Imagination Celebration has been honored for excellence with such awards as the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence and multiple El Pomar Awards. Highly competitive reviews around the state and nation have resulted in the following:
2010-selected as a partner for the National Partners in Education program by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC (one of only 14 sites in the nation and the only one in Colorado)
2009-selected by The Independent as a nonprofit worthy for the Give! Campaign
2008 El Pomar Foundation's Karl Eitel Award for Achievement in Youth Development
2008-10 selected to serve on COPPeR's Leadership team to help develop Cultural Plan for region
2008 selected as Best Place to Spark Imagination - by The Gazette
2008 selected as Keynote for Pikes Peak International Reading Association
2007 “Diversity Award” by the joint Chambers of Commerce (Black Chamber, Hispanic Chamber and Greater Colorado Springs Chamber)
2007 National Endowment for the Arts award for Conexion del Mariachi
Received top ranking in state for ArtWorx! proposal for Youth Reach Initiative serving at-risk high school students through after-school programs.
Received top ranking in state by Colorado Council on the Arts for Arts Learning Network (8 organizations identified as outstanding arts education models).
Selected as model by Colorado Council on the Arts to showcase as a Best Practice in the state for reaching underserved families (“Colorado Connections” southern Colorado Tour Program provided over 400 programs in over 70 rural towns in southern Colorado).
Awarded two National Endowment for the Arts grants for our Outposts Outreach program serving children in Guffey, Cripple Creek, Lake George, Divide, Ellicott, Edison, Yoder, Peyton, Calhan, and Hanover - this highly competitive review requires highest artistic excellence, organizational capacity and demonstrable results.
Selected as national model by Crayola for their national publication on Strategies for Success: Bridges Toward Creative Collaboration in Your Community (see enclosed copy).
Annual high ranking (usually within top 5 ranking for past 10 years) by Colorado Council on the Arts peer review panel assessing service to the community, artistic excellence, organizational capacity and measurable outcomes.