Safely Celebrate National Public Works Week, May 17-23

This week is, May 17-23, 2020, is National Public Works Week. Each year since 1960, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has sponsored National Public Works Week as a way to educate the public on the importance of public works to their daily lives.

This year’s theme is “The Rhythm of Public Works” and encourages citizens to think about their communities as “a symphony of essential services, working in concert to create a great place to live. Every community has a rhythm, a heartbeat that reflects its essence and tempo of life.”

“Every year National Public Works Week gets bigger and better,’ states APWA’s website. “The number of participating municipalities continues to grow, which means the number of citizens who are exposed to the value of public works grows. At APWA one of our main goals is to educate the general public about the value and necessities of public works projects throughout North America, and public works professionals like you are our best ambassadors.”

APWA encourages public works agencies and professionals to take the opportunity to make their stories known in their communities. States, provinces, cities/towns and municipalities from across North America are encouraged to celebrate with official government proclamations and resolutions in honor of the contribution public works makes to their communities. The National Public Works Week How-To Guide and Downloadables area are available to agencies to assist in the development and implementation of their own individual celebrations.

Although many of the opportunities outlined in the NPWW How-To Guide may not be an option this year, particularly events and other in-person plans, there are still plenty of ways for your company to celebrate. From T-shirt design contests to keep kids at home busy or have an employee appreciation day.

Many construction activities are considered essential, so showing employees a bit of appreciation by–for example–bringing in a treat some day this week, is a great way to celebrate.

Another way to stay safe and celebrate NPWW is to post your projects to social media using the official hashtag, #NPWW.