It's hard to believe yet another wonderful Park and Recreation Month is coming to a close💚 Thank you to everyone who celebrated and shared stories with us. We are constantly inspired by the work of park and recreation professionals and the dedication to communities across the country! Our 2024 theme "Where You Belong" will carry on to our Annual Conference in Atlanta (and beyond!) as building belonging and connection is key for our overall wellbeing. Just take a look at the work of our keynote speaker, Dan Buettner, who discovered the Blue Zones - https://danbuettner.com/ Let us know in the comments how you and your community are building belonging beyond Park and Recreation Month ⬇️ Thank you to our 2024 Park and Recreation Month sponsors, United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official), Bobcat Company, and ACTIVE Network! Your support means we can focus more energy and time on uplifting the powerful nature of parks, recreation, and the professionals behind this work. Learn more about Park and Recreation Month: https://bit.ly/3VoxVE6 Support the advancement of parks and recreation: https://bit.ly/4bRsRhX Image: City of Alpharetta Recreation, Parks & Cultural Services 2024 Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest Submission. #WhereYouBelong #ParksAndRecMonth #PowerOfParks #ParksAndRec #Parks #Recreation #Belonging #Inclusion
National Recreation and Park Association
Non-profit Organizations
Ashburn, VA 38,530 followers
Because everyone deserves a great park
About us
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. NRPA advances this vision by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals as a catalyst for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. NRPA’s network of more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals and advocates represents public spaces in urban communities, rural settings and everything in between. NRPA champions and supports the field of parks and recreation through professional development, advocacy, grants and programs, research, publications and more.
- Website
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http://www.nrpa.org
External link for National Recreation and Park Association
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Ashburn, VA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1965
Locations
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Primary
22377 Belmont Ridge Road
Ashburn, VA 20148, US
Employees at National Recreation and Park Association
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Breece Robertson
Turning Data and Information into Insights and Inspiration | Serves on National Boards and Committees | Author - "Protecting the Places We Love"
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Rebecca Armstrong
Co-Founder, CEO at NORTH, CampaignUS 40 Over 40, Ad Age Best Places to Work, Ad Age Small Agency of the Year
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Doug Vance
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Charissa Hipp
Storyteller | Nonprofit Strategist | Nature Connection Advocate & Guide | Project Manager
Updates
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This August's issue of Parks and Recreation magazine is filled with good reads 📖 🐢Paula Jacoby-Garrett explains how a trip to Scandinavia inspired finance executive and philanthropist Charles Jobson to bring a holistic nature play experience to his hometown of Normal, Illinois. 🛝Learn about Sand Mountain Park in Albertville, AL. The park features nine playgrounds that are “97 percent accessible, with almost every single feature able to be enjoyed by children regardless of their ability,” according to Michael Shows. ✈️Chris Brummett highlights local activities for those planning to attend the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference this October, such as visiting the Atlanta History Center, Piedmont Park or SkyView Atlanta. Read the August issue: https://bit.ly/3IZGyPM #ParksAndRecMagazine #PowerOfParks #ParksAndRec #Nature #Environment #Parks #Recreation #WhereYouBelong #NRPAConference2024
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Everyone experiences play in different ways — it’s the reason why there isn’t just one type of spray feature or one type of pool. Age, ability and even personal preference all contribute to how someone engages within a space and with other people. Accounting for these differences helps to create an inclusive and inviting environment. There are many different kinds of play. Collaborative, imaginative and multigenerational play can foster important skills needed for childhood development. When these types of play are paired with water activities found in areas like splash pads, risky play — the positive kind — is introduced and children often gain more confidence around water while playing. Read the full article from Briana Valente to learn about the importance of positive experiences around water and the thought that goes into designing welcoming play spaces: https://bit.ly/4dxXYk3 #PowerOfParks #WhereYouBelong #ParksAndRec #Parks #Recreation #Aquatics #Inclusion #Belonging
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Andre Harris, the recreation city supervisor for the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation, recalls valuable life lessons learned from picking up archery 🎯 Watch the full video and others: https://bit.ly/43M6tUF Park and recreation professionals wear many hats, they're community builders, advocates, mentors- to name a few. We've found the stories they have to tell incredibly powerful. That’s why we started the video-storytelling project, Park and Recreation Stories. Through uplifting voices in the field we aim to highlight the power of parks, as well as significant events experienced by our members, partners and advocates. We’re excited to continue sharing these stories with you throughout 2024 and into 2025 as we begin celebrating our 60th anniversary. #ParkAndRecStories #NRPA60 #PowerOfParks #WhereYouBelong #ParkAndRecMonth
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From Simone Biles to youth leagues, mental health in sports matters. Our partners in the Million Coaches Challenge are equipping coaches with skills to support athletes' overall well-being. Read more about how MCC Partners are reshaping the culture of youth sports: https://lnkd.in/eSH9ZZEM
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Have you ever found yourself wondering why Continuing Education Units mean so much to certain professionals or why organizations might prioritize sending certain professionals to conferences during challenging times? The answer may very well be certification! Learn more about CEUs and getting certified from our Vice President of Credentialing and Member Operations, Julie Boland: https://bit.ly/4dcff1H #WhereYouBelong #NRPAConference #PowerOfParks #NRPAEducation #Learning #ContinuousLearning #Parks #Recreation
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Curious as to how hosting a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz can advance your agency's sustainability efforts? Five local park and recreation agencies who participated in the past shared outcomes of their Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. Explore what they have done with the information collected during the September BioBlitz ⬇️ 🌼City of Fort Worth (TX) Parks & Recreation Department extend reduced mow areas and create natural areas in some of their parks and established stream buffers in ten of their parks and are monitoring the progress. 🌼City of Burlington (NC) Recreation and Parks installed a pollinator garden alongside the relocated community garden to provide dual benefits: draw more pollinators to help grow their community garden and provide education about the importance of pollinators to their community. 🌼DNR Outdoor Adventure Center (MI) converted a section of lawn grass behind their building into a pollinator garden habitat. The garden includes pollinator-friendly native Michigan plants, educational signage, and will be incorporated into school and public programming as an education piece. 🌼St. Charles County (MO) Parks continued adding native plants across their parks system with assistance from the horticulture team. They designed and installed a beautiful native garden with plant labels, butterfly houses and signage. 🌼Centre Region (PA) Parks & Recreation installed a pollinator garden in a new park that is currently under construction. Strategically planning this habitat provides multiple benefits through the creation of biodiversity havens, green infrastructure, educational spaces, and examples of how to steward lands to support pollinators and other species. Join us to raise awareness of pollinators nationwide by hosting a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz in your community. This September, we will be hosting the sixth annual Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. Learn more about these projects and hosting your own Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz: https://bit.ly/3Sj7381 #Parks4Pollinators #BioBlitz #WhereYouBelong #Pollinators #Conservation #Parks #ParksAndRec #ParkAndRecMonth #ParkAndRecMonth24
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This Tuesday we are joined by Caitlin Marcotte and Sarah Kyriacopoulos - tune in to find out why adaptive recreation is so important and how memorable the experiences can be 🛶 Caitlin Marcotte is an operations specialist IV adaptive manager at Charlottesville, Virginia, Parks and Recreation. Throughout the episode you'll hear all about Charlottesville's adaptive recreation program and the impact it is making. Sarah Kyriacopoulos is a member of the Charlottesville community who has participated in the city’s adaptive program for years. She has become a leader in the program and shares some wonderful stories with Caitlin. As we celebrate "Where You Belong" this Park and Recreation Month, we were so excited to uplift their stories and the work happening in Charlottesville. Listen now: https://bit.ly/3y5vdMp #WhereYouBelong #PowerOfParks #ParksAndRecMonth #DisabilityPride #AdaptiveRecreation #ParksAndRec #Parks #Belonging #Inclusion #Adventure
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This week, let's thank the park and recreation agencies who get us reconnected and educated about the environment around us. 💚 Pearland Parks and Recreation organized a night hike where young explorers were immersed in nature and education around local nocturnal wildlife! When we have the chance to reconnect with the environment we are a part of, the sense of belonging and community couldn’t be stronger. Learn more about the Park and Recreation Month: https://lnkd.in/eEzgV9Ti Thank you to our 2024 Park and Recreation Month sponsors, (USTA) United States Tennis Association, Bobcat Company, and ACTIVE Network! Your support means we can focus more energy and time on uplifting the powerful nature of parks, recreation, and the professionals behind this work. Support the advancement of parks and recreation: https://lnkd.in/eJhqF3M4 #WhereYouBelong #ParksAndRecMonth #PowerOfParks #ParksAndRec #Parks #Recreation #Belonging #Inclusion
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Sandy Heath believes that environments tend to feel comfortable and welcoming because of anchoring experiences that create a shared understanding of what inclusivity feels like. "I believe we can build a better world through our profession by pushing ourselves in new situations that improve our awareness of how another person might experience the world, being an inclusion practitioner who is open to learning when we get it wrong, and finding opportunities to build culture and community that celebrate, support and respect individuals." Read the full article from Sandy Heath, Assistant Professor of the Parks and Recreation Management Program at Northern Arizona University: https://bit.ly/4bxyIbT #PowerOfParks #WhereYouBelong #ParksAndRec #Parks #Recreation #AdaptiveSports #Inclusion #Belonging
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