Take advantage of Visit a Park Day this fall as a way to spark a long lasting bond between your park and recreation facilities and your community. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Young Professional Network provide the top three reasons why you should participate on Friday, October 5, 2012. Read more

In today’s economy, your agency has to justify every dollar spent, including the money and time spent on training and professional development. This means you may have to work even harder to attend NRPA’s Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, CA. We've gathered up seven strategies that you can employ to help get you to Anaheim. Read more

Well, sort of… You might recall that we have been working closely with Citi on a program called Every Step of the Way.   The whole idea of this program is to benefit the next generation of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and athletes of all ages in communities across America. Olympian tennis stars Mike and Bob Bryan have chosen to support the NRPA’s Tennis in the Parks (TIP) initiative through this partnership. Find out how you can support them while they go for the GOLD. Read more

Ever wonder what NRPA’s Directors School is really all about? In this guest blog post from James D. Worsley, Parks and Recreation Director of Columbus Parks and Recreation Department in GA, you'll read his key takeaways from his first-year experience and learn why you should attend this school to further your career. And what’s more, he offers great tips for a first-time Directors School student! Take a read and get your application in FAST – deadline is August 3!   Read more

Read why one Young Professional recommends that young park and recreation professionals should apply for the NRPA Young Professional Fellowship and other scholarship opportunities to further their professional development and career. Read more

NRPA Board Chair, Robert C. Johnson, discusses economic models, one of the three main areas of focus for NRPA in 2012.  In his post he welcomes your feedback on what's working in the field. Read more

This week we have brought you various updates and photos from the first ever, NRPA Green School.  Our very own VP of Conservation and Parks Richard Dolesh attended and presented at Green School.  In this post, Rich reports on his experience and takeaways – read on! Read more

In the world of blogs, Wednesday often are “wordless,” and photos are used to express your thoughts. With so much hands-on learning going on this week at NRPA’s first ever Green School we thought it would be a great opportunity to show everyone what’s been going on there the last few days. Read more

November 2011 marks the 20th year of Supervisors’ Management School (SMS). Taking a moment to reflect on a program that has provided 20 years of continuing education to professionals in the parks, recreation, and leisure service field I look back Read more

Guest contributor Shane Mize is the Recreation Superintendent for Missouri City Texas. Has a B.B.S. in Sports, Fitness and Leisure Management from Hardin Simmons University and a M.S. in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. He is Read more