ASSOCIATIONS ADVANCE AMERICA IN 1999.

What does it take to garner top honors in ASAE's Associations Advance America Awards program? Nine associations know.

Nine associations received top "Summit" honors in ASAE's 1999 Associations Advance America Awards program. Now in its ninth year, the prestigious program recognizes associations that propel America forward--with innovative projects in education, skills training, standards setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship, and community service.

The 1999 winners were chosen from more than 240 entries submitted by associations and industry suppliers nationwide. Fifty-one associations and supplier companies were honored with Awards of Excellence, the second level of recognition. In addition, more than 175 associations and supplier companies will be added to the Associations Advance America Honor Roll.

The winning programs "truly embody the spirit of the Associations Advance America campaign," says ASAE President and CEO Michael S. Olson, CAE. "It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase these activities as examples of the many contributions associations are making to advance American society."

The following descriptions of the nine 1999 Summit Award winners highlight the impact of their work.

The Actuarial Foundation, Schaumburg, Illinois, is fostering math aptitude in the elementary grades through Advancing Student Achievement, a three-year-old tutoring and mentoring program. More than $120,000 in grants have been awarded, and more than 90 actuaries volunteer in seven U.S. cities. Some examples of results: Newman Elementary School, Chino, California, held its first school math fair, the school was wired for the Web, and its teachers were presenters at the 1998 state math conference, a first-time honor for the school.

The American Society of Landscape Architects, Washington, D.C., donated 100 parks and open spaces to communities across America in 1999 through its "100 Parks, 100 Years" program. Throughout the year, landscape architects in every state will work with community leaders and a variety of organizations to design, beautify, and build green spaces for America's neighborhoods.

After a tragic accident in 1994 involving a barge and resulting in a deadly Amtrak derailment, the American Waterways Operators, Arlington, Virginia, created the Responsible Carrier Program to make sure that marine safety and environmental protection were the industry's top priority. Using best practices from across the industry and lessons learned from a strategic partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, AWO facilitated the program's design, creating a comprehensive third-party audited safety program specifically for the unique characteristics of the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry.

The Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc.-Baldy View Chapter, Rancho Cucamonga, knows that many families have good credit and can make a house payment, but cannot come up with the large down payment needed to purchase a home. To help families achieve home ownership, the association created the HART (Housing Action Resource Trust) Down Payment Assistance Program. In its first six months, the nationwide program generated more than $5 million in gift money and facilitated more than $120 million in first mortgages to help 1,013 families become homeowners.

The Washington, D.C.-based Career Training Foundation's Imagine America Scholarship Program makes available two $1,000 scholarships to every public and private high school in the nation. Students must apply, and if the foundation deems that a student from any given school is eligible, he or she may put the scholarship toward attending any of more than 300 institutions and study in any of 170 curricula. New in 1999 was the Guide to Careers in America, which included a special section on the vital role of associations.

After the devastating Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association, Ormond Beach, recognized the need for a plan to effectively manage large-scale fire-rescue deployments. The Statewide Fire Rescue Disaster Response Plan was developed in conjunction with the Florida Emergency Management Association to manage large-scale firerescue deployments. This program was tested in the summer of 1998, when 2,022 separate wildland fires burned nearly 500,000 acres in central Florida. More than 10,000 firefighters from 37 states and Canada came to Florida to help battle the fires, and thanks to the plan, there were no civilian or firefighter fatalities. Three other states have adopted the plan. This plan is not only activated for fires, but for other related weather disasters as well.

The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, Chicago, created the Women's Cancer Network to help women around the world determine their risk of developing gynecologic or breast cancer and get information related to changing that risk. The network Web site (www.wcn.org) provides daily Reuters Health News releases, assists women in finding treatment specialists, and offers a section dedicated to survivors. Since its formation, more than 20,000 surveys have been filled out and the site has been accessed more than 500,000 times.

The Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington, Rockville, aryland, holds "The Older Worker Employment, Education, and Technology Exposition," enabling more than 3,000 older workers to connect with employers, receive counseling, attend workshops, and obtain resume and interviewing tips. The expo is made possible with the aid of 50 organizations and the support of 70 employers. Surveys show that more than one third of attendees secure a job within six months and two thirds participate in job search support training.

"Babies are fragile. Please don't shake a child." is the theme of the national Shaken Baby Syndrome educational campaign, launched in conjunction with Baby Safety Month by the National Exchange Club Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Toledo, Ohio. The campaign's theme is illustrated by a photograph of several babies sitting in an egg carton. Members distribute brochures to new parents, day care centers, schools, doctors' offices, and other social service organizations throughout the country. Billboards, posters, and magnets are also displayed in hundreds of communities.