About the Program
Established in 1988, The Computerworld Honors Program brings together the principals of the world's foremost information technology companies to recognize and document the achievements of the men, women, organizations and institutions around the world, whose visionary applications of information technology promote positive social, economic and educational change.
Each year, members of the Computerworld Honors Chairmen's Committee, a group of 100 Chairmen/CEOs from leading global IT companies, submit nominations for organizations they feel demonstrated extraordinary use of information technology in 10 distinct categories of industry-related endeavor. The categories are: Business & Related Services; Education & Academia; Environment; Energy & Agriculture; Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Government; Healthcare; Manufacturing; Media, Arts & Entertainment; Non-Profit Organizations; and Transportation.
Nominees are then asked to contribute a Case Study for submission to the Computerworld Honors Program Global Archives. Each Case Study includes a detailed description of the project, its benefits to society, the role played by information technology in furthering the project, and the ways in which this use of information technology is original or innovative. The Laureates may also submit accompanying digital photographs, video or other supporting materials. Once their documentation has been reviewed and accepted, the nominees become Program Laureates, and their Case Studies become part of the Program's Global Archives. The information becomes available to researchers, students and scholars through www.cwhonors.org, and through digital records housed in national archives in over 350 universities, museums and research institutions throughout the world.
Laureates' achievements are recognized publicly at the Laureate Medal Ceremony in Washington D.C. During this ceremony, Case Studies are formally inducted into the Program's International Archives, and honorees are presented with a medallion inscribed with the Program's mission, "A Search for New Heroes." Laureates then join members of the Chairmen's Committee and other industry luminaries for the evening Gala Awards. At that evening event, additional honors are given to 50 Finalists - 5 Laureates from each of the 10 categories, whose Case Studies were selected by Program Judges to be outstanding innovations within the information technology field. That field is narrowed further with the presentation of the 21st Century Achievement Awards. These awards are given to only one Finalist in each category, singled out for special recognition by the Program Judges to be the very best among their peers.
