What?

Introduction to World Leisure Communities of Excellence

The designation World Leisure Communities of Excellence is bestowed by the World Leisure Organization (WLO) upon communities that have successfully used Leisure in its widest forms to reinvent themselves and to improve the economic, social and cultural lives of their citizens, and that have made substantive contributions consistent with advancing the mission of WLO. In so doing, WLO brings global attention to the excellence those communities have achieved through working together as citizens to promote leisure as a means to enhance the human condition.

Who?

Currently, the network of the World Leisure Community of Excellence is formed by Jingde (China), Richmond (Cananda), Keqiao (China) and Laixi (China). WLO anticipates the establishment of selective additional World Leisure Communities of Excellence, especially in geographic areas without representation of such programs.

Why?

Benefits you will have

The designed communities will be given the opportunity to join the World Leisure of Community Excellence Network (annual fee required). This network aims to strengthen cooperation with and among communities that have successfully used leisure in its widest forms to reinvent themselves and to improve the economic, social and cultural lives of their citizens. By joining the Network, communities will strengthen international cooperation, broaden their opportunities and benefit from the networking and the exchange among the WLO programs.

Through designation as a World Leisure of Community Excellence, a community can expect to:

• Gain global recognition for its innovative use of leisure practices to strengthen economic, social, cultural, and environmental development
• Showcase its achievements at the international level
• Join an international network of leisure communities interested in sharing their innovative andrevitalizing programs and strategies
• Attract tourism and investment
• Build a global reputation as a leading community in the leisure field

Potential Communities of Excellence

The potential Communities of Excellence can be communities of any size that have undertaken broad-based citizen involvement to promote leisure as integral to the social, cultural, economic, and sustainable environmental development of the community. Designation as a World Leisure Community of Excellence can be bestowed upon a neighborhood, village, town, city, state or region whose citizens have worked together as a community.

Applications are sought from broad-based citizen coalitions that may include practicing professionals, academicians and researchers, policy makers and officials, community lay leaders, students, and other interested individuals who have undertaken an innovative and effective program that has enhanced the well-being of targeted members of their community.

Scroll down to see how to apply! We are waiting for you!

How?

Application procedure you should follow

• Open call for applications
• Formal response and application documentation from candidates
• Applications review
• Assessment team visits and evaluation
• Board Review
• Announcement
• Presentation

Download the Call

Contact

For more information on the World Leisure Community of Excellence Designation, contact us at secretariat@worldleisure.org, and schedule a call with the WLO Community of Excellence Coordinator about your community and the application process to answer your specific questions.