Nominations open for SPARK Boston's annual Impact Awards

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced nominations are now open for SPARK Boston's 2017-2018 Impact Awards. The annual Impact Awards shine a spotlight on young adults aged 20-34 doing outstanding work to improve the City of Boston. Nomination forms are available online, and will remain open through Friday, May 18, 2018.  

"Boston is a city shaped by the actions and leadership of our residents, and our millennial population works especially hard to make their mark on our community," said Mayor Walsh. "The Impact Awards reflect the City's appreciation for this generation and the emerging leaders in our neighborhoods and industries."

"The Impact Awards are a grassroots recognition of Boston's leaders between the ages of 20 to 34," said Amy Mahler, SPARK Boston Director. "Nominees are submitted from our community, reviewed by our selection committee composed of SPARK Council members, and voted on by the Boston community. If you are or know of someone who deserves an Impact Award, nominate them today."

"The most amazing thing about the Impact Awards is being recognized by your peers and fellow change agents in communities across Boston," said Matt Parker, 2016 Impact Award winner and 2017-2018 SPARK Council Member. "SPARK and the City of Boston creates platforms lifting up the millennials that strive to lift up this great city. I am humble and blessed to receive such an award and look forward to this year's recipients."

This year's award categories reflect the diverse ways millennial residents act as leaders and change-makers in Boston:

• Arts & Culture: Visionaries who weave arts and culture into the fabric of our communities to engage and inspire those around them.

• Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Civic innovators who help our city attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of engagement.

• Activism & Issue Advocacy: Emerging leaders elevating the voices of young Bostonians on the issues that impact us all.

• Public Service & Civic Leadership: Public servants, elected officials and other civic leaders working to ensure strong democracy and successful governance in our city.

• Community Building & Neighborhood Improvement: Engaged citizens who work collaboratively to strengthen their neighborhoods and promote their communities' interests.

• "Unsung Heroes": Outstanding teachers, social workers, nurses, emergency responders and human services professionals whose everyday dedication supports a healthy, thriving city.

Nominees must be between the ages of 20-34 and live/work in Boston to be considered. A selection committee comprised of members of the SPARK Boston Council will review all nominations and select the top nominees in each category. A round of online voting will follow, and winners will be announced at the SPARK Impact Award ceremony in June. To nominate a friend, colleague, neighbor or yourself, click here.  

ABOUT SPARK BOSTON

Boston is home to a large and diverse millennial population. SPARK Boston is a City of Boston initiative that aims to empower the millennial generation to play a greater role in planning for the future of our city.

SPARK Boston focuses on engaging the next generation of civic leaders and social entrepreneurs in the work of city government. This will shape how the City designs and develops policies, convenes stakeholders for important initiatives and works collaboratively with young people to shape Boston's future.