Go Green and Clean Campaign Recognized as
2017 Harvard Ash Center Bright Idea in Government
PIERRE, S.D. – The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, recognized today Pierre’s Go Green and Clean campaign as part of the 2017 Bright Ideas in Government initiative. Go Green and Clean is part of a cohort that includes programs from all levels of government — school districts, county, city, state, federal agencies, and tribal nations, as well as public-private partnerships — that represent the next horizon in government work to improve services, solve problems, and work on behalf of citizens.
Pierre’s Go Green and Clean civic pride campaign, now in its eighth year, is a community-wide clean-up effort designed to keep Pierre looking its best. Each year, volunteer groups from across the community adopt community projects for the betterment of the city. Projects include everything from litter control to painting public restrooms to cleaning city flower beds.
Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill, who started the campaign shortly after being elected, said, “Every year I am blown away by the volunteers. Their commitment is a wonderful indicator of Pierre’s community-minded culture.”
In 2016, more than 125 volunteers contributed to the Go Green and Clean program.
“These programs demonstrate that there are no prerequisites for doing the good work of governing” said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Ash Center, “small towns and massive cities, huge federal agencies and local school districts, large budgets or no budgets at all — what makes government work best is the drive to do better, and this group proves that drive can be found anywhere.”
This is the fifth cohort recognized through the Bright Ideas program, an initiative of the broader Innovations in American Government Awards program. For consideration as a Bright Idea, programs must currently be in operation or in the process of launching, have sufficient operational resources, and must be administered by one or more governmental entities; nonprofit, private sector, and union initiatives are eligible if operating in partnership with a governmental organization. Bright Ideas are showcased on the Ash Center’s Government Innovators Network, an online platform for practitioners and policymakers to share innovative public policy solutions.
Please visit the Government Innovators Network at http://innovations.harvard.edu for the full list of Bright Ideas programs, and for more information regarding the Innovations in American Government Awards.
About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective government problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world’s citizens. For more information, visit www.ash.harvard.edu.