The Background

When COVID-19 first began affecting every aspect of our lives, we looked at the specific challenges posed by the pandemic and decided to connect each other through a show created just for the park and recreation industry, inviting directors to join us regularly and share ways they are positively influencing their communities. The result is “Good News: in Parks!”

An amazing industry…and people

Situations like the pandemic force us all to rise up to challenges. As humans, sometimes we move forward eagerly. Other times, we drag our feet. As park and recreation professionals, with community members counting on the essential services that we provide, there is no option but to rise. It’s natural for any of us as individuals to first ask, “What do I do?” But as park and rec professionals, the resounding question became, “How can we help?”

Good News in Parks is a vehicle to share answers to that question. On select Thursdays at 1 p.m. EST, each show features three top park and recreation directors sharing what they and their agencies are doing to serve communities. It brings us together, it shares good news and it offers an opportunity to learn from one another. The audience interacts by taking polls and asking questions, and that information, plus a post-show survey, is used to inform future episodes. It’s live, uncensored and ultimately real (plus, viewers can earn CEUs!).

So, what are some of the learnings being shared?

Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” As social beings, humans gain strength by leaning on their communities. Often the resiliency of one individual is thanks to a much larger support network, and the success of a community is often motivated by how much leaders in that community actually care. The following highlights are a sampling of creative and caring ideas that show guests have shared.

Communication

• Provide public budget forecasts for transparent financial reporting
• Increase participation in community meetings with virtual meetings
• Utilize the latest data from health departments, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others to make timely decisions
• Provide weekly video communication to share fun recreation ideas with families
• Identify and communicate needs so community members can help with donations, volunteer time and durable goods
• Use social media platforms to communicate information about parks and services

Increased services

• Keep parks and trails open (including restrooms for hand washing and personal hygiene)
• Partner with surrounding communities to offer therapeutic recreation to more people
• Create an online activity center with virtual tours, activity sheets and instructional videos
• Coordinate with public and private organizations to provide space in parks for additional community services
• Provide daycare and childcare at recreation centers in neighborhoods with vulnerable populations
• Add WiFi to facilities so families have access to the internet in parks
• Set up brush recycling centers to help homeowners remove yard waste, then convert waste to mulch for homeowner use 
• Offer meal preparation and service for families in need
• Create grab-and-go recreation kits for use at home

Health and wellness

• Focus on outdoor health and wellness programs for both staff members and community
• Partner with health departments and healthcare centers to provide flu shots and medical screenings
• Use parks as community gardens and farms to produce food for families in need 
• Work with local gyms and fitness centers to provide outdoor space/instruction for exercise classes
• Perform assessments and wellness checks by phone, virtual meetings and in-person when appropriate
• Provide services to address the social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs of all people to prevent regression

Learning

• Invest in technology and train staff members to utilize virtual learning tools so they can teach parents and children
• Partner with neighboring communities to create a task force to plan for schools, parks and city services in a unified way
• Expand community outreach to better understand the diverse, changing needs of families
• Plan to use virtual meetings in the future to gain more input from the community now and after the pandemic is over
• Partner with foundations and local businesses to provide offsite recreation, e-learning and camp programs
• Use park facilities as alternative learning sites for community schools with supervised learning, WiFi and other student resources

Staffing and funding

• Explore ways to combine positions and increase volunteer opportunities to maintain staffing and provide consistent services
• Shift personnel to other city services to avoid furloughs and staff reduction, including field services to refurbish site amenities, trails, etc.
• Work with all levels of government to leverage resources efficiently, seek out additional funding, and coordinate efforts at local, state and federal levels
• Seek partners/sponsors for special events, additional recreation projects, volunteer staff and maintenance of facilities

Join the Discussion

Good News in Parks is for you. It’s about you, and you drive the content. How can we make it even more YOURS?  Send me your thoughts and ideas, and join us for the show by registering here.

Anne-Marie Spencer is the vice president of marketing for PlayCore.