MINNESOTA Official Publication of Minnesota Recreation and Park Association
Jan
Volume 5, Issue 4
Winter 2011
Recreation and Parks
Celebrate Winter eat r c R e le Sty
ion
www.mnrpa.org Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 1
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MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks
Publisher Minnesota Recreation and Park Association 200 Charles Street NE, Fridley, MN 55432 www.mnrpa.org Tel: 763.571.1305 Editorial Staff Michelle J. Snider, Bethani Gerhard Editorial Board Patty Anderson, Maple Grove Jan Ficken, Brooklyn Park Jennifer Fink, Anoka County Chad Ubl, Winona Heidi Sedlacek, New Brighton Advertising & Design Pernsteiner Creative Group, Inc. MRPA Board of Directors President Jon Oyanagi, Brooklyn Park President-Elect Cris Gears, Three Rivers Park District Past President James “Corky” Ebeling, Owatonna Secretary Jay Hutchison, Albert Lea Treasurer Dale McCamish, Rochester RSC Chair Scott Breuer, Apple Valley Sandy Breuer, New Brighton Erica Chua, Plymouth Jennifer Fink, Anoka County Holly Heitkamp, Moorhead Regina Michaud, Plymouth Wayne Mooney, Brainerd Rick Schaber, Saint Charles Dan Schultz, Rosemount Nicole White, Eden Prairie This magazine is the official quarterly publication of Minnesota Recreation and Park Association and is provided complimentary to members as part of their MRPA membership. The editorial board encourages the submission of articles and photos for publication. Articles of approximately 500-700 words or less may be submitted, but may be edited for length and clarity. Contact Michelle Snider, MRPA, at 763.571.1305 x100 if
WHAT’S INSIDE By MRPA Magazine Editorial Board
Are we positioned to attract new leaders? In this issue we explore college students’ perceptions about recreation and their career paths. As the Editorial Board meets to set the publishing agenda for the magazine in 2011 there comes a feeling of trepidation. Are we meeting the needs of the reader? Are we engaging the reader? Are we covering relevant topics? Some of that trepidation was eased when I read the editor’s note in the November issue of Parks and Recreation. Phil Hayward recalled a story John Crompton told within a session he attended at NRPA’s Congress and Exposition. The story was about a student that referred to the recreation department as ‘romp and play’ when giving a tour to prospective students at Texas A&M University. Hayward points to Crompton’s challenge for us to reposition our departments.
In this issue, the first in a four-part series, Winona State University faculty and students delve into students’ perceptions about recreation and whether or not they are choosing recreation as a potential career path. This research is certainly a different topic than Crompton’s works; yet relevant. Are we positioned to attract new leaders to our profession? The research indicates that students are having an overwhelmingly positive experience with their hometown park and recreation department. Just imagine if we took the affect of the positive experience and merged it with the perceptions of what recreation provides for a community. The end seems to be lifelong advocates for recreation.
interested in submitting an article for a future issue.
Deadlines for Articles and Advertising Spring...........February 18 for the Spring issue Summer............April 15 for the Summer issue Fall..............................July 15 for the Fall issue Winter........... October 15 for the Winter issue MRPA reserves the right to approve all submitted advertising in MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. All requests for advertising should be made to Todd Pernsteiner, Account Manager, at 952.841.1111 or info@pernsteiner.com. An affiliate of National Recreation and Park Association
Get your spaces in front of meeting and event planners! The spring 2011 issue of MINNESOTA magazine will again feature the annual meeting planner feature. The issue will mail to over 900 statewide members of the Midwest Society of Association Executives (MSAE) – event planners and meeting organizers. Place an ad by contacting Todd Pernsteiner at 952-841-1111 or info@pernsteiner.com. Also, get your space listed free in the planning chart by completing the form on page 11 or online at www.pernsteiner.com/meetingspaceform.html by February 11.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 3
ADVERTISER INDEX
TABLE OF CONTENTS What’s Inside.................................3 From the Board President............5 Keeping Up....................................6 MRPA Programming.....................7 MRPA In Action..............................7 Legacy Funds.................................8
Corporate Connections.............10 Celebrate Winter.........................12 Take The Plunge..........................17 Survey Says..................................18 What’s Going On........................26
Advanced Coating Systems................... Inside Back Cover Bonestroo........................................................................... 10 Broyhill................................................................................... 7 Clearwater Recreation....................................................... 16 JRK Seed............................................................................. 25 Landscape Structures.........................................Back Cover Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground..................................... 4 Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation................... 11 Pernsteiner Creative Group, Inc....................................... 11 St. Croix Recreation............................... Inside Front Cover SEH........................................................................................ 4 Thank you to our advertisers for your help in supporting MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. We kindly ask members to please support our advertisers. Interested in advertising? Contact Todd Pernsteiner at 952.841.1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.
Park & Trail System Plan Park Master Plan Park Design Funding & Implementation
866.830.3388 www.sehinc.com bkost@sehinc.com
4 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT By Jon Oyanagi, MRPA President
Fear is a great motivator… Every president probably says the year flew by. I am no exception. The year 2010 was full of tremendous accomplishments and great involvement by our members. For many reasons this year was truly a highlight of my illustrious career. Okay, so it’s really about my only positive accomplishment of note. Okay, so everyone else did the work - but I was there cheering! There is also relief that my worst fears were not realized over the past 347 days (but who is counting). Fear is a great motivator. One of many terrifying thoughts that haunted me through the year was that our budget would be in the red after my tenure. Fortunately, they kept me away from the books and out of federal prison and we had a great year in spite of the economy. Treasurer Dale McCamish did a great job with the math and our finances are in excellent shape. Executive Director Michelle Snider, the staff, the board, and the many members who contributed their time and talents truly brought the association through a challenging budget year. Related to that fear was the fear that our state conference would take a large hit due to Congress being in town. The conference committee put together such an outstanding program and package that everyone could not resist. Revenue exceeded expectations and became the primary reason the 2010 budget is so healthy. “Thank you” to the conference committee led by Mark Themig and Jamie Polley.
The Big Fear this year was the NRPA Congress. Would we lose money and somehow mar national delegate’s experience here in Minnesota? No need to fear, the Local Host Committee was here. They stepped up big time as did hundreds of volunteers from more than 50 agencies across the state. I never really doubted them, it was me who might mess things up. President-Elect Cris Gears is leading the charge to develop the next five-year strategic plan for the association. My fear there was that I would leave the association without a plan. The board will have a new plan, based upon your input, sometime in 2011. Fear not.
We need to be relevant in many different ways in order to keep our importance within the minds and hearts of our community members. One of my platform issues was to begin to look at coloring our profession. Not the “stay within the lines” type of coloring that Eric Carlson enjoys, but mentoring and developing professionals of color who will improve our connection with the diverse communities we serve. We need to be relevant in many different ways in order to keep our importance
within the minds and hearts of our community members. Please intentionally seek out promising young people of color that show an interest in parks and recreation. Mentor them using the mentorship resources found at MRPA’s website under “Education and Training.” I am afraid of what our profession will be if we fail to do so. The idea about forming park districts was raised and discussed. Information has been presented to inform members about the concept. The legislative committee is considering the best plan of attack. For now we will continue to educate and work at building support from a variety of perspectives for this and other funding options. This most likely will be a lot of work before becoming a reality. I am not afraid of pledging to work towards that day. I cannot close without acknowledging the great MRPA staff. Michelle Snider, Gerry Turnberg, Deb Weinreis, and Bethani Gerhard do super work each and every day. They are a tremendous support to the board, the sections, the committees, the members, and especially the president. Working closely all year with Michelle has provided me with an even better glimpse of how awesome she and the staff of MRPA are at moving us forward. We have nothing to fear with our association in their hands.
Got space? The Spring 2011 issue of MINNESOTA magazine will mail to over 900 event and meeting planner members of the Midwest Society of Association Executives (MSAE). Get your meeting and event spaces in front of these key decision-makers. Complete the form on page 11 to have your space(s) included. INCREASE RENTAL REVENUES. ADVERTISE YOUR SPACE. To advertise (special rates for MRPA members), contact Todd Pernsteiner at 952-841-1111 or email info@pernsteiner.com.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 5
KEEPING UP COMMISSION FOR ACCREDITATION OF PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES
New logo. Accreditation x 2. Academy Award.
“Keeping Up” is a new feature that will highlight MRPA member events, news, people and more. To contribute to A CCREDITATION N ATIONAL this section, please send a 125 word or less brief and photos to Michelle Snider at MRPA (snider@mnrecpark.org). S TANDARDS
DNR Unveils Legacy Amendment Logo
Two Member Agencies Earn Distinguished Accreditation
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Mark Holsten has selected a vibrant logo design to identify all projects funded by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The selected logo was designed by Bernadette Stephenson of St. Cloud.
National Recreation and Park Association named Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Plymouth Parks and Recreation as two of its newly accredited agencies by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). This distinction was announced during National Recreation and Park Association Congress this fall in Minneapolis. There are currently only 97 CAPRA-accredited agencies in the nation.
All Minnesotans had an opportunity to submit a design in a contest that took place Nov. 8 through Dec. 7. In total, 76 entries were submitted. “We very much appreciate the efforts of Bernadette and all the other artists,” added Holsten. “The winner does not receive a prize, but will receive the admiration and appreciation of Minnesota citizens for many years to come.”
- Fourth Edition -
National accreditation through CAPRA is an extensive multi-year process. According Revised April 2009 to NRPA, accreditation is based on an agency’s compliance with the 144 standards for national accreditation. To achieve accreditation, an agency must comply with all 36 fundamental Sponsored by standards, and at least 92 of the remaining 108 standards. National Recreation and Park Association CAPRA-accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. Accreditation is valid for five years, after which an agency may select to proceed with the re-accreditation process.
Minneapolis Park & Recreation
Plymouth Parks & Recreation
Bierscheid Named to Academy The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) welcomed Bob Bierscheid, former Saint Paul Parks and Recreation director, as a new member during National Recreation and Park Association Congress this fall in Minneapolis. AAPRA is an organization of distinguished practitioners and scholars committed to the advancement of the park and recreation profession. The Academy was formed to: advance knowledge related to the administration of parks, recreation, and conservation; encourage scholarly efforts; promote broader public understanding; conduct research; and provide services to advance the profession. The Academy membership is comprised of practitioners and educators who have served for at least 15 years. Membership is limited to 125 practicing professionals at any one time, of which no more than 25-percent may be educators.
6 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
Minneapolis photo © Meet Minneapolis • Plymouth photo courtesy Plymouth Parks & Recreation
“The decision was tough because we had so many great entries to consider,” said Holsten. “We feel this logo is memorable, distinctive, and sophisticated. It also clearly illustrates the four funds.”
MRPA IN ACTION
MRPA Administrative Section The MRPA Administrative Section gained new momentum in 2010. The goal was to encourage any member who may be interested in the meeting topic to attend. This forum provides for a beneficial blend of members’ experiences. The section held quarterly meetings throughout the year, with a focus on topics that were relevant to today’s times and economy. The section also co-hosted a social media workshop earlier in the year. The response was extremely positive, with more than 100 participants attending. The momentum will continue in 2011. If you have any hot topics ideas, please contact Tracy Petersen at tpetersen@ ci.inver-grove-heights.mn.us. The next Administrative Section meeting will be held on February 3, 2011 in Eagan. Mark your calendars and watch for more information to come as the meeting nears. You or your staff won’t want to miss these opportunities to gain new information and share agency experiences.
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Meet Aimee Peterson
Aimee Peterson’s professional fulltime experience in parks and recreation began after college graduation when she accepted a job with Bloomington School District, Community Education working as a site supervisor with their Kids Peterson was the first SAFARI program from May 2000 to recipient of the MRPA September 2002. She then began Horizon Award her city park and recreation career working for the City of Chaska Parks and Recreation as a recreation coordinator from September 2002 to today. Peterson became involved with MRPA shortly after she began her job with Chaska. She has been an active member, one who is involved with several sections and committees. Peterson was the programming section secretary in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007; and became the programming section chair for the 2007-2008 year. She also was a programming section summer leadership workshop member from 2003 through 2005; and became the workshop chair in 2006. Additionally, Peterson was a member of the annual conference social/entertainment committee in 2009. She is currently a member of the awards committee and the annual conference 2011 planning team. MRPA recognized Peterson’s efforts by selecting her as the first MRPA Horizon Award recipient. “I have gained so much from MRPA. I enjoy being around other recreation professionals and sharing ideas, issues, and stories. I have found friendships and work relationships that only came from getting more and more involved with MRPA,” says Peterson. What makes the parks and recreation profession special? Peterson says, “I have always enjoyed recreation and parks as a child and throughout my life. While choosing a profession I was thrilled with the idea of choosing a career that allowed me to help create recreational experiences for others. Recreation can create so many longterm memories, and if I can help a family begin a tradition or enjoy a fun family experience, that truly makes my day! MRPA members are the heart of our organization. They are involved and committed to advancing the parks and recreation programming. MRPA in Action is a new magazine feature which will highlight one section/ committee and one professional per issue.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 7
Legacy Amendment Funds County Conservation Area By John K. VonDeLinde, Director, Anoka County Parks
Following months of testimony and lobbying at the Capitol, Anoka County was among the first local governments in the metro area to receive funds under the Outdoor Heritage Council portion of the legacy program. In November 2008, Minnesota voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the state sales tax by 3/8ths of 1-percent. Proceeds from the new tax are being directed into a new program called the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Fund. The fund is expected to raise about $250 million per year, which works out to $6.25 billion during the 25year life of the amendment. I’ve been told this is the largest per capita state amendment for conservation and arts in the nation’s history. This isn’t chump change folks! The Legacy Fund proceeds are being directed to four programs of statewide significance: Clean Water, Wildlife Habitat, Arts and Culture, and State and Regional Parks and Trails. The last portion - which has the greatest effect on our profession - will receive 14.25-percent of the proceeds, or about $35 million per year. The parks pie is being split up between state parks and trails, metro regional parks and trails, and a smaller portion to regional parks statewide. Already, those of us in the state/regional systems are beginning to see the landmark scale of this dedicated funding source. And while the parks legacy program is the obvious benefactor to the services that park agencies provide, a few local governments (like Anoka County) have been dabbling in some of the other funding pots as well. In 2008, Anoka County applied for funding from the wildlife fund, also known as the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council Fund. This fund receives 33-percent of the new money, which works out to about $65 million a year. The Heritage Council has an open competitive process for grant
8 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
applications and all counties, cities, school districts, and even non-profit conservation organizations are eligible recipients. In the first funding cycle in 2009, Anoka County seized the opportunity and applied for $3.8 million in Heritage funds to acquire a 550-acre farm estate on the Rum River and Cedar Creek in west-central Anoka County. Containing over two miles of river shoreline, this site features a rolling topography characterized by native woodlands, prairie, and wetlands. The site also holds great promise to restore more than 200 acres of farmland back to tall grass prairie. In order to make the site eligible for funding consideration, the Anoka County Board agreed that it would manage the site similar to a state wildlife management area and keep it open for hunting and fishing. Following months of testimony and lobbying at the capitol, Anoka County was among the first local governments in the metro area to receive funds under the Outdoor Heritage Council portion of the legacy program. This was a significant step outside of the traditional “parks and trails” funding that has historically been used by cities and counties to finance land purchases. The county helped break new ground with the council by securing funds for locally controlled hunting and conservation areas; a use of funds normally reserved for federal or state wildlife management agencies. With the state’s decision to fund the county’s grant application, along with a handful of others, a precedent has now been set to fund similar projects statewide. In addition to working with the council, the county brought in the Trust for Public Land (TPL) to assist in the purchase negotiation process. This was the first time the county had partnered with
In the first funding cycle in 2009, Anoka County seized the opportunity and applied for $3.8 million in Heritage funds to acquire a 550-acre farm estate on the Rum River and Cedar Creek in west-central Anoka County.
the TPL in the 40+ year history of the park system. The TPL’s primary purpose is assist federal, state and local park agencies in negotiating difficult or complicated land purchases. After months of stalled negotiations, the TPL was able break a stalemate with the landowner/developer group, thereby significantly reducing the purchase price and leading to a “quick” land purchase agreement.
option for conservation and open space acquisition. If Anoka County can do it, so can everyone else. For those interested the link to the Heritage Council is at www.lsohc.leg.mn. The next round of applications will be underway soon with a likely deadline in the summer of 2011. The Conservation Partners Program, also run by the council, will be soliciting their next round of applications in fall 2011.
Today, the new conservation area is in the hands of Anoka County and is protected for all future generations. Sitting directly across from Rum River Central Regional Park, this new conservation/park area encompasses more than 1,000 acres of the most pristine wild land in Anoka County. It protects one of the last and most significant parcels of undeveloped land in Anoka County, and perhaps in the entire metro area. And, all of this was accomplished with only $300,000 in county park funds matched with $3.8 million in outside funding.
As a professional organization, MRPA should also be pressing the Arts Legacy Program and the Clean Water Program to frame the grant eligibility guidelines to leverage local park and recreation agency involvement. These programs will be delivering about $110 million per year for the next 23 years, and we need to get in on the action!
The takeaway from this experience is that all local governments and conservation organizations in the state should consider the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council program as a potential
Thanks for the opportunity to comment on our successes in Anoka County. If you should have any questions about our Heritage Council Grant, please feel free to contact me at Anoka County Parks; 763.767.2860 or john.vondelinde@co.anoka.mn.us. For more information on the Legacy Amendment funds, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ website at www.dnr.state.mn.us.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 9
MINNESOTA RECREATION AND PARKS
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Build Community, Celebrate “2011 Olympic Day”
Hosting
It’s not too early to begin planning for Olympic Day in 2011! From June 18-26, 2011, communities across the U.S. will celebrate Olympic Day through educational programming and activities. Olympic Day promotes Olympic values and participation in sports across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. This year host your very own Olympic Day celebration and support fitness and well-being in your community! To help you stage a memorable Olympic Day in your city, the United States Olympic Committee will provide a number of complimentary services and resources. Register to host an Olympic Day in your community. For information visit www.teamusa.org/about-usoc/olympic-day or contact Keith Bryant at 719-866-4535.
Olympic D the world Play, Pers
To help yo your city, complime 2009 Olympic Day in Pasadena: Local swim team athletes celebrate with Olympians John Naber and Inger Miller & Mayor Bill Bogaard. • • • •
Assistance in contacting a local Olympian, Paralympian or h Assistance connecting with community-based organizations USOC account managers are available to assist you in planni +1.719.866.4535 or e-mail: OlympicDay@usoc.org for assis Olympic Day Toolkit including:
Corporate MRPA members are invited to submit CORPORATE CONNECTION briefs, up to 125 words or less, along with a photo (optional) of new products o Olympic Materials or services, company news, special events or anything related to the profession of parks and recreation. Consideration will be Education given for future issues of (scripts and DVD) for one of the MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. We reserve the right to edit content. Submissions placed based on when submitted and space availability. following topics: Fairplay, Respect, Send your article and photos to info@pernsteiner.com two months prior to publication date.
Perseverance, Sportsmanship Recommended Olympic Day Agenda o U.S. Olympic Flag o Certificate of Participation o
10 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org 10 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
Olym Temp o News o Team Colla o Userphoto Even o
MINNESOTA Recreation & Parks Magazine Meeting Space Questionnaire for Spring Issue 2011 The Spring 2011 issue of MINNESOTA magazine will mail to over 900 event and meeting planners, members of the Midwest Society of Association Executives. We will again run a chart and listings of meeting and event spaces available at Minnesota parks and sites. Please complete this form to have your organization listed in the Spring 2011 Meeting Planning issue. Once completed, either print and fax to 952-841-3460 or mail to: Pernsteiner Creative, 5115 Excelsior Blvd, #128, St Louis Park, MN 55416. You may also complete online at www.pernsteiner.com/meetingspaceform.html Please call 952-841-1111 to confirm receipt of your submission. Optional: Submit a high quality photo of your space to: info@pernsteiner.com. Forms/photos due by: Friday, February 11 for inclusion in the Spring issue.
Want to Teach Kids About Health – and Possibly Win a Program to Do Just That?
To advertise in the next issue (MRPA member rates available), call Todd Pernsteiner at 952-841-1111 or email info@pernsteiner.com. Community/Organization On Site Catering?
Yes
No
Open Catering
Yes
No
Do you work with kids ages 6-11? Want to make a huge difference in their lives by teaching them how and why to live a healthy life, and how to get outside and start exploring nature? The Säjai® Foundation’s Wise Kids programs are an easyto-implement family of programs that come complete with everything you need to run them, including training materials. Programs include:
Kitchen Rental
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Wise Kids: a nine-week program teaching kids the basics of Energy Balance: why the calories they take in through food and drink need to be balanced with calories burned by daily living and physical activity. Lessons include Food Labels, The Food Pyramid, The Heart, and The Body.
Convention/Exhibit 10x10 Booth Capacity______________ # of Booths
Wise Kids Two: a nine-week follow-on to Wise Kids, Wise Kids Two explores some of the Wise Kids lessons in more depth. Lessons include Goal Setting, Daily Needs and Serving Size, Water, and Muscles. Wise Kids Outdoors: a 20-lesson stand-alone program that combines the healthy living approach of Energy Balance with getting kids back outdoors, learning how to safely explore nature and how much fun it can be. Lessons include The Three Rs, Critters, Habitats, and The Water and Weather Cycle. Even better, the Säjai Foundation kicks off 2011 by offering a scholarship program. There will be 10 scholarships available, good for any of the Wise Kids kits. The scholarship will cover most of the program costs, although a nominal agency contribution will be required. The application period begins January 10 and closes January 31, with winners notified by February 11. For more details and requirements, please see the website (www.sajaifoundation.org) or contact Amy Rea, Amy@sajaifoundation.org, or by phone, 952-288-3364.
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# of Attendees
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# of Attendees
Max Meeting Capacity Total_______________________
# of Attendees
Cocktail Reception Capacity_______________________
# of Attendees
Convention/Exhibit Hall
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Alcohol Permitted
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On Site AV Rental
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On Site Maintenance
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Pool/Water Park Rental
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Pool/Water Park Capacity____________________________ # of People Outdoor Space Rentals
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Amphitheater Rental
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Amphitheater Seating Capacity_______________________ # of People Theater/Arts Center
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Theater Seating Capacity_____________________________ # of People Floor Plans Online?
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Contact (will not print in magazine)_____________________________ Contact Phone (include area code)_____________________________ Fax_ ________________________________________________________ Email________________________________________________________ Website_____________________________________________________ Mailing Address______________________________________________
Mailing Address______________________________________________ City________________________________ State_ ____ Zip_________
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 11
Celebrate Winter at e r c R e le Sty
By Bethani Gerhard Minnesota Recreation and Park Association
Snow, ice, freezing temperatures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no problem. In Minnesota, many winter events are not cancelled due to the weather. In fact, winter weather can sometimes even positively enhance an activity.
12 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks â&#x20AC;˘ www.mnrpa.org
ion
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 13
Winter Carnival photos courtesy of Visit Saint Paul
Saint Paul Winter Carnival’s Vulcans entertain the crowd
Could you imagine the Saint Paul Winter Carnival without any snow or ice? This is the 125th year that the Saint Paul Winter Carnival will be dazzling guests with their popular torchlight parade, ice carving and snow sculpting competitions, and frozen 5K and half-marathon. The 2011 Winter Carnival is set for January 27 through February 6 and typically attracts 350,000 visitors a year. According to their website, there is a $3.5 to $5 million economic impact to Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota each year.
Typically, this one-day event draws 1,500-2,000 participants and spectators each year. “It all depends on the weather, but this event is pretty close to being self-sufficient,” says John Stutzman, recreation supervisor for the City of Chanhassen. “We rely heavily on donations to support it and charge only for the fishing contest.” Not only does winter recreation give people interesting ways to keep busy, it can also provide health maintenance. “Winter activities can also maintain or improve citizen health, ultimately reducing health care costs for both the individual and state,” says Ingrid Schneider, Tourism Center director at the University of Minnesota.
But not every city can compete with the grand scale of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Every city event can be just as important to promoting a sense of community to the public. For the past 16 years, on the first Saturday in February, Chanhassen has held their February Festival. The highlights of this event include a horse-drawn hayride, ice skating, bingo, a bonfire and an ice fishing contest with more than 800 holes drilled on Lake Ann.
14 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
Sleigh ride at Chanhassen’s February Festival
“The Chilly Dog is a singles league that can command 100 players on a nice sunny day,” says Snelson, “The tougher the weather - the more fun it is.” And disc golfers still trench through the dark, throwing their discs taped with lights or glow-in-thedark discs to guide the way. In Minnesota, people get outside and enjoy their sports, activities, and events, no matter what season it is.
Ice fishing at Chanhassen’s February Festival
“Most people think of tourism as being strong only in the summer,” Schneider adds. “But it’s also strong in the winter with cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. It’s important for parks and recreation to provide marketing that is weather-resistant.” The weather doesn’t stop Fairway Freezer’s Ice Bowl (see sidebar), an annual disc golf tournament in January that benefits Keystone Community Services. This is one of the most popular tournaments we have in the Twin Cities,” Ice Bowl director Mike Snelson says. “For those who’ve been thinking about checking out disc golf, the Ice Bowl is a good place to start because the emphasis is on fun and charity rather than pure competition.” If tough, winter enthusiasts are looking for disc golf leagues, there are three to choose from in the metro area: Roseville, Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul. “The Chilly Dog is a singles league that can command 100 players on a nice sunny day,” says Snelson, “The tougher the weather - the more fun it is.” And disc golfers still trench through the dark, throwing their discs taped with lights or glow-in-thedark discs to guide the way. In Minnesota, people get outside and enjoy their sports, activities, and events, no matter what season it is. Fairway Freezer’s Ice Bowl Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 15
What is an Ice Bowl? Throwing a golf disc in the basket, or at least within the chains during the winter months, can be quite challenging. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the challenge that keeps the spirit of disc golf alive during the gloom of winter. The first Ice Bowl was promoted as a day of disc golf solidarity and was held in Columbia, Missouri in the late 1980s. Official Ice Bowls are played at courses in the United States, Canada and Europe. Typically they run from January 5 through February 24. Each Ice Bowl event usually supports a local charity. In 2010 there were over 225 Ice Bowls throughout the world. More than $260,000 was raised for local charities and approximately 33 tons of food was donated. Worldwide, the goal for the Ice Bowl for 2011 is to raise over $275,000. The 7th annual Fairway Freezer Disc Golf Ice Bowl was held Sunday, January 9 at the Acorn Park Disc Golf Course in Roseville.
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16 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks â&#x20AC;˘ www.mnrpa.org
Photo by: Heather Harmer
Take the Plunge Jumping into icy waters got the catchy name “Polar Plunge” in the early 1900s. Supposedly it was Gustav Marx and his friends that plunged into Lake Michigan in the middle of January. In 1916, the local Michigan newspaper dubbed these so-called brave men: polar bears. After that, anyone that jumped in to cold water was said to have taken a “Polar Plunge”. The largest Polar Plunge in the United States is the Plungapalooza, in Maryland. About 10,000 people participated in 2010 to raise more than $3.5 million for the Special Olympics. It has become one of the largest annual fundraisers in the state of Maryland. On a local level, Minnesotans can find a Polar Plunge event at www.plungemn.org. Locations vary from Alexandria to Grand Rapids to the Twin Cities. In 2011, the first event starts January 29 and the last event is held March 12. So join your friends and take the plunge to support local charities.
Photo by: Jennifer Guenther
Photo by: Jennifer Guenther
Anywhere there is cold water people seem to be taking the plunge, leaping in to help raise funds for local charities. Typically, Polar Plunges are hosted by local law enforcement agencies to help support the Special Olympics.
Photo by: Sherri Morgan
Photo by: Heather Harmer
By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 17
Photos courtesy Bloomington Parks & Recreation
Survey Says In this issue, the first in a four-part series, Winona State University faculty and students delve into students’ perceptions about recreation and whether or not they are choosing recreation as a potential career path.
Each survey article will address the perspective of a different constituency group:
Survey conducted by: Begum Aybar-Damali (Asst. Professor), Roger Riley (Professor), Lily Wellenstein (Student)
4) Results of a literature review about the issue.
While everyone is concerned about budget cutbacks and the subsequent reduction in public parks and recreation services, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association’s Editorial Board has been concerned about another issue. Their perception is that many undergraduate recreation majors are not considering public parks and recreation as an option for future employment. Based on other conversations the authors have had with professionals, this perception is echoed throughout the country. There are competing concerns in this arena. The first concern relates to the front-end baby boomers who start their 65+ retirements next year. Although the boomers were sidetracked from early retirement by the current economic crisis, the reality is that many of them will be leaving the profession soon, causing a loss of political influence and institutional knowledge. The second concern relates to students who are graduating with park and recreation degrees. There is a feeling among recreational practitioners that graduating students do not see public parks and recreation as their foremost professional goal. It is thought that graduating students historically focused on the public parks and recreation but now their focus has moved elsewhere. Should the above concerns be true, public parks and recreation is losing a wealth of knowledge and expertise through retirements and not replenishing them with recently graduated students. With these concerns in mind, the MRPA Editorial Board decided to investigate. In four articles, over four issues, we will look at students and their professional aspirations.
18 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
1) Results of students surveyed at Winona State University, Minnesota State University – Mankato, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, and the University of Minnesota. 2) Interviews with recreation faculty at the same universities. 3) Practitioners’ perspectives from public parks and recreation departments.
For this article, surveys were sent to four universities with recreation programs and convenience samples were gathered. A convenience sample refers to those students who were available and accessible at the time. Although convenience samples are not optimal for making conclusions, it should be pointed out that each school had over two-thirds of their undergraduate majors participate in the survey for a total of 350 responses. A sample group of over 66-percent is very good. Missing from this survey were students who were completing their internships and therefore, we lost the perspective of the most recent group to join the workforce. Ultimately, to be methodologically sound, we would have randomly selected students from each university but time constraints did not allow this to happen. The four universities were chosen by the Editorial Board because of their regional significance to MRPA agencies.
A. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA 1. Gender Female = 47.1% Male = 50.9% Gender percentages in this survey run counter to a national trend towards a majority of females on U.S. college campuses. Females are expected to increase in American colleges and universities over the next few years causing concerns about the future of the young male population. Our sample group had more gender equality because 70.7-percent of all respondents at Mankato were males. Without the large percentage of male respondents at Mankato, our sample group would be similar to national numbers.
2. Year in School of Respondents Freshmen = 4.9% Sophomore = 23.7% Junior = 29.1% Senior = 30.0% Super Senior = 12.3%
Of the ten possible responses to this question (check all that apply), four responses were checked by at least 30% of the students. Those responses were “worked part-time in a recreation related field and liked it (39.7%),” “participated in recreation programs prior to college and like it (39.4%)” “it seemed like a fun way to get a degree (35.4%)” and “attracted by taking a course in the major (30.6%).” These findings seem to suggest that practitioners are doing well when making positive impressions on younger people prior to college. The findings also seem to suggest that colleges are doing a good job attracting students through their entry-level classes and word-of-mouth.
Table 1. Reasons for Declaring Recreation Major What attracted respondent Total to recreation
Figure 1. Participating Schools and Students’ Year in School Across the nation, chairs of recreation departments label their degrees as “discovery degrees.” They lament that students rarely declare recreation as incoming freshmen and “discover” the degree when they get to campus. Our survey would suggest the same is true in Minnesota and Wisconsin universities. It is said that high school guidance counselors know little about our field and parents are reluctant to encourage their college-bound sons and daughters into professions-that-play. Approximately ten-percent (10.3-percent) of respondents declared recreation as an incoming freshman with 17.2-percent at Winona being the highest and 0-percent at Minnesota being the lowest. Another 33.1-percent were on campus as undeclared majors when they decided to get a degree in recreation. Not surprisingly, the University of Minnesota reported higher percentages in this category when compared to other schools. Continuing with the “discovery” theme, 26.9-percent of respondents changed from another major while on campus and another 16-percent transferred into the recreation department from another university. Therefore, at minimum, 75-percent of all students “find” recreation departments after they have started college.
B.REASONS FOR DECLARING RECREATION MAJOR When asked the question about what attracted students to a recreation degree, just over fifty percent (52.9-percent) said that recreation “fit with their personal goals.” The write-in comments suggested a vast array of personal goals and a variety of those goals are listed below. “My dad is a disable Vet and I want to find a way to help” “More fun than business courses” “Worked seasonal in the industry and loved it” “I found it in the book [course catalog]” “Went to a majors fair”
Out of 350 respondents
Fulfilled Personal Goal
185
52.90%
Attracted by Part-Time work in Recreation
139
39.70%
Participated in Rec. Programs and Liked It
138
39.40%
Fun Degree
124
35.40%
Attracted by Course in Program
107
30.60%
Met with Faculty of Program
76
21.70%
Friend or Roomie Suggested
61
17.40%
Family/Friend in Recreation Field
59
16.90%
Recommended by Guidance Counselor
54
15.40%
Other
24
6.90%
Least Scary Option
16
4.60%
A closer look at reasons for choosing recreation as a major suggests that U of M students and to a lesser extent UW La Crosse students, reported higher rates of “prior part-time work” in the field and “participated in recreation programs prior to college.” Winona and Mankato students were more likely to have “met with a faculty/ staff member of the department” before joining the major. U of M students were less likely than students at other schools to report “fun way to get a degree,” “met with a faculty/staff member…” and “friends, roommates recommended it.”
C. ALL UNIVERSITIES - TOP TEN PROFESSIONAL CHOICES Of high interest to recreational practitioners will be the professional aspirations of students at the four schools. The professional categories in the survey were an adapted version of a career brochure written by the recreation chairperson (Roger Coles) at Central Michigan University. Each respondent was asked to rank the 10 job options (of 17 choices) that most interested them. The item stated, “Rank the 10 jobs that most interest you.”
“Ability to learn how to educate others on good life”
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 19
It must be stated that each school and faculty member has their own areas of specialty and these specialties naturally draw students. Apart from UW La Crosse, therapeutic recreation was a smaller major at each of the institutions when compared to a general recreation degree. Therefore, therapeutic recreation results have been clustered separately in this article. As Figure 2 below shows, the majority of the students (80.9%, out of 350 students) reported Community Recreation as one of their top 10 choices. It was the overall top choice. Community Recreation was followed closely by Adventure/Risk Recreation (75.4%), Resort Recreation (75.1%), and Special Event Management (74.8%), Outdoor Recreation (74.6%), Youth Services (71.7%), Travel and Tourism (67.4), Natural Resources Management (57.7%), Commercial Recreation (53.4%), and Facility Management (52.3%). Only small number of students listed Employee Services (41%), Correctional Recreation (35%) and Military Recreation (37.7%) among their top 10 choices.
Figure 2. All Universities - Top 10 Professional Choices When the therapeutic recreation results were isolated, the TRResidential and the TR-Community job were equally rated (36.8% and 36.6%) and TR-Clinical followed closely (30.6%).
not considered). Any missing data was excluded from our analysis, thus these numbers are be slightly different than what is provided in the figures previously reported. In the following graph, results show that Community Recreation, Resort Recreation, Youth Serving Organization, and Outdoor Education do not only attract students overall, they also take a place in their “high priority list.” On the other hand, while everyone likes, Adventure/Risk Recreation, it does not receive the highest priority. The ratings also placed Community Therapeutic Recreation first, Clinical Therapeutic Recreation second and Residential Therapeutic Recreation third and once again, percentages are very similar between job options.
Table 2. All Universities - Students’ Top Four Choices (Total respondents = 350) Job Categories Resort Recreation Community Recreation Outdoor Education Youth Serving Organizations Special Event Management Adventure / Risk Recreation Natural Resources Management Travel and Tourism Facility Management Military Recreation Commercial Recreation - Local Correctional Recreation Employee Services / Industrial Recreation Therapeutic Recreation – Community Therapeutic Recreation – Clinical Therapeutic Recreation – Residential
Number of students who says this job area is one of their top four choices 145 142 129 128 116 115 93 78 64 37 35 33 31 60 57 54
(41.4%) (40.6%) (36.9%) (36.6%) (33.1%) (32.9%) (26.6%) (22.3%) (18.3%) (10.6%) (10%) (9.4% (8.8%) (17.1%) (16.2%) (15.4%)
E. ALL UNIVERSITIES - REALISTIC LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING A JOB IN PROFESSIONAL AREA
Figure 3. All Universities Therapeutic Recreation Professional Choices
D. ALL UNIVERSITIES – TOP FOUR CHOICES Delving a little closer, we isolated each student’s top four job choices to see where the most interest lay. That is, while they could rank 10 jobs in the previous table, we were interested in their highest choices, in isolation. The results were compiled by summing all first, second, third, and fourth preferences for each professional category (therefore, rankings five through ten were
20 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
When reviewing the table below, you will recognize some disconnects between interest in a professional job option and the realistic likelihood of getting a job in that area. Community Recreation was ranked highest in terms of interest and also was ranked highest in terms of likelihood of getting a job. Resort Recreation ranked second in the top ten choices but fell slightly to fourth in terms of likelihood to get a job. In an opposite movement, outdoor education went from fourth in interest to second in job likelihood. While Military Recreation was not a popular job, people who identified it in their top four choices were very confident about likelihood of getting a job that area. Although many students rated Youth Serving Organizations in their top four choices, their confidence of gaining a job was lower. Most surprising was the job category Adventure/ Risk Recreation. Whilst it was relatively popular in terms of interest, students perceived much less likelihood of gaining a job in this area.
Table 3. Likelihood of Getting a Job Job Categories (“n” indicates the number of students who place this category among their top 4 choices and rated job likelihood) Community Recreation (n=128 ) Resort Recreation (n=119 ) Youth Serving Organizations (n=119) Outdoor Education (n= 97) Special Event Management (n=94) Natural Resources Management (n=76) Adventure / Risk Recreation (n=89) Travel and Tourism (n=61) Facility Management (n=49) Military Recreation (n=31) Commercial Recreation – Local (n=25) Correctional Recreation (n=27) Employee Services / Industrial Rec (n=21) Therapeutic Recreation – Community (n=60) Therapeutic Recreation – Clinical (n=57) Therapeutic Recreation – Residential (n=54)
Number of students reported the realistic likelihood of getting a job within that job category as “Most likely OR Likely” (%) 91 65 62 59 49 39 36 27 22 18 11 7 6 50 40 28
(71%) (54.6%) (52.1%) (60.8%) (52.1%) (51.3%) (40.4%) (44.2%) (44.8%) (58%) (44%) (25.9%) (28.5%) (83.3%) (70.1%) (51.8%)
When considering therapeutic recreation options, the order was not consistent when comparing student interest in a job area and students’ perception of the likelihood to gain a job. The ratings placed Community Therapeutic Recreation first, Clinical Therapeutic Recreation second and Residential Therapeutic Recreation third. Importantly, all three therapeutic recreation options had favorable ratings in terms of likelihood to get a job, when compared to the perceptions of their general recreation counterparts.
F. INDIVIDUAL UNIVERSITY - RECREATION JOB INTEREST & JOB LIKELIHOOD As stated before, each of the universities have some areas of disciplinary strength or faculty members who have specialty areas that resonate with students. In this regard, the findings below are likely to be influenced by those factors and they are worth exploring further. 1. Interest in Job Areas and Job Likelihood: MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY – MANKATO For Minnesota State University - Mankato students, the top four professional “interests” lay in Resort Recreation, Community Recreation, Outdoor Education, and Natural Resource Management with the least popular options being Correctional Recreation, Local Commercial Recreation and the Military. (We ranked, 1-13, both the “interests” and the “likelihoods” so that readers could more easily interpret the differences) In terms of “likelihood to get a job” Local Commercial Recreation, Adventure / Risk Recreation, and Correctional Recreation were the biggest ”losers”, where more than 60% of the students thought that getting an entry level job in these areas was low. Surprisingly, the Community Recreation ranking in terms of job likelihood was significantly lower than the ALL UNIVERSITIES ranking (dropped from 1 to 7). In the therapeutic recreation areas, professional interest was evenly spread but students rated Clinical and Community Therapeutic Recreation options much higher in terms of job likelihood.
Table 4. Minnesota State University - Mankato Results (Total respondents = 81) Job Categories Among the Top 4 Choices n (%) - Rank Resort Recreation Community Recreation Outdoor Education Natural Resources Management Adventure / Risk Recreation Youth Serving Organizations Special Event Management Travel and Tourism Facility Management Employee Services / Industrial Recreation Commercial Recreation - Local Correctional Recreation Military Recreation TR - Residential TR - Community TR - Clinical
42 (50.6%) – 1st 39 (48.1%) – 2nd 33 (40.7%) – 3rd 29 (35.8%) – 4th 22 (27.1%) – 5th 22 (27.1%) – 5th 20 24.7%) – 6th 15 (18.5%) – 7th 15 (18.5%) – 7th 11 (13.6%) – 8th 8 (9.8%) – 9th 8 (9.8%) – 9th 5 (6.1%) – 10th 15 (18.5%) – 1st 12 (14.8%) – 2nd 10 (12.3%) – 3rd
Number of students reported the realistic likelihood of getting a job within that job category as “Most likely OR Likely” 20/34 (58.5%) – 6th 17/33 (51.5%) – 7th 13/19 (68.4%) – 2nd 16/27 (59.2%) – 5th 6/16 (37.5%) – 7th 12/20 (60%) – 4th 7/12 (58.3%) – 6th 6/10 (60%) – 4th 6/9 (66.6%) – 3rd 2/6 (33.3%) – 8th 0/4 (-) 1/7 (14.2%) – 9th 4/4 (100%) – 1st 6/11 (54.5%) – 2nd 7/9 (77.7%) – 1st 7/9 (77.7%) – 1st
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 21
2. Interest in Job Areas and Job Likelihood: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Interpretation of the University of Minnesota data is more limited because they had fewer respondents than the other schools. Special Event Management, Community Recreation, Youth Serving Agencies, and Outdoor Education garnered the highest professional interest. (once again, for ease of readability, we ranked each professional option in terms of “interest” and “job likelihood”).
Community Recreation, Outdoor Education and Youth Serving Organizations generally maintained their rankings when it came to “likelihood to gain a job”, but Correctional Recreation, Local Commercial Recreation, Military Recreation and Employee Services were impossible to interpret due to low numbers. Out of 44 respondents, only two students placed TR Clinical options among their top 4 choices, and only 1 student placed TR Community on their high priority list. The TR Residential option did not gain any votes. With numbers so low in therapeutic recreation, interpretation of this data was not wise.
Table 5. University of Minnesota Results (Total respondents = 44) Job Categories Among the Top 4 Choices n (%) - Rank Special Event Management Community Recreation Youth Serving Organizations Outdoor Education Adventure / Risk Recreation Resort Recreation Travel and Tourism Facility Management Natural Resources Management Commercial Recreation - Local Military Recreation Employee Services / Industrial Recreation Correctional Recreation TR - Clinical TR – Community TR - Residential
26 (59%) – 1st 26 (59%) – 1st 22 (50%) – 2nd 19 (43%) – 3th 19 (43%) – 3rd 19 (43%) – 3rd 16 (36.3%) – 4th 11 (25%) – 5th 9 (20.4%) – 6th 2 (4.5%) – 7th 1 (2.2%) – 8th 1 (2.2%) – 8th 1 (2.2%) – 8th 2 (4.5%) – 1st 1 (2.2%) – 2nd 0
Number of students reported the realistic likelihood of getting a job within that job category as “Most likely OR Likely” 12/24 (50%) – 7th 19/24 (79.1%) – 3rd 9/22 (86.3%) – 2nd 11/18 (61.1%) – 5th 9/16 (56.2%) – 6th 3/14 (75%) – 4th 6/15 (40%) – 8th 3/10 (30%) – 9th 2/8 (25%) – 10th 1/2 (50%) – 7th 1/1 (100%) – 1st 0/1 (-) 0/1 (-) 1/1 (100%) – 1st 1/1 (100%) – 1st 0
3. Interest in Job Areas and Job Likelihood: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – LA CROSSE
4. Interest in Job Areas and Job Likelihood: WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
The top four professional areas of interest at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse were largely the same as the other schools. In order, they were Youth Serving Agencies, Resort recreation, Community Recreation, and Special Event Management.
The top four areas of professional interest for Winona State University students were Outdoor Education, Adventure/Risk Recreation, Community Recreation, and Resort Recreation. Of the lowest interest were Employee Services, Correctional Recreation, Local Commercial Recreation and Facility Management.
Once again, there was little movement in the rankings regarding likelihood to get a job but Special Event Management took quite a large drop. Although there is high interest in Adventure/Risk Recreation it also took a large ranking drop in terms of job likelihood. Correctional Recreation, Employee Services, Local Commercial Recreation and Military Recreation received little professional interest and were varied in terms of job likelihood. As with students at other schools, the Therapeutic Recreation interest options were fairly even. Regarding the likelihood of getting a job, Community Therapeutic Recreation was rated higher than either Clinical Therapeutic Recreation or Residential Therapeutic Recreation.
22 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
When ranking the likelihood of getting a job in the area of interest Adventure/Risk Recreation and Youth Serving Organizations took large drops while Outdoor Education, Community Recreation and Resort Recreation remained relatively stable. Consistent with other schools, the Therapeutic Recreation options were relatively equal in terms of interest but Residential TR was much lower in terms of job likelihood.
Table 6. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Results (Total respondents = 129) Job Categories Among the Top 4 Choices n (%) - Rank Youth Serving Organizations Resort Recreation Community Recreation Special Event Management Outdoor Education Adventure / Risk Recreation Natural Resources Management Facility Management Travel and Tourism Military Recreation Commercial Recreation - Local Correctional Recreation Employee Services / Industrial Recreation TR – Community TR – Clinical TR – Residential
53 (41.1%) – 1st 52 (40.3%) – 2nd 44 (34.1%) – 3rd 44 (34.1%) – 3rd 40 (31%) – 4th 37 (28.7%) – 5th 30 (23.2%) – 6th 29 (22.4%) – 7th 20 (15.5%) – 8th 15 (11.6%) – 9th 14 (10.8%) – 10th 13 (10%) – 11th 8 (6.2%) – 12th 33 (25.6%) – 1st 32 (24.8%) – 2nd 28 (21.7%) – 3rd
Number of students reported the realistic likelihood of getting a job within that job category as “Most likely OR Likely” 31/49 (63.2%) – 4th 28/43 (65.1 %) – 3rd 37/43 (86%) – 1st 16/34 (47%) – 8th 17/31 (54.8%) – 6th 10/30 (33.3%) – 11th 13/22 (59%) – 5th 10/24 (41.6%) – 8th 6/16 (37.5%) – 9th 9/14 (64.2%) – 2nd 6/12 (50%) – 7th 3/11 (27.2%) – 12th 3/8 (37.5%) – 9th 26/32 (81.2%) – 1st 19/31 (61.2%) – 2nd 15/26 (57.6%) – 3rd
Table 4. Winona State University Results (Total respondents = 96) Job Categories Among the Top 4 Choices n (%) - Rank Outdoor Education Adventure / Risk Recreation Community Recreation Resort Recreation Youth Serving Organizations Travel and Tourism Special Event Management Natural Resources Management Military Recreation Employee Services / Industrial Recreation Correctional Recreation Commercial Recreation - Local Facility Management TR – Residential TR – Clinical TR – Community
37 (38.5%) – 1st 37 (38.5%) – 1nd 33 (33.3%) – 2rd 32 (33.3%) – 3th 31 (32.2%) – 4th 27 (28.1%) – 5th 26 (27%) – 6th 25 (26%) – 7th 16 (16.6%) –8th 11 (11.5%) – 9th 11 (11.5%) – 9th 11 (11.5%) – 9th 9 (6.9%) – 10th 21 (21.8%) – 1st 19 (19.8%) – 2nd 19 (19.8%) – 2nd
Number of students reported the realistic likelihood of getting a job within that job category as “Most likely OR Likely” 18/19 (94.7%) – 1st 11/27 (40.7%) – 9th 18/28 (64.2%) – 2nd 14/28 (50%) – 5th 10/28 (35.7%) – 11th 9/20 (45%) – 6th 14/24 (58.3%) – 3rd 8/19 (42.1%) – 7th 4/12 (33.3%) – 12th 1/6 (16.6%) – 13th 3/8 (37.5%) – 10th 4/7 (57.1%) – 4th 3/6 (50%) – 5th 7/17 (41.1%) – 3rd 13/16 (81.2%) – 2nd 16/18 (88.8%) – 1st
As stated before, each of the universities has some areas of disciplinary strength or faculty members who have specialty areas that resonate with students.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 23
G. EVER WORKED FOR? - ALL UNIVERSITIES To assess students’ level of familiarity with Public Parks and Recreation, the students were asked if they had ever worked in the following three areas of recreation – Non-profit, Public, For-Profit. As readers might imagine, there were a greater proportion of the students that had worked for Public Parks and Recreation than the other two sectors. In part, the variation in numbers between universities could reflect the range of public recreation opportunities that surround the students’ campuses. Overall, students were much more likely to have worked for a public sector provider than they were to have worked for Not-For-Profits or For-Profit providers.
Table 8. Students’ Level of Familiarity with Public Parks and Recreation
Non-profit
Public
Minnesota State University - Mankato 41% 45.8% University of Minnesota 34.1% 65.9% University of Wisconsin – La Crosse 48.8% 52.7% Winona State University 36.6% 50.5% Overall 42.0% 52.0%
For-profit
39.8% 31.8% 43.4% 37.6% 39.4%
As a follow-up question about familiarity with Public Parks and Recreation, the authors asked students to write-in, what socioeconomic groups were served by public providers, not-for-profit providers and for-profit recreation providers. For public recreation providers, the students overwhelmingly replied with “low class/ income”, “poor” and those with “special needs” like the “elderly” or “people with disabilities”. The “general public” was also a common response, but was not as popular as the “low class/income” response. When breaking out the content analysis of the write-in responses by universities, Winona State University, Minnesota State University – Mankato, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, and the University of Minnesota had similar beliefs in what socio-economic groups were served by each of the sectors asked about in the survey, non-profit, public, and for-profit recreation. With the exception of UWL, all universities were on common ground about who they believed was served by the not-for-profit recreation sector. The recurring themes included “people of lower income”, “people with specific needs”, and “the general public”. Students at UWL also believed that “people of higher income” were served by this sector. For those served by for-profit organizations, the students were once again in correspondence with two themes, “people of higher income” and “the general public”. Although the U of M students only identified “people of higher income.”.
24 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
H. POSITIVE PUBLIC PARKS AND RECREATION EXPERIENCE The final question of the survey asked students if they had positive encounters with their hometown parks and recreation department. Overwhelmingly, students stated they had received a positive experience at home. If a student had worked for Parks and Recreation, the percentages were approximately five points higher.
Table 9. Public Parks and Recreation Experience
Positive Experience
Minnesota State University - Mankato University of Minnesota University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Winona State University Overall
86.7% 95.5% 83.7% 77.2% 83.7%
I. DISCUSSION Public Parks and Recreation Still Popular BUT - Based on the feedback from current students in recreation programs at the four “feeder” universities, public parks and recreation is ranked the highest of seventeen professional options in terms of student interest in the profession. When students were asked their realistic likelihood of getting a job within public parks and recreation, they were optimistic about their prospects. The concern expressed by professionals at the start of this article may not be due to lack of interest by current students but to the widening array of professional options now available to them. Whereas once, public parks and recreation departments and youth serving agencies were some of the few professional choices, professional options such as resorts and special events management compete for the students’ professional preferences. At the other end of the professional interest spectrum are options such as military recreation, local commercial recreation, correctional recreation and employee services. Because there are not a lot of jobs in each of these areas, they probably do not receive much attention within university classes. If current practitioners are worried about the pool of applicants for future jobs they may well consider growing their already good reputation amongst students, who report overwhelmingly good experiences with this branch of public sector providers. Job mentoring high school students, through work summer programs, may be one way to ensure a pool of pre-identified professionals because it would appear that the profession receives little help of high school vocational counselors. Gender Issues - Although this MRPA survey does not directly mirror the national statistics regarding the numbers of men and women in college, it is should be a concern for public parks and recreation professionals. With young male participation in colleges continuing to fall, there will be a concern for future gender diversity within the profession. If young males continue to be non-participants, gender diversity within the profession will be forced into inequality. It should be pointed
Based on the feedback from current students in recreation programs at the four “feeder” universities, public parks and recreation is ranked the highest of 17 professional options in terms of student interest in the profession. out, however, that while the educational and lower ranks of the recreation profession are well served by females, they are yet equal in the upper ranks and women are still underrepresented at the Director level. With the boomers retiring, it may be found that the next generation of executive directors will be women who have been waiting to fill the vacuum. Discovery Degree - Yes, recreation is still a “discovery degree” and this was illustrated by the MRPA survey. Students do not know about this professional option in high school or they are not considering it when choosing their colleges and the degrees they will complete. To address this issue, greater awareness must be developed in high school guidance counselors but it can also be fostered through parks and recreation departments within each hometown. Therapeutic Recreation - In the therapeutic recreation arena, clinic and community jobs were clearly more interesting to students than residential therapeutic recreation. Students’ assessment of job likelihood was also higher in these two categories, however, with changes in the health system at the national level, there is much speculation as to how clinical settings will react to the health laws recently passed under the Obama administration. The students’ perception that jobs are more likely in clinical settings also belies the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010-11) that points to residential settings being the main employment vehicle as they serve the rapidly aging population. There is also some evidence to suggest that people would like to be able to “age in place”, and today they have more ability to live in their homes as long and comfortably as possible with the help of innovative design principles, telecare, and assistive technology. Thus there is and will be more need for community recreation TR specialists. Could this be why undergraduate recreation students are not considering the public park and recreation departments as potential employers? Are they too concerned that they are not going to make money in a public/non-profit sector of the recreation field? It seems that students may feel that public park and recreation departments are not the areas of recreation where they can make money in the recreation field.
Winter 2011 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 25
WHAT’S GOING ON By Chad Ubl, Community Services Director, City of Winona
It is a long story but I fell asleep on Friday and woke up on Sunday. It that short time, my minor concerns went from raking the lawn, storing the kayaks in the garage, and putting a cover on the air conditioner to who shoveled our driveway and this snow is not going to melt for another 120 some odd days. Just like that winter came. Another 120 days of trading 45 minutes of getting dressed for 10 minutes of fort building. Trading 45 minutes of putting on long underwear, boots, snow pants, jacket, hat and mittens for 5 minutes of play before someone needs to use the bathroom. Another 120 days of opening the garage door, driving in and closing the garage door with nary an interaction with anyone in the neighborhood. 120 days of not picking up bikes, trikes and scooters from the front yard. There are times those 120 days seem like 15 years went by. When did the kindergartener next door get his driver license? Winter seems to force two effects on us: hibernation and weather related hypochondriacs. Sometimes the two intermingle - I think it is safe to say that the weather anchors are in bed with the local grocer. “There is a slight chance of flurries tomorrow but if this Alberta Clipper moves south prepare for 30 inches of snow and cease all travel except to the store to stock up on three weeks of toilet paper and don’t forget the milk….then stay inside as this is going to be the storm of the century.” When was the last snowfall in Minnesota when you were not able to get to the store in 30 hours or more importantly, has it happened multiple times in your lifespan? How many times have you not been able to travel for days at a time? How many times have you looked at the forecast and seen 20 inches forecasted and decided to pack up the car? If you answered yep to any of those then you need to check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has a list of 23 items you should have in your car for winter ‘survival.’ The only thing not listed was a MNDOT snow plow driver. To the point of this article….the CDC also has a list for safe winter recreation:
Be Safe During Recreation Notify friends and family where you will be before you go hiking, camping, or skiing. Do not leave areas of the skin exposed to the cold. Avoid perspiring or becoming overtired. Be prepared to take emergency shelter. Pack dry clothing, a two-wave radio, waterproof matches and paraffin fire starters with you. Do not use alcohol and other mood altering substances, and avoid caffeinated beverages. Avoid walking on ice or getting wet. Carefully watch for signs of cold-weather health problems. Doesn’t quite fit into most recreation departments’ vision and mission. “If you are thinking of going outside this winter try not to sweat as a matter of fact it may be best for you to stay inside and finish eating another pound of holiday cookies.” I’ll be honest, it was a tough lesson for me, I wanted to get out and blaze a trail, try the new snowshoes, get some fresh air, a little exercise, but in the rush to feel the fresh powder I forgot my paraffin fire starters and my family hasn’t forgiven me to this day! This list makes me think that Fox News is going to have a color coding system for winter weather but with the standard wintry colors of course. It would look something like this: LOW Low risk of winter weather; its fall-like weather GUARDED Risk of winter weather is normal. It could happen at any time. HIGH High risk of snowfall, some may be heavy. Wear your hat and mittens if you venture outside, however I would stay inside if I were you. ELEVATED Snowfall will be heavy across the region and temps will be below 32 degrees. Only venture to the grocery store if you need to travel. SEVERE Blizzard conditions, temps well below zero, wind gusts above breezy. Seek immediate bomb shelter. If you do not have a bomb shelter, good luck!
26 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org
Certainly if weather anchors aren’t trying to scare us inside how about the innovation created from winter. The plastic film for windows has had to net 3M a few dollars. NyQuil, has made a fortune on the winter flu season. The electric blanket and automatic car starter have kept us warm when we don’t have the patience. I’m going to assume the attached garage had something to do with winter. And lest we forget the most important invention the electric shovel - when you are too lazy to shovel and too cheap to buy a regular snow blower. Despite the do not sweat type warnings, winter at times needs to be taken seriously. We know that serious injuries and death occur throughout winter due to weather conditions. We can be thankful that no one was injured when the Metrodome roof collapsed. Yet, in general, despite the electric shovel, winter makes recreation folks more creative and tough. Question: How difficult is it to plan for a program in the middle of January in Arizona? Answer: Not as difficult as cutting a hole in the ice so a couple hundred people can jump into to a body of chilly water; nevermind what we do with them once they exit. Question: Ever participated in a freeze yer gizzard blizzard run in Florida? Answer: Only if the temperature fell below 60. Question: Any pond hockey teams in Los Angeles? Answer: Not from any ponds created by mother nature. So I say this to all of you and the CDC, ignore the warnings – GET OUTSIDE! Try to greet your neighbors more than just every time you need to blow snow. Sweat. Hit the slopes. Go for a walk. Snag an eelpout. Embrace winter; don’t hibernate.
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