At last week’s Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) annual conference in Little Rock, Ark., two of Issaquah Highlands’ programs, Global Grub and Groove and The Art of Adulting, were recognized with prestigious awards.
NUSA is a national nonprofit organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations.
The Art of Adulting was awarded second place for Best Neighborhood Program, which recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of organizations that work to improve the quality of life in their communities and neighborhoods.
The Art of Adulting was developed by the Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board as a life skills and leadership development program for teens and was built around workshops to teach high school students important lessons they don’t learn in school. The inaugural season of the Art of Adulting included six sessions taught by community members who shared expertise in civics, cooking, auto safety/interacting with the police, using self-assessments to prepare for college, building an online presence and managing personal finances.
Global Grub and Groove – Issaquah Highlands’ summer series celebrating our neighborhood’s diverse cultures with food, live entertainment, art and activities at Village Green Park – was honored as a finalist for the Neighborhood of the Year Award, which recognizes exceptional achievements by neighborhood organizations. Last season’s Global Grub and Groove series included celebrations of Juneteenth, Americana, Indian Independence Day and Mid-Autumn Festival.
“I was honored to represent Issaquah Highlands at the national level to share some of the amazing things we can achieve when we work together as a community,” said Lindsey Pinkston, Highlands Council’s community program manager and acting director, who traveled to the NUSA conference and presented the programs to conference attendees and a jury panel. “I’m excited to bring these awards home and to continue growing these inspiring programs!” she said.
The Global Grub and Groove series continues this summer with Juneteenth again kicking off the five-event run on Friday, June 17. Don’t miss live music by Michael Powers, food from both C. Davis Texas BBQ and Ezell’s Famous Chicken, and lots of fun. See you there!
Photo: Lindsey Pinkston, center, accepts the second place award in the category of Best Neighborhood Program for The Art of Adulting.
