The National Recreation and Parks Association

As we close out 2021, we take a moment to look back on the challenges we faced and overcame, we remember the colleagues and loved ones we lost, and we celebrate the good work our field has done for millions of people in communities across the country.

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On the final episode of Open Space Radio for the year, our host Cort Jones reflects on the 13 most-downloaded episodes from 2021 and shares inspiring messages from guests of each episode.

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Park and recreation professionals, whether working closely with partners or acting on their own, provide older adults with a wealth of resources, social activities, opportunities to serve others in the community, and most importantly, support aging in place.

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Keeping your youth sports participants, staff, referees, coaches and other volunteers in the loop in every aspect of your program is key and can only help your operation. Here are some tips to be a great communicator within your program.

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As this holiday season finds the NRPA staff spread throughout the United States, we wanted something that could close those miles between us. Thanks to the inspiration given to us by the Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More! blog, we hosted our first annual Nailed It! NRPA-Style: Gingerbread Park competition!

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We’re rolling out an exciting new approach to online education at NRPA in 2022, with a jam-packed schedule of insightful Talks, engaging Clinics and interactive Sandboxes to keep you learning with your peers throughout the year.

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Adults in the U.S. recognize the importance of parks and recreation in their community even if they do not consider themselves park users. One group, however, is an untapped champion for parks and recreation — parents.

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If you run a well-organized program and you are a great communicator, parent complaints will be at a minimum. However, sometimes things will happen that are out of your control causing a parent to complain. Here are seven steps to handle a complaint effectively.

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In our year-end edition of NRPA Parks Snapshot, we are looking at the challenges affecting park and recreation agencies as our nation continues to recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic — particularly those that impact funding, staffing and programming.

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As mainstream recreational programming widens to welcome more children with special needs, Tim Herd offers some of the simple strategies he and his wife and learned in raising their young son, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

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What does the guilty verdict of three white Georgia men for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery mean for communities of color in the way we use parks and trails?

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re replaying one of our Coffee Talks from the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference with Luis Romahn, president, CEO and founder of Parques de México and the National Association of Parks and Recreation Mexico.

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Proper supervision of your campers is of the utmost importance to ensure the safety of your participants and should be taken very seriously. Here are 10 tips to make sure your counselors are displaying great supervision.

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To glimpse the future, it’s often helpful to look back to the past. So, to understand where we — park and recreation professionals — fit, let’s take a brief stroll through our recent history.

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