At today’s League of California Cities Annual Conference & Expo, the city of Colton received the esteemed 2020 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Public Safety for the city’s CART (Colton At-Risk Teens) Academy. The award was presented in front of a virtual crowd of more than 1,500 city officials and other conference attendees.
After detecting an increase in juvenile-related issues, the city created the CART Academy to get Colton’s troubled youth back on the right track. The 16-week program provides students with a supportive environment to reduce truancies and negative external influences. The goal is to increase student graduation rates, encourage healthy life choices, and strengthen family relationships. CART has a success rate of 89 percent for the students who graduated from the program.
Established in 1982 by the League of California Cities, the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence recognizes outstanding achievements by California's 482 cities. These winning cities have made unique contributions to community residents and businesses, contributions which have resulted in lower costs or more effective delivery of services. The purpose of the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program is to promote the innovative solutions by city governments.
The award is given annually in 12 categories: The Cities-Counties-Schools (CCS) Partnership Intergovernmental Collaboration; Community Services and Economic Development; Economic Development Through the Arts; Enhancing Public Trust, Ethics, and Community Involvement; Health and Wellness Programs; Housing Programs and Innovations; Internal Administration; League Partners Award for Excellence in City-Business Relations; Planning and Environmental Quality; Public Safety; Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation; and the Ruth Vreeland Award for Engaging Youth in City Government.
The 2020 winners, recognized for their outstanding programs, were chosen from 110 submissions.
Founded in 1898, the League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities. The League’s mission is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.
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