The Power of A 2021 Silver WinnerIMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) recently won a prestigious Power of A Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for its e-learning course Blockchain 101 by IMA. IMA earned a Silver Award in the category of “The Power of Industry/Professional Advancement.” This is the second Power of A Award in IMA history. Previously, IMA earned a Silver Award for its CareerDriver® self-assessment tool, which was recognized in 2017 in “The Power to Create a Competitive Workforce” category.

ASAE’s Power of A (association) Awards, which are considered the industry’s highest honor, recognize the association community’s valuable contributions on the local, national, and global levels. The Power of A Awards reward the outstanding accomplishments of associations and industry professionals who “work tirelessly to solve problems, and strengthen lives, the workforce, the economy, and the world.”

IMA’s award-winning entry, Blockchain 101 by IMA, is a gamified e-learning course designed to help participants develop foundation knowledge of blockchain technology by focusing on various elements of blockchain most relevant to management accountants. The course features a personalized game in a blockchain complex comprised of four towers, each presenting new blockchain concepts on each floor. After completing the activities on each floor, participants continue to advance through the course before finally reaching the top of the tower, where they must answer knowledge-check questions. The course, which has also been translated into Chinese, offers 1 NASBA CPE credit. 

“Thanks go to everyone who contributed to the creation and development of this course, which over the past year has proven very popular with our members,” said Debbie Warner, CAE, CPTD, vice president, IMA Education & Career Services. “Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize and reshape accounting and finance, and our members need to be fully aware of its capabilities. This course aims to help our members learn more about this important new technology in a way that is intriguing and engaging. We’re honored to receive this industry recognition for a course we’re so very proud of.”

In a press release announcing all the award winners, ASAE President and CEO Susan Robertson, CAE, said, “Congratulations for exemplifying the impact associations have on the industries and professions they represent, and on society at large. It’s always so incredibly satisfying to see associations going above and beyond their everyday mission to change the world. We’re very proud to spotlight this award-winning initiative.”

The 2021 award categories include The Power of Industry/Professional Advancement, The Power of Community Support and Engagement, The Power of Global Development, The Power of Diversity and Inclusion, and The Power of Advocacy. In 2021, six organizations received Summit Awards, 25 organizations earned Gold Awards, and 32 organizations received Silver Awards. Winners’ information can be found at www.thepowerofa.org/awards.

IMA and its award-winning entry will be recognized during the ASAE Summit Awards reception, which will take place in-person at the National Building Museum, in Washington, D.C., on September 30.