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“Where You Belong” Online: Increasing Web Equity and Accessibility for All

By Kaitlyn Kaufman | Posted on July 24, 2024

As of April 2024, the Department of Justice released updated regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This new rule requires all state and local government web and mobile content to meet certain Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Here's what you need to know.

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Earvin Magic Johnson Recreation Area Community Center

Decarbonization and the Role of Local Park Agencies

By Clement Lau, DPPD, FAICP | Posted on July 22, 2024

Decarbonization is a critical component of global efforts to combat climate change and its associated impacts. Local park agencies, through their stewardship of parkland, promotion of sustainable practices, and engagement of communities, play an important role in advancing decarbonization at the local level.

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Parks and Recreation: Is It Like the Show?

By Rebecca Ortiz | Posted on July 17, 2024

Rebecca Ortiz, the athletics and rentals coordinator for City of Irving (Texas) Parks and Recreation Department, explores the question many park and recreation professionals receive: "Is working in parks and recreation like the show?"

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Beyond Green Spaces: Parks as Catalysts for Equity and Inclusion

By Tiff Cunin | Posted on July 10, 2024

Have you ever wondered about the power you hold in parks and recreation, and how you can use that power as a catalyst for moving towards greater equity in your community? If so, I think you are ready to apply for NRPA’s Equity in Practice Certificate Program!

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Creating a Brighter Future Through Equitable Access to Youth Sports

By Teresa Morrissey and Maureen Neumann | Posted on June 26, 2024

Through the Youth Sports Equity Grant Program, NRPA and Musco Lighting are excited to partner with local park and recreation agencies to increase equitable access to youth sports, especially for youth of color, girls, LGBTQ+ youth, youth from low-income homes and youth with disabilities.

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Are You Taking Advantage of NRPA’s Volunteer Opportunities?

By Jay Tryon, CPRP | Posted on June 7, 2024

Jay Tryon, CPRP, the deputy director for City of Concord Parks & Recreation, shares how NRPA's various volunteer opportunities have impacted his career.

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Recreation

By Tim Herd, CPRE | Posted on May 30, 2024

Tim Herd, CPRE, CEO of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, reflects on a provoking thought exercise with his counterparts from other states in which they attempted to develop an alternate term for “recreation and parks.”

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A Post-Pandemic Increase in Older Adult Programming

By Allie Ziegler | Posted on May 21, 2024

The Supporting Older Adults Through Parks and Recreation report highlights briefly how park and recreation professionals dealt with the lingering impacts of COVID-19 on older adults’ participation.

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Legacy Binders: Empowering Employees for Success

By Hannah Rathje | Posted on May 16, 2024

Hannah Rathje's recent transition into the community recreation supervisor position introduced her to a game-changing resource: the "Legacy Binder.”

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Benefits of Older Adult Programming at Parks and Recreation

By Allie Ziegler | Posted on May 16, 2024

Learn more about NRPA's recently-released Supporting Older Adults Through Parks and Recreation report.

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Benefits of Summer Jobs With Parks and Recreation

By Alexandra Ziegler | Posted on March 8, 2024

Working for local parks and recreation during the summer offers a unique and rewarding experience. Employees get the chance to contribute to the well-being of their community by organizing and participating in various outdoor activities and events. Summer positions in the field can offer significant advantages, including skill development, monetary benefits and certifications.

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Recruiting Summer Talent at Parks and Recreation

By Alexandra Ziegler | Posted on March 7, 2024

With summer being the busiest time for parks and recreation, valuable programs can suffer without the addition of summer seasonal staff. From summer camps and sports leagues to outdoor events, parks and recreation is an essential avenue for fostering a vibrant and engaged community. In September 2023, the NRPA Research team sought to capture the experiences park and recreation agencies had in hiring their summer seasonal staff by conducting a survey completed by agency directors.

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Facilitating Inclusion in Parks and Recreation: Part 3 — Implementing Support to Facilitate Inclusion

By Jennifer Ward | Posted on March 6, 2024

In part three of this blog series, we will discuss some common supports for facilitating inclusion in parks and recreation.

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Federal Earmarks Process — How to Win Funding for Local Park Initiatives

By Kyle Simpson | Posted on March 5, 2024

Your NRPA Public Policy and Advocacy team is here to help you make sense of the new federal fiscal year appropriations process. Whether you submitted a request for funding last year or you’re reading about this opportunity for the first time, here’s all the information you’ll need to successfully submit a project request with your congressional representatives.

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Leveling the Playing Field

By Michael Rosenkrantz | Posted on February 21, 2024

The executive director of SoCal Adaptive Sports shares why municipalities and local park and recreation professionals have the power to level the playing field, creating greater societal inclusion.

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Five Practices for Culturally Responsive Programs

By Liliana Ruiz Fischer, MPH | Posted on February 14, 2024

NRPA has developed a new resource that offers five practices to support park and recreation professionals with centering community and culture that can be applied to any park and recreation program.

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Facilitating Inclusion in Parks and Recreation: Part 2 — How to Facilitate Inclusion at an Organizational Level

By Jennifer Ward | Posted on February 9, 2024

In part two of our Inclusion in Parks and Recreation blog series, we explore how to facilitate inclusion at an organizational level by including self-advocates, creating an accessible environment, and implementing organizational and programmatic changes.

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Planting a Sustainable Future at Trueheart Ranch Nature Park

By Austin Barrett and Miriam Lamoreaux | Posted on February 8, 2024

On November 2, 2023, a few dozen warm-hearted people gathered on an unseasonably cold morning, just south of San Antonio, Texas, to celebrate the future of Trueheart Ranch Nature Park as part of NRPA's partnership with Bobcat Company.

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