Chandler Arizona has been awarded the title of "All America City" by the National Civic League.  The National Civic League recognizes ten communities each year for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, each

community must demonstrate innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross sector collaboration by describing successful efforts to address pressing local challenges.


Chandler Heights Community Facilities

When Chandler’s Municipal Utilities staff determined it would not require all 113 acres it owned for a recharge project, they looked for other uses that could benefit the residents in a rapidly growing section of the community. With the Community Services Department seeking land in the area for a new park and recreation amenity and the Police Department looking for a substation parcel, an idea was born. Despite the seemingly disparate objectives of the three departments, their common needs and the opportunity to share this land resource resulted in a partnership in the project that became collectively known as the Chandler Heights Community Facilities.  The project now includes a 20,000-square-foot police substation, a 31-acre park, that includes a 5-acre urban fishing lake and a 10,000-square-foot, multi-generational Environmental Education Center. The Chandler Heights Community Facilities are the result of a unique vision that incorporated these interconnected amenities into one amazing project.
Chandler Care Center

The Chandler CARE Center (CCC) is a school-based, community-linked program of the Chandler Unified School District that promotes school readiness, attendance and academic success by providing medical treatment, dental treatment, immunizations, counseling, social services, parent education programs, and referrals for youth birth-to-18 years old.  In February 2010, the Chandler CARE Center opened a new, 8,800-square-foot free-standing facility this February after outgrowing its three-classroom space in an elementary school.  Many medical, dental, counseling, and service organizations donate their professional services at the Chandler CARE Center on a scheduled, rotating basis, so there is no charge to any child, family, or the school district for services.  With its new center built firmly upon a foundation of community support, the CCC will continue as a recognized model for improving the health, well-being and educational achievement of needy youth and parents.
The Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse

In 2006, a group of young residents, peer leaders in an organization called ICAN, gathered to identify issues critical to Chandler’s youth. The group identified Underage Drinking as a critical issue among teens in the community. From that dialogue, the Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse (CCYSA) was formed. Leading the process themselves and engaging ICAN staff, the teens developed and implemented a comprehensive community development strategy to address Underage Drinking. Actions included the identification of City ordinances on signage requirements, community education including a 30-minute show on the City’s Cable Channel 11, a survey of consumers, and many other strategies.  Utilizing these resources, the teens then collaborated with local merchants to remove alcohol signage, provided free training to merchants on ID’ing, and educated various sectors of the community on the risks of underage drinking.



The other 9 cities receiving the award are:


Lynwood, California
Rancho Cordova, California
North Miami, Florida
Acworth, Georgia
Des Moines, Iowa
Salisbury, Maryland
Gastonia, North Carolina
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
El Paso, Texas