost and principal investigator for HPN, said the recognition is important for all of the organizations and residents who worked together.

“The panel of judges for the All-America Cities Award recognized the collective impact our collaborative, data-driven approach is having in the community, and that these improvements are embedded in the communities’ voice,” Nelson said. “Making things better is why we are all doing the work we are doing. [It’s work] filled with great purpose.”

According to the National Civic League, recipients of the award often receive national attention, which can help attract and retain businesses, tourism and more grants. In addition, many also see an increase in civic engagement.