2005 Finalist: Rediscover Your Roots: Connecting Urban Dwellers with their Rural Heritage

This program promotes travel destinations that involve work/stay farms and native grown produce in order to address visitors' increased demand for cultural heritage and historical experiences, the need for additional income in agricultural communities and the need to reconnect vital constituencies in a state polarized by an urban/rural split.

2004 Finalist: Department of Insurance Licensing Section Self-Directed Work Team Program

This program reorganized the Missouri Department of Insurance Licensing section from a traditional supervisor decision-making model into three teams of six or seven licensing technicians who work under a team leader.

2003 Finalist: Grow Native!

This program is designed to increase demand for Missouri-grown native vegetation and promote naturally resilient plants to increase biological diversity on public and private lands. Through a combination of education, demonstration and marketing techniques, the program boosts consumer and commercial demand for these plants and helps consumers find quality native plant materials and capable native landscape professionals.

Have an innovative program in your state? Apply for an Innovations award!