
Take Action Now: White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
By Dan McCarthy | Posted on June 23, 2022
After more than 50 years, the White House will once again convene a national Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. Here's how you can get involved and make your voice heard.

Introducing the Inclusive Healthy Places Framework
By Jared Mummert | Posted on June 22, 2022
This resource is an opportunity for your agency to center the community in its decision-making and create systemic change that will lead to more equitable, inclusive, healthy and resilient park spaces.

Paving the Way for Gender Equity in Youth Sports – Episode 115
By Cort Jones | Posted on June 21, 2022
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're joined by 10-year-old Evangeline Iarossi, who wrote a letter to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor about the inequities between girls' and boys' sports, as well as Heather Wolf-Erickson and Sherisha Hills of City of Tampa Parks and Recreation, who are helping to address these inequities.

How Phoenix Is Honoring the Life of Lori Piestewa — July Bonus Episode
By Cort Jones | Posted on June 16, 2022
On the July bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we're diving deeper into the story behind our Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest and discussing how Phoenix is honoring Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to her lose her life in combat while serving in the U.S. military.

Community Wellness Hubs: A Public Health Solution
By Allison Colman | Posted on June 15, 2022
We are thrilled to share a new resource, Community Wellness Hubs: A Toolkit for Advancing Community Health and Well-Being, which provides guidance on how to create your own Community Wellness Hub.

In the Face of Hate, We Persevere
By Jared Mummert | Posted on June 14, 2022
Whether this is the first year your community is hosting a Pride event or its fifty-second, it is essential to keep the tradition going, because parks are at the heart of community and they’re at the heart of Pride.

Tampa Athletics Director Heather Wolf-Erickson Fights for the Full Promise of Title IX
By Teresa Morrissey | Posted on June 14, 2022
This June as we honor the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, NRPA celebrates our park and recreation professionals who continue to fight until the full promise of Title IX becomes real: so all girls and women have access to and benefit from sports equally.

Starting the Conversation About Cyberbullying Between Parents and LGBTQ+ Youth
By Stand for the Silent | Posted on June 9, 2022
As we observe June's annual Pride Month, a month where the LGBTQ+ community celebrates in many different ways, the issue of cyberbullying for youth takes on particular urgency.

Racism, Systemic Racism and White Supremacy. What’s the Difference?
By Shalini Mirpuri | Posted on June 8, 2022
These three terms are ever-present in our country’s discourse, and they’re often used interchangeably. But do they really mean the same thing? We’ve created this Quick Read to break down each of these definitions to help you determine which word is best to use in different contexts.

Environmental Restoration for Parks and Recreation
By Clement Lau, FAICP, DPPD | Posted on June 8, 2022
The restoration of degraded lands is of great importance and a matter of environmental justice in Los Angeles County, where numerous underserved communities are plagued with environmental burdens.

How Mentoring Supports Youth Impacted by the Opioid Epidemic – Episode 114
By Cort Jones | Posted on June 7, 2022
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're discussing a youth mentoring program in Berwick, Maine, which is designed to support youth impacted by the opioid epidemic.

Balance Over Burnout: Find Your Mental Fitness Routine
By Katie Garrett, CPRP | Posted on May 31, 2022
To round out Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some suggestions on how to find your mental fitness routine from Katie Garrett, CPRP.

What the Data Says About Playspace Inequity
By Kevin Paul | Posted on May 27, 2022
A team of experts partnered with KABOOM! to summarize what the research has to say about equitable access to quality playspaces in Colorado and nationwide. What they found was insightful.

Playspaces Can Help Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis
By Kevin Paul | Posted on May 23, 2022
The health and well-being of our kids is deeply connected to the places where they live and play. As the world nears the two-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, kids, much like adults, need outlets that relieve stress and provide social connection more than ever.

10 Ways To Support Mental Health This May
By Allison Colman | Posted on May 19, 2022
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Here are 10 actions park and recreation professionals can take this May to amplify their role in supporting mental health.

West Lafayette’s Mission to Make Wellness More Inclusive – June Bonus Episode
By Cort Jones | Posted on May 19, 2022
The June issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories titled, “Making Wellness More Inclusive.”

NRPA Parks Snapshot: Spring 2022 Survey Results
By Kevin Roth | Posted on May 13, 2022
In our Spring 2022 edition of NRPA Parks Snapshot, we check on the status of park and recreation agency funding, aquatics programming and, in particular, the hiring of lifeguards.

Supporting Healthy Aging through Parks and Recreation: A Community of Practice
By Colleen Pittard and Tiff Cunin | Posted on May 13, 2022
This Older Americans Month and Arthritis Awareness Month, NRPA is excited to share updates and news about how local parks and recreation continues to support healthy aging in communities across the country.