sPARK Awards: Celebrating Innovation in Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a source of health and wellness, economic benefit, and cultural enrichment for the San Diego region and beyond. To honor this, Forever Balboa Park’s newly created sPARK Awards recognizes people and organizations that amplify Balboa Park’s distinct role and increase its positive impact on wellbeing through creativity, collaboration, and imagination.

The sPARK Awards inspire a sense of belonging, welcoming a wide range of nominees: individuals and organizations; nonprofit, public or private sector; and within or beyond the boundaries of Balboa Park. There are three categories of award: Igniting Innovation, Crossing Boundaries and Enhancing Ecosystems (see descriptions below). Award winners are selected after careful review of nominations by a volunteer Selection Committee with diverse knowledge, experience, and backgrounds, and a shared love for Balboa Park. Each awardee will be given a cash prize for their nonprofit of affiliation, to fuel continued innovation and curiosity.

Event includes:

• Access to San Diego Air & Space Museum exhibits
• Cocktail Reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres
• Live performance by the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory
• Remarks by Forever Balboa Park Leadership
• Speakers session focused on innovation and change-making in San Diego
• Awards Presentation

Event is open seating except for VIP Tables, which are available for $1,500. To purchase a VIP table with reserved seating for 8 guests, please visit: 4-bp.org/2024sparktable

Award Categories

• Igniting Innovation Award: The Igniting Innovation Award recognizes innovation, imagination, and risk-taking related to Balboa Park. Individuals, organizations, partnerships or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that spark new ways of viewing or experiencing Balboa Park, leading to increased opportunities, possibilities, and potential.
• Crossing Boundaries Award: The Crossing Boundaries Award recognizes interdisciplinary or cross-sector collaboration that demonstrates Balboa Park’s multifaceted impact. Individuals, organizations, partnerships or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that cross disciplinary, organizational, cultural, generational or other boundaries to make connections among nature, art, science, performance, learning, history, civic engagement or other areas of interest.
• Enhancing Ecosystems Award: The Enhancing Ecosystems Award recognizes outstanding efforts to improve the environmental wellbeing and sustainability of Balboa Park, and thus, the natural world. Individuals, organizations, partnerships or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that enhance Balboa Park ecosystems, expand environmental stewardship within or through Balboa Park or support the connection between Balboa Park’s natural spaces and community health.

Nominations are currently open. Please nominate someone making a positive impact in San Diego at ForeverBalboaPark.org/spark

To sponsor or donate to the sPARK Awards, please contact janessa@balboapark.org (619) 331-1115

For questions on registering for this event and purchasing a table, please contact ashley@balboapark.org (619) 331-1991

At this event you may be photographed, videotaped or recorded. By attending this event, you may be included in these photos and videos. Your attendance at this event grants your permission to be in these photos or videos which may be used for educational, archival or promotional purposes.