The 2018 Engage Cincy Challenge Competition is a unique community building program that provides $10,000 grants to community projects aimed at making Cincinnati a more engaged city. The awards go to residents or local organizations which have submitted formal grant applications to the City of Cincinnati.

This year, the City wanted entries that were innovative, transformative, and sustainable with potential impact across their neighborhood or citywide. Specifically, the aim was to find projects that connect neighborhoods through either: 

• Innovative Technology 
• Creative Placemaking
• Unlikely Partnerships

The City received nearly 80 applications in less than two months. The field was narrowed to 15 finalists by a selection committee. City Manager Harry Black reviewed recommendations from the selection committee before picking the winners.

Below is the list of five winners who were honored at the 2018 Neighborhood Summit.

MRC - Street Studio

Project lead(s): Sarah Strickland, Kyle Cadena (Studio Director), Jay Kruz (Program Director/ DJ) 

Music Resource Center plans to use tech to educate local young people and highlight the positive elements of community through the use of a mobile radio studio dubbed the "MRC Street Studio."

MRC will focus its outreach efforts on at-risk teens in Walnut Hills and other Cincinnati neighborhoods. Partners in this project include the Music Resource Center, as well as 100-plus volunteers with unique backgrounds ranging from the music world to counselors. The project will also rely on the services of MRC grads, donors and others.  

Cindependent Film Festival

Project lead: Angela Holman (Director of Development) and Allyson West (President) of the Cincinnati International Film Festival

This is a four-day festival highlighting local filmmakers. The festival will bring in international artists and unify a group of independent artists to give them a voice and promote a network-share of ideas and jobs.

The event will be open to community members of all skill levels as well as international independent filmmakers and pre-professional artists. Partners in this venture include Film Cincinnati, the Woodward Theatre, the Mini Micro Cinema, the University of Cincinnati and Heyman Talent.

Neighborhood Flags

Project lead: Henry Frondorf 

This unique project builds off the success of the Cincinnati Neighborhood Games (Engage Cincy winners in 2016) and ensures all 52 neighborhoods have a professionally designed neighborhood flag. These flags will be on display at the 2018 Neighborhood Games.

The group will work with neighborhood councils to have professional designers on the look of the flags. They will then work with National Flag Co. to have one flag produced for each neighborhood. Additional flags will be available for sale and the artwork will be owned by each Community Councils.

Members of all 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods and their respective Community Councils will play a role in this program. Other project partners include the design team from the Contemporary Art Center, the National Flag Co. and the Haile Foundation, which is providing a $10,000 matching grant.

Voices In the Built Environment (VIBE)

Project lead: Pla(y)ce, Jasmine Humphries (Director), B. Cooper, Kailah Ware, Rob Wilson, M. Mangan, K. Lee 

This 10-week-long fall project combines media arts and community development to create a video-recorded podcast. Young people will be able to create media on career exploration, social justice, community service, urban design and other related topics. The goal is increase the number of civically engaged residents.

The project will work primarily with minority teens, ages 13-18 and 19-22. Partners include People's Liberty, Film Cincinnati, Sabercomm, Elementz, WordPlay, UC - Design in Mind, National Assoc. of Black Journalists.

2018 Cincinnati Summer of STEM Design Fest

Project lead: Sean Kelley (Director) and Mary Adams (Project Manager)

The STEM Design Fest will celebrate the culmination of the third annual Summer of STEM by bringing together students, families, educators, institutions, and employers in Uptown. The goal is to recognize the power and joy of STEM and design and instill 'pride in place'.

While open to anyone, the program will target students in the Uptown summer STEM program, their families and community members. Partners include various Uptown educational and STEM institutions, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati Museum Center, Procter & Gamble, Strive and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.