Parks & Recreation October 2022

Indy Parks Takes DEI to Heart Equity in Practice: NRPA’s Two-Year Odyssey

by Greenfields

The X-TREME NINJA line by Greenfields Outdoor Fitness is ready to test your strength, agility, and endurance. Race through the obstacles, improve your time, and compete with friends! Not for the faint of heart, the X-TREME NINJA course offers challenging features such as peg walls, rotating rings, swinging ropes, and much more!

Indy

FEATURES

34 Creating an Inclusive Environment While You Wait

Autumn Saxton-Ross

A park and recreation professional and her child discuss how they promote belonging in their programs.

october 2022

40 Indy Parks’ Road to Racial Equity

Kimberly Campbell, Kavita Mahoney and Ronnetta Spalding Indy Parks explores diversity, equity and inclusion in its parks and park spaces.

46 NRPA’s Equity in Practice Initiative

Shalini Mirpuri

Learn about NRPA’s two-year diversity, equity and inclusion journey and how we’re preparing for the future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INDY PARKS

Parks is known for creating places and experiences that inspire.

SMART DESIGN EQUALS SMART PLAY

themes

At Landscape Structures, a lot of thought goes into designing our Smart Play® playstructures. Each must include a ton of activities, an equal ton of play value, yet offer a compact footprint. With a variety of innovative themes and concepts to choose from, these preconfigured playstructures are smart, whimsical and easy to order.

Cover image: Angelina Bambina | Dreamstime.com

Parks & Recreation is printed using soy ink on at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and is mailed in a wrap — only when required — that is plant based and certified compostable. If you are interested in helping us go even greener, email us at prmagazine@nrpa.org and ask to opt out of receiving the print magazine. Parks & Recreation is always available to read in an ezine format at ezine.nrpa.org

Soccer Camp Game Segregated Youth by Race and Ethnicity James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

The Core of Play

What is the Core of play? The hub of excitement? The center of energy? The crux of Play That Moves You? It’s Nucleus Core® – the climbing, adventurous and fun epicenter of your new playspace. It’s the Core of play only from Burke.

NRPA’S LEADERS

Placing Equity at the Center of Our Work

By now we are all well-versed in NRPA’s Three Pillars: Health and Wellness, Equity, and Conservation. When developing the NRPA Strategic Plan for 2021 to 2023 (nrpa.org/StrategicPlan), the NRPA Board of Directors and staff members took a deep, intentional look at those pillars that underpin our work to assess and define the importance of each. During this process, it was determined that we must place “Equity at the Center.”

By making this pillar a major focal point of our work, we acknowledge the importance of equity in advancing the health and wellness benefits of parks and recreation, fostering more resilient landscapes and communities through conservation, and ensuring all people in all com munities have access to parks and recreation. According to the strategic plan, “Putting equity at the center of our work means we are committed to constantly learning, creating supportive and co-beneficial partnerships, and sharing our failures and successes.”

In the spirit of “constantly learning,” NRPA has recently put together the Equity in Practice Resource Library (nrpa.org/EquityResourceLibrary), which consists of a set of vetted and carefully curated resources — including articles, books, technical resources, podcasts, videos, webinars and more — that support individual learning of equity concepts across park and recre ation functions. Also, if you haven’t explored it already, the guide Equity in Parks and Recreation: A Historical Perspective is a great place to start.

Partnering with other community stakeholders is vital to ensuring the benefits of parks and recreation are dis tributed equitably. For example, one way that park and recreation professionals advance health and well-being is by participating in the larger public health system as Community Wellness Hubs — trusted gathering places that connect every member of the community to essential programs, services and spaces. To assist park and recreation professionals in developing this model within their own communities, NRPA created a resource, Elevating Health Equity Through Parks and Recreation: A Framework for Action, which provides guidance on how to apply an equity lens to system-wide operations, programs and services. Additionally, the Community Engagement Resource Guide address es how to meaningfully partner with community members themselves when planning projects to ensure the spaces and programs we provide address the needs of all segments of the community.

The Equity in Practice Resource Library contains dozens of other helpful resources from groups, like the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, the Management Center, and more. While NRPA has developed this collection of resources for you, we also have done our own fair share of learning along the way — and this is just the start.

One thing I’ve found in delving into equity conversations and practices is this: the more you do it, the easier it comes. If you are new to this realm, it can feel intimidating for fear of doing it “wrong.” In truth, the only wrong way to approach this work is to avoid beginning your journey of learning and trying. As the strategic plan states, we are committed to sharing both our failures and our successes, each of which is inevitable. By committing to understanding new, diverse perspectives and embedding the spirit of equity into your everyday work, you play a vital role in advancing equity within your community and beyond — and we will be here to support you every step of the way.

CAROLYN F. MCKNIGHT-FREDD Chair, NRPA Board of Directors

22377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 703.858.0784 | nrpa.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair of the Board of Directors

Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

Chair-Elect

Jesús Aguirre, CPRE Waterloo Greenway Austin, Texas

Treasurer

Susie Kuruvilla Gurnee Park District Gurnee, Illinois

Secretary

Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRE

City of Bristol Parks and Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

At Large

Nonet T. Sykes

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

At Large

Mike Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP

Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

President and CEO

Kristine Stratton, Ex Officio National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP

Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

Kathy Abbott Boston Harbor Now Boston, Massachusetts

Jesús Aguirre, CPRE Waterloo Greenway Austin, Texas

Rebecca Armstrong North Portland, Oregon

Jose Felix Diaz Ballard Partners Miami, Florida

Victor Dover Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning South Miami, Florida

Angelou Ezeilo

Greening Youth Foundation Atlanta, Georgia

Phil Ginsburg

San Francisco Recreation and Park San Francisco, California

Monica Hobbs Vinluan

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ashburn, Virginia

Susie Kuruvilla

Gurnee Park District Gurnee, Illinois

Joanna Lombard

University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida

Mollie Marsh-Heine Earthjustice Boulder, Colorado

Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRE

City of Bristol Parks and Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

John Prue, CPRP

Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Kenosha, Wisconsin

Arnold L. Randall

Forest Preserve District of Cook County Chicago, Illinois

Cheredith Rhone

Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation Shreveport, Louisiana

Breece Robertson One Tree Planted Santa Fe, New Mexico

Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

Xavier D. Urrutia

Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

Lakita Watson, CPRP

Richland County Recreation Commission Columbia, South Carolina

Greg A. Weitzel, M.S., CPRP Kids Around the World Las Vegas, Nevada

Philip Wu, M.D.

(Retired) Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region Portland, Oregon

LIFE TRUSTEES

Beverly D. Chrisman Lexington, South Carolina

Anne S. Close Fort Mill, South Carolina

James H. Evans New York, New York

Rosemary Hall Evans Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Earl T. Groves Gastonia, North Carolina

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D. Richmond, Virginia

Harry G. Haskell, Jr. Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Kathryn A. Porter Mendham, New Jersey

Perry J. Segura New Iberia, Louisiana

R. Dean Tice Round Hill, Virginia

Eugene A. Young, CPRP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Because one size doesn’t fit all, NRPA offers many ways to support the field of parks and recreation. Choose the one(s) that best suits your situation:

Online Giving is an easy click away.

Monthly Giving enables you to be an anchor for NRPA during these times of volatility.

Tribute Gifts honor someone special or celebrate an important occasion.

Gifts of Appreciated Stock allow you to save on taxes while supporting parks and recreation.

Gifts Through a Donor-Advised Fund are a great way to see the impact of your gift right away.

Gifts from Your IRA may be a great way to avoid taxes on your withdrawal and meet your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

Please consult with your tax advisor on the giving option(s) that best fits your personal situation. For more information, visit nrpa.org/Give, email us at development@nrpa.org or call us at 703.858.2190.

NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

Teaching Kids to Be Equity Leaders

When I turn on the television to watch my go-to channel for local news, I often look forward to a segment, called “Cool Kids,” which profiles children and youth around Southern California who are making a difference in their communities. From the 13-year-old who started a nonprofit for providing care packages to the homeless, to the high school senior with a visual impairment who created Braille menus for local restaurants, to the 17-year-old philanthropist who inspired her fellow students and community members to donate money in order to bring clean water to people around the world — these kids embody equitable values. As park and recreation professionals, you have the power to inspire, encourage and teach your youngest community members about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) through programming and active dialogue.

So, what better way to kick off our Equity issue than highlight ing inspiring stories about DEI? In the cover story, “Creating an Inclusive Environment While You Wait,” on page 34, NRPA Vice President of Education and Chief Equity Officer Autumn Saxton-Ross interviews Jessica Desens, a park and recreation professional, and her child, Robin Rowe, a dance instructor, about the major challenges for non-binary and trans inclusion in dance and parks and recreation, as well as the role of visibility in creating inclusive spaces. When it comes to making sure park and recreation programs are more inclusive, Rowe says, “Frontline staff set the tone, environment and expectations of the center. They are the first staff most com munity members interact with, and should maintain a welcoming environment, treating all par ticipants and families as equals.”

In 2021, Indianapolis Parks and Recreation (Indy Parks) reaffirmed its commitment to DEI by re-evaluating its programs, services and amenities to make sure they were inclusive and accessible to all. In the feature article, “Indy Parks’ Road to Racial Equity,” on page 40, contributors Kim berly Campbell, Kavita Mahoney and Ronnetta Spalding discuss their park and recreation agency forming a DEI Committee, developing a diverse and equitable workforce, and embarking on a DEI journey. As they put it: “DEI will always be an important facet of our organization and must be integrated into everything we do.”

Lastly, NRPA’s Shalini Mirpuri looks back at our own two-year DEI journey and how NRPA is preparing for the future in the feature article, “NRPA’s Equity in Practice Initiative,” on page 46. “Equity requires practice, patience and a commitment to progress,” she writes.

It’s amazing to learn about all the great DEI work across the field. And, by creating the frame work for our communities and being positive role models for our youngest park and recreation patrons, we are teaching kids to be tomorrow’s equity leaders. That’s pretty cool.

PRESIDENT AND CEO Kristine Stratton

EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT

Vitisia Paynich vpaynich@nrpa.org

MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Hogeboom lhogeboom@nrpa.org

MANAGER OF ONLINE CONTENT

Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen jnguyen@nrpa.org

PUBLICATION DESIGN

Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net

SENIOR CORPORATE

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 703.858.4635 mdellner@nrpa.org

SENIOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Paul Semple 916.880.5225 psemple@nrpa.org

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Melissa Hunter 703.858.2199 mhunter@nrpa.org

PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com or NRPA (unless otherwise noted)

MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Michael Abbaté, FASLA Neelay Bhatt

Ryan Eaker

Kathleen Gibi

Paul Gilbert, CPRP

Tim Herd, CPRE

Denise Johnson-Caldwell

Roslyn Johnson, CPRP

Michele Lemons

Sarah Lisiecki

Sam Mendelsohn

Maria Nardi

Lisa Paradis, CPRP

Paula Sliefert

Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO

Ronnetta Spalding

Anne-Marie Spencer

Stephen Springs

VITISIA “VI” PAYNICH Executive Editor Director,

Print and Online Content

Amelia Storer

The Official Podcast of

The Latest Park and Recreation News and Trends On the Go

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION

NRPA Welcomes Four New Members to 2022-2023 Board of Directors

Each year, during the NRPA Annual Conference, NRPA officially welcomes its incoming class of board members. The NRPA Board of Directors reflects our membership, which includes professional and advocate leaders in the park and recreation movement; park and recreation agencies and organizations representing the public, private, voluntary, commercial and industrial sectors; firms supplying park and rec reation products and services; and individuals and civic groups interested in the park, recreation, conservation, health and equity fields. This year, we welcome four new members to the 2022-2023 NRPA Board of Directors.

Phil Ginsburg General Manager,

San Francisco Recreation and Parks San Francisco, California

Since 2009, Phil Ginsburg has been the general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which oversees 4,000 acres of open space and more than 225 parks in the city. Ginsburg’s focus has been on equitable park access. In 2018, San Francisco be came the first city in the country where 100 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

In 2019, Ginsburg was appoint ed to the State Parks Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom. He serves as a national board member on the City Parks Alliance, a na tional urban parks advocacy orga nization; sits on the Parks Recov ery Task Force for NRPA; and is a founding co-chair of San Francisco Children and Nature. Ginsburg also coaches the mighty Bayview United Soccer Club, San Francis co’s first free public soccer club for Bayview youth.

John Prue, CPRP

Morale, Welfare and Recreation Program Analyst, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Kenosha, Wisconsin

John Prue, CPRP, is the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program analyst for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. In direct support of the fleet readiness director (N92), Prue conducts analytical and eval uative duties to assess the overall effectiveness of MWR programs at 14 installations and additional annex sites across a nine-state area.

Previously, Prue served as the in stallation program director for the MWR Department at Naval Station Great Lakes. As the chief adminis trator for the commanding officer, he assured a comprehensive qualityof-life program for more than 25,000 Navy personnel, their fam ily members, retirees and other eli gible patrons. He had management oversight of an organization that had more than 20 different facilities and programs that included general recreation, sports and fitness, com munity activities, child and youth

services, a lodging/hospitality pro gram, entertainment clubs, restau rants and other revenue-producing business activities. In 2012, Prue’s MWR team received the coveted National Gold Medal Award and was the first-ever military instal lation to win this award. In 2017, Prue also served as a special assis tant to the Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games, support ing the coordination, planning and sponsorship for a nine-day Paralympic-style adaptive sports competition in City of Chicago. The DoD Warrior Games played host to 265 wounded warriors from all branches of the armed services, including athletes from the United Kingdom and Australia. In Sep tember 2020, Prue retired from Naval Station Great Lakes after 34 years of service.

Prue has been an active member of NRPA and the Armed Forces Recreation Network, speaking at numerous conferences, contribut ing to Parks & Recreation magazine, serving on the NRPA Conference Program Committee for eight years and as the committee chairperson in 2020. He also is an elected member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

Prue holds a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master’s degree in management from Webster Uni versity, St. Louis, Missouri. He has received numerous individual awards, including the Department of the Navy’s Meritorious Civil

ian Service Award (two awards) for his outstanding contributions to the Navy mission. In addition, he received the Armed Forces Recreation Society Fellow Award and the Executive Fellow Award for his achievements in improv ing the quality of life for activeduty personnel and their family members. Upon his retirement from the MWR director position, he received the Navy MWR Life time Achievement Award for his years of service at Naval Station Great Lakes and support to the overall Navy MWR mission.

Breece Robertson Director of Impact Assessment and Monitoring, One Tree Planted Santa Fe, New Mexico

Breece Robertson combines geo spatial technology and storytelling to inspire, activate, educate and en gage people to protect our planet. She is a noteworthy leader in the conservation and parks field with more than two decades of experi ence. She created and led the GIS, research and planning unit at The Trust for Public Land and built strategic initiatives, like ParkScore, ParkServe and Greenprinting that uses state-of-the-art technologies to make data and information acces sible. In 2006, she was awarded the Esri Special Achievement in GIS award and in 2012, the Making a Difference award. She authored a book, Protecting the Places We Love, which was published in April 2021 by Esri Press.

She currently holds the position of director of impact assessment

and monitoring at One Tree Plant ed. She is leading technology and workflow strategies for measure ment, reporting and monitoring that tell the story of the co-benefits that trees, forests and nature-based solutions provide in places around the world. When she’s not protect ing places, she’s exploring and en joying them.

Rhone Division Manager of Administration, Shreveport

Public Assembly and Recreation Shreveport, Louisiana

Cheredith Rhone is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana. She earned a Bachelor of Science with a dou ble major in business management and finance from Centenary College of Louisiana, as well as a Master of Management with a specialization in energy finance from Tulane Universi ty, becoming the first African Ameri can female graduate of the Master of Management in Energy program.

Rhone was appointed by May or Adrian Perkins and confirmed unanimously by the city council. She serves as the division manager of administration for City of Shreve port, Shreveport Public Assembly Parks and Recreation department.

In this role, she serves as a member of the senior management team, charting the direction of the depart ment, ensuring its accountability to all constituents and effective op eration. After becoming a certified fraud examiner, she developed the City of Shreveport’s first compre hensive anti-fraud policy while serv ing as interim assistant CAO.

As a member of the Government

Finance Officers Association –Budgeting and Fiscal Policy Com mittee, she serves in Washington, D.C., and Chicago as the commit tee’s youngest member. She serves on the board of directors at Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business. Rhone also serves on the board of directors of Thrive Unburdened, LLC, an organization dedicated to providing men tal health support and therapy for teenagers and young adults.

Rhone also has served on var ious boards and committees, in cluding the Generation Progress National Leadership Council in Washington, D.C., Women in Government Relations, Shreve port Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Initiative, Providence House Youth Adviso ry Board, and Centenary College Conduct Court. She received the 2022 Top Business Profession al of the Year award from the Shreveport Chamber of Com merce. She was nominated as a “change maker” and attended The White House United State of Women Summit, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. She is the owner and founder of C.D. Rhone Capital Management, LLC, where she manages her real estate portfolio.

Rhone attends St. Paul C.M.E. Church and serves as a mission ary. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking and traveling. She strives daily to embody her favor ite Harriet Tubman quote, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Cheredith

Houston, We Have an Employment Problem

By Joe Snook, CPRP

Our profession has an employment issue and agencies across the country are feeling the impact. The factors contributing to this challenge are many. Currently, unemployment is at 3.8 percent, and the Federal Reserve projects unemployment will continue to stay low through 2023 at a projected rate of 3.5 percent. Looking at the issue from another perspective, currently 5.9 million people are unemployed. Mean while, the number of open jobs in the United States is 11.5 million, meaning if every unemployed person entered the workforce, there would still be 5.5 mil lion unfilled jobs. In addition, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, employment of recreation workers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than the average for all occupations. For perspective, approximately 64,600 openings for recreation workers are projected each year over the decade. In addition, my home state of Missouri has seen a minimum wage increase from $7.85 per hour in 2018 to $12 per hour starting in January 2023, a 53 percent increase. It is not uncommon to see starting wages in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for unskilled labor at $15 per hour to $20 per hour.

Low unemployment rates ac companied by increased competi tion, increased staffing needs and increased wages are causing park and recreation agencies across the country to face staffing challeng es. Hiring full-time, part-time and seasonal employees has never been

more daunting. How have we found ourselves in this situation? Conver sations with colleagues quickly lead to a familiar answer: low pay. And the solution? Increase pay. If only it were that easy. Although pay rates may need adjusting, pay is not the sole solution to the problem.

Traditionally, park and recre ation agencies, nonprofit organiza tions, and for-profit organizations providing similar services do not lead the market in compensation. This begs the question: How do park and recreation agencies com pete for staffing?

1Compensation

– It is important to make sure staff compensation is fair. To ensure this, regular eval uations of pay plans, pay ranges and range penetration are neces sary. Pay plan evaluations should be completed every two to three years (perhaps, more often as nec essary) and should include private and nonprofit comparators as well as government agencies. Including the value of a benefits package can be challenging and often is over looked in the evaluation process, leading to inaccurate comparisons.

Lee’s Summit Parks and Recre ation’s (LSPR) approach in this process is to focus on direct pay and identify the benefits package as “value-added” compensation.

2Communication

– Collectively, our profession does a sub-par job of communicating the benefits, val ues and professional opportunities available through employment in parks and recreation. For example, LSPR requires all staff in our agen cy to be first aid, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated

Low unemployment rates accompanied by increased competition, increased staffing needs and increased wages are causing park and recreation agencies across the country to face staffing challenges.

external defibrillators (AED) certi fied. These are life-saving skills, and many positions within our profes sion — like facility managers, life guards and camp counselors — become true “first responders” in an emergency. We provide customer service training, develop organiza tional skills, teach responsibility, provide leadership opportunities, and, hopefully, create an enjoyable working environment. In addition, many park and recreation organiza tions provide professional opportu nities not typically associated with our profession, such as marketing, communications, information tech nology, finance, cultural arts, public safety and landscape architecture. These are but a few of the benefits and opportunities that need to be communicated to our communities and future employees.

3Higher education – Educa tional partners play a role in our efforts to attract employees. LSPR is located in a major met ropolitan market with three ma jor sports teams and two minor sports teams. In conversations with students, when asked what they would like to do after graduation, their responses are overwhelmingly similar — many want to work for a professional sports organization. Others mention working in hospi tality or collegiate sports. Rarely do they mention working in parks and recreation. When you compare the number of professional sports or ganizations to park and recreation agencies, it is easy to conclude there are significantly more opportuni ties in parks and recreation than in professional sports. In addition, my limited experience suggests that park and recreation agencies pay more for entry and mid-level

positions and provide more oppor tunity for advancement. Finally, it could be argued that working in parks and recreation provides an opportunity to positively impact a community in significant and meaningful ways that professional athletics cannot.

4Workforce

development – My observation is most agencies do very little with workforce develop ment to address staffing challeng es. Here are some questions to ask: Have you identified key part-time and seasonal employees to talk with about future opportunities in our profession? Do you invest time and money in the training and ad vancement of those key part-time and seasonal employees? Do you provide meaningful volunteer op portunities for youth in your com munity? Do you attend local and regional job fairs? Do you speak positively and passionately about our profession and the work you do when interacting with your community? Our profession has an opportunity to expand and grow in workforce development and we need to start those efforts today.

not lead to success. What are your values? How do you communicate those values? Do you recognize and celebrate employees? Do you practice consistent and timely grat itude with your employees? Do you survey your employees about their work environment and respond accordingly? Do you provide op portunities for personal and pro fessional growth? Do you reinforce the value and significance of our profession and the daily impact we make on communities, families and individuals? Do your employ ees know their purpose? These are just a few questions to ask yourself as you evaluate your culture.

5Culture

– Finally, and most importantly, understanding and communicating the culture of your organization are paramount in recruitment and retention of staff. Some work cultures are tox ic, some are inspiring, but most are somewhere in the middle, lan guishing due to a lack of effort. My experience in both the private and public sectors has reinforced that high pay cannot compensate for poor culture. You can be the mar ket leader in pay, but if your culture is poor, you will consistently have employee turnover. High employ ee turnover in our profession does

Our profession has an employment issue and pay is but one of many factors that will help address this challenge. As leaders in the park and recreation profession, we must take a good, hard look at our organizations and ask ourselves what we can do beyond increasing pay to create and enhance employeevalued work environments that differentiate park and recreation employment from other opportunities in our communities. The five areas identified are critical to that success. These are not quick-and-easy solutions — they require intentional, focused efforts. Hopefully, the benefits of increased applications, high-staff retention, minimal turnover, and a happy and productive workforce will be the fruits of your labor.

Joe Snook, CPRP, is Administrator at Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation ( joe.snook@cityofls.net).

Our profession has an employment issue and pay is but one of many factors that will help address this challenge.

The American Academy of Park and Recreation Adminis trators’ Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee has been tackling the question of how to diversify the park and recreation workforce during the “Great Resignation.”

Does Your Staff Resemble the Community You Serve?

By Tracey Crawford, Seve Ghose and Roslyn Johnson

Everyone is talking about how we need diverse workforces to solve challenging problems and bring diverse perspectives to the table. Diversity has been shown to boost creativity, and agencies that embrace diversity are 1.7 times more innovative. Research shows that diverse teams are 87 percent better at making decisions than nondiverse teams (tinyurl.com/2p3p3cct). It has been proven that residents and visitors feel more connected to and are more apt to participate in programs and services that use marketing and advertising that depict culturally and ethnically diverse people. Roughly 64 percent of the candidates research an agency online before applying for an opening. One in three will not apply for an agency that lacks diversity. Where does your organization stand?

The JEDI Committee is in the be ginning stages of communication with contacts at the White House Initiative on Advancing Education al Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs, HACUs, and the TCUs.

There is much more to come on this front, but don’t wait for us! An exciting model already exists.

Incoming JEDI Committee Chair Seve Ghose, community services director in Fort Collins, Colorado, has created an internship program model specifically for students who attend one of these colleges and universities. In offering the intern ship, the goal was not only to add much-needed diversity to the staff ing structure, but mainly to create future employment opportunities for a marginalized community, with clear focus on succession planning.

We know what the real problem is: How do we diversify our workforce during the “Great Resignation?"

The American Academy of Park and Recreation Administrators’ (AAPRA) Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee has been trying to tackle this very conundrum. Some of us were aware that there are 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), but very few of us knew that simi larly there are 330 Hispanic Associ ation of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), 411 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and 32 Tribal

Colleges and Universities (TCUs) as well. This is the answer! How do we tap into the plethora of diversity that these institutions represent? Parks and recreation is a profession that offers jobs ranging from aquatics to zookeeper and everything in be tween. Has your organization mar keted itself to this untapped diverse population? One of the goals of the JEDI Committee is to market our profession to the HBCUs, HACUs and TCUs across the country.

Implementing Methods for Cultivating Diverse Staff

To make the program enticing and noteworthy, a market salary of $20 per hour was made available for the duration of the internship — typically 12 weeks. Subsidized housing also was made available, as the agency owns several proper ties in the city. In Fort Collins, this program is currently going through the scrutiny of the biennial budget process, while it was successfully implemented in Thornton, Colora do. In addition, the intern was re quired to take on at least one large or two smaller projects that the agency was struggling with.

To top it off, the intern was treat ed as any other employee — they were offered the perks of the job and participated in all the summer events and programs. With the advent of many universities elim inating parks and recreation and tourism administration programs, creating a seamless inflow of

new staff has become a challenge for park and recreation agencies during the past few years. This pro gram makes a dent on both fronts.

While we work on formalized relationships, organizations seeking additional diversity can do several things:

• Create an internship specifical ly targeting these colleges and universities. Advertise in their school newspaper and reach out to the internship coordinator.

• Have you or your staff speak at a school to share all of the opportunities for employment in our field/your organization.

• When you advertise employment opportunities, share them with these schools.

• Reach out to the alumni associa tions to share opportunities.

• Contact the financial aid office of these institutions to share op portunities.

• Have a table at freshman orien tation.

• Set up a table (with permission) outside of the Student Union to share hiring opportunities.

• Reach out to the student recre ation program and post fliers and job opportunities at the rec reation facilities.

• Put job opportunities in the recreation staff break room, or wherever the student employees will see it.

It’s time to grow and cultivate our staff using different methods. We are all struggling with the Great Resignation and the national lifeguard shortage. There are still tens of thousands of vacancies in recreation and park departments around the country. What we have been doing isn’t working. There is a quote that says, “The definition

of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” The only way to change our results is to try some thing different. What different methods will you try to take steps toward having your staff reflect the communities you serve and will soon serve as America becomes more diverse?

Tracey Crawford, CTRS, CPRP, is Executive Director at the Northwest Special Recreation Association and CoChair of the Academy’s JEDI Committee.

Seve Ghose, CPRE, MOL, is Community Services Director for the City of Fort Collins and incoming JEDI Committee Chair. Roslyn Johnson, CPRP, is Director of Recreation and Parks at Baltimore County and Co-Chair of the Academy’s JEDI Committee.

Resources

Full listing of the 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities: tinyurl.com/nykt8k4j

Full listing of Hispanic-Serving Institutions: tinyurl.com/4xbv3jtj

Full listing of Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Member HispanicServing Institutions: tinyurl.com/ hn4h657b

Full listing of Tribal Colleges and Universities: tinyurl. com/5n97t3w3

Creating fun ways to spray & play!

From contemporary designs to fun themes, we work with you to develop innovative aquatic play equipment and environments.

CONTACT US FOR YOUR NEXT AQUATIC PLAY EXPERIENCE. 512.392.1155 | www.waterodyssey.com

Seeing the opportuni ty to partner with the local community, City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation applied and is a recipient of the NRPA Parks as Community Wellness Hubs grant, which is supported by the Walmart Foundation.

Equity and Health: A Community-Driven Venture in Tukwila, Washington

By Tiffany Johnson

The land that currently makes up the City of Tukwila in Washing ton State always has been a crossroad of activity. The city lies at the junction of two interstates and the state’s primary airport. The earliest people in Tukwila were the Duwamish, who made their homes along the Black and Duwamish Rivers that meander through the city.

The name “Tukwila” is the Chinook word for “nut” or “hazel nut,” referring to the hazelnut trees that grew in the area. The Duwamish lived in cedar longhouses, hunted and fished, picked wild berries, and used the river for trade with neighboring peoples.

The City of Seattle takes its namesake from the Duwamish leader — Chief Seattle.

For a city with such historical and cultural significance, and at one time having been a breadbas ket of rich and nutritious foods, challenges both in activity and accessing nutritional foods now abound for its residents. But with

challenges come opportunities.

Seeing the opportunity to part ner with the local community, City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation applied for and is a recipient of the NRPA Parks as Community Well ness Hubs grant, which is support ed by the Walmart Foundation.

While residents of the City of Tukwila suffer greatly from low health outcomes and lack of access to healthy foods, we know that there are strengths within the community.

First, there is investment in this community outside of city ser vices. One of our project partners, Global to Local, is based here and has a vested interest. Not only

does this organization support interventions to improve health, lower the cost of care and empower underserved communities, but also it has an asset in its Food In novation Network program.

The Food Innovation Network operates a food business incubator — Spice Bridge — supporting aspir ing entrepreneurs from Tukwila who primarily come from low-income immigrant and refugee communities.

The 2,800-square-foot facility in cludes a commercial kitchen with four cook stations, four retail food stalls and a dining area. Eight food vendors rotate through the food hall stalls, offering culinary expe riences that reflect the diversity of our community.

In addition to helping to create economic security for business owners and their families, Spice Bridge helps build food security in our community. The space sup ports the Tukwila Village Farmers Market, which makes fresh, local produce affordable and accessible for community members.

With partnerships beginning to take hold, the most important ones still to be strengthened and further developed are with com munity members themselves. For example, Tukwila has one of the most diverse school districts in the nation. Its students speak 80 different languages at home; 70 percent are learning English in school. Students speak Soma lian, Burmese, Bosnian and Viet

namese, to name a few.

The greatest challenge for the City of Tukwila is knowledge — truly knowing what our community needs and not making assumptions about what will work best for the community and, for that matter, the numerous smaller communities that make up our city. With the NRPA Parks as Community Wellness Hubs grant dollars, our hope is to lead by learning.

This involves conducting research via surveys and focus groups to ac curately learn from our community how we can deliver more effective nutrition and wellness programs.

For example, currently the city dis tributes food only. We don’t know for sure if what we are delivering is ad equate for community needs. Focus

groups will allow us to get that rich anecdotal information, especially when we conduct them in languages spoken in the community. We will be able to determine the specific needs of various communities, as well as how to best deliver and communi cate the services and resources based on information gathered. Additionally, centering our work within the community, our hope is to have more equitable outcomes. We plan to recruit com munity members in the delivery and communication of these ser vices, tapping youth through job training opportunities.

The youth are well-placed to be excellent advocates. Their multi lingual capabilities ensure we are able to meet community members

Member Benefit: Check Out the New NRPA Connect

NRPA Connect is an online net working platform that makes it easy to communicate with an ex perienced network of nearly 60,000 peers ready to share best practices, make connections and answer your questions. The new NRPA Connect is here! You will notice a more per sonalized homepage where you can see your community activity, upcom ing events and new contact sugges tions. Here are some tips to get the most out of using NRPA Connect: New Resource Library – Check out the updated and organized resource library. With more than 4,000 resources to search from, the library holds the information you are looking for to help you serve your community.

Favorite Resources – Save your favorite resources that you find in the library. When you want to save a resource, you can click on the blue “Action” button and “Add to Fa vorites.” You’ll find it saved under Learn > My Favorite Resources. Schedule a Post – Want to ask a question or share some exciting news, but aren’t quite ready to share? Now you can schedule your posts in advance.

Update Email Preferences –In your Connect profile, under “Community Notifications,” you have the option to customize when you receive emails and choose dif ferent options for different com munities.

Join a Network – Networks are

where they are with someone they know and trust. This also builds ownership of programs within the community. What’s more, these youth ambassadors also will be able to provide criti cal feedback on what works and what does not work within their specific community, encouraging stewardship and buy-in.

Tukwila is a preview of the di rection that our country is going. By implementing a wellness hub in such a diverse community, we can become a model not only for best practices, but also for best equitable practices for other organizations nationwide.

Tiffany Johnson is Parks and Recreation Manager for City of Tukwila (tiffany. johnson@tukwilawa.gov).

NRPA

member-exclusive communities. With a diverse set of networks, you can engage with like-minded pro fessionals who face the same chal lenges and opportunities as you do every day. Many have monthly phone calls and meet in person at the NRPA Annual Conference.

Request a Contact – You can request contacts from other pro fessionals on NRPA Connect to make connections and build your network. Search the member direc tory to find peers to connect with. Visit connect.nrpa.org to learn more. Don’t know your NRPA login or have another question? Contact customerservice@nrpa. org

RESEARCH

People Agree: Parks and Recreation Is

Essential

By Kevin Roth

Each year, NRPA’s Research team surveys the public to understand better how they connect with parks and recreation. The resulting Engagement With Parks Report (nrpa.org/Engagement) highlights how local parks and recreation facilities impact the lives of every person in our nation.

The ubiquity of parks and rec reation is evident in the number of people visiting these spaces and how often they do it. Eighty-three percent of survey respondents — the equiva lent of 275 million people — visited a local park or recreation facility at least once during the 12 months ending in May 2022. On average, people visited 22 times — or nearly twice a month — between June 2021 and May 2022.

Five in six U.S. adults indicate proximity to high-quality parks, play grounds, open spaces or other rec reation facilities is important when choosing a neighborhood to live in. Nearly 60 percent cite distance to these features as “extremely” or “very” important.

Proximity also plays a role in how people travel to these destinations. While most people travel by automo bile to parks, playgrounds, open spac es or recreation centers, walking also is a mode of transportation for half of U.S. adults. Other methods include:

• Biking (cited by 22 percent of re spondents)

• Jogging/Running (16 percent)

• Public transit, such as buses, trains or subways (8 percent)

• Taxi/Rideshare (7 percent)

Parks and Recreation Is Vital

Nine in 10 U.S. adults agree parks and recreation is an important ser

vice provided by their local govern ments, with robust support spanning every segment of the population:

• Generation – Gen Zers (81 per cent), millennials (90 percent), Gen Xers (91 percent), baby boomers (93 percent)

• Race and ethnicity – Those who identify as non-white (84 percent), those who identify as white (91 percent) and those who identify as Hispanic (88 percent)

• Household formation – House holds with children (94 percent)

• Political views – Democrats (94 percent), Republicans (88 per cent), Independents (85 percent) People understand and appreci ate parks and recreation’s greater mission. For example, NRPA’s Three Pillars represent what they want as the guiding principles for their local park and recreation agency. Nearly equal shares of sur vey respondents view each pillar as a critical agency function.

Parks and Recreation Going Beyond Its Traditional Role

People also want their local park and recreation agencies to continue broadening their services to meet our communities’ many challenges. Nine in 10 survey respondents agree that providing emergency shelter in their facilities and serving as distri bution points for essential supplies

to community members in the event of extreme weather or natural di sasters is an important role for park and recreation agencies to play. Ninety percent of survey respondents also agree on the importance of their parks and recreation provid ing job and volunteer opportunities for youth and young adults, such as lifeguarding jobs, camp counselor roles and junior ranger roles.

U.S. adults also want their local park and recreation agency to:

• Deliver programming and sup port that improve community physical and mental health (cited by 89 percent of respondents)

• Reduce the impact of extreme temperatures through the plant ing of trees and other vegetation (89 percent)

• Develop and maintain parks and open spaces to minimize the im pacts of flooding (88 percent)

• Offer before- and/or after-school childcare and summer camps for youth (85 percent)

The 2022 Engagement With Parks Report demonstrates that the public views parks and recreation as vital to their lives and an essential local government service. The more than 10,000 local park and recreation agencies in the United States make their communities robust, healthy and resilient. Their emphasis on conservation, equity, and health and wellness — as well as their ability to deliver effective solutions to the many challenges facing those com munities — highlights how parks and recreation is not a luxury; it is essential infrastructure in our cities, towns and counties.

Kevin Roth is Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Technology at NRPA (kroth@nrpa.org).

Parks

NRPA PARK PULSE

More Money Comes With Important Changes

By Kyle Simpson

Since 2014, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program has provided critical resources to urban areas to build or revitalize parks, especially those parks serving communities with out access to local parks. Congress created the program with the realization that much of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was going to suburban, rural and state parks, and that many urban areas of our country lack access to high-quality outdoor space. The ORLP pro gram differs slightly from LWCF as cities apply through the National Park Service (NPS) for this national grant competition, though the program has many of the same matches and rules as the LWCF program.

Recently, the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) have announced grants totaling $192 million will be awarded in 2023.

Recently, the Biden administra tion and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) have announced grants totaling $192 million will be awarded in 2023. The grant appli cation process is available now and the money will be awarded in two rounds, one in January and the other in May of 2023. This $192 million is the largest amount the program has

ever distributed in one grant cycle, due to increasing support from Con gress for the program.

ORLP Expands Its Reach

With this influx of money for the program, the DOI and the NPS have made some significant chang es to the program that expand eli gibility and provide some flexibility to applicant cities. Previously, the grants could only go to localities with a population of 50,000 res idents or more, and cities had to be within a “Census-designated Urban Area boundary,” in order to be eligible. Under the new rules, the population threshold has been lowered to 30,000 residents and the urban area boundary require ment has been removed completely. This is a welcome change, as it ex pands the communities eligible for the program. Some states — like Maine, for instance — previously had only one eligible community. Now, a few more localities can con

The $192 million being awarded in 2023 via ORLP is the largest amount the program has ever distributed in one grant cycle, due to increasing support from Congress.

sider applying. If your community has previously been scared away by the population or urban area bound ary requirement, it’s a good time to consider the program again for your park development needs.

Another important change to the program is that the maximum grant award has increased from $5 million to $10 million during this award cycle. This will allow larger projects to receive funding from the DOI. The department also has announced that a priority for awards will be ones that take into account the “project’s contributions to increasing access to na ture’s benefits, such as green spaces, shady areas and natural landscapes, that help provide climate benefits, such as heat island reduction.”

The DOI and the NPS are hope ful these changes will encourage more cities to apply for the fund ing. “The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program is essential to expand our communities’ connections to urban green spaces, where children can play, families can connect, and a love and ap preciation for the outdoors can be nurtured,” says Deb Haaland, secretary of the DOI. “The fund ing and programmatic changes we are announcing today will allow for us to support bigger ideas and more communities in their pursuit of creating more parks and places to get outside for every American.” NRPA shares in the excitement about the changes and hopes your

department will consider applying for the 2023 grants.

If your agency is interested in finding out more, the DOI’s ORLP program website (tinyurl.com/ 4kdu8zbf) provides information you need to know along with where to apply. NRPA also has informa tion about this program and the full LWCF program on our website at nrpa.org/LWCF.

Kyle Simpson is Director of Government Affairs at NRPA (ksimpson@nrpa.org).

NRPA shares in the excitement about the changes and hopes your department will consider applying for the 2023 grants.

By building community, Black participants can feel a sense of safety and connectedness to an activity or facility, and will be more inclined to continue to utilize the service and introduce it to others.

Thinking Out Loud: An Alternative Perspective to Recreation

By Chamreece Diggs, MBA, CPRP

For many Black people, seemingly ordinary leisure time activities — like bird watching, playing golf, swimming or jogging — have been met with harassment, involvement from law enforcement or murder. Not all instances of racially-motivated situations gain national atten tion, but the experiences are no less frustrating, demeaning and distressing.

Through NRPA’s Equity Pillar, we are learning more about how struc tural and institutional racism impacts when, where and how park and rec reation professionals provide services. In addition to the systemic and delib erate barriers presented to minorities, interpersonal and internalized racism contribute to how Black participants connect while engaging in the ser vices we provide and how receptive they feel when entering into the spac es we offer. Beyond expanding access, evaluating policy and promoting awareness building, we must ask the

question: Are we working to make our spaces places where Black people can feel as though they belong?

Promoting Health Benefits Through Belonging

Spending time outdoors walking, hiking, camping and kayaking contributes to my overall sense of well-being. As a park and recreation professional, I am continually encouraging others to approach their own personal wellness goals by getting out, being active and trying something new. Using myself as

an example, I promote the benefits of being outdoors and discovering. However, when confronted with my own racially-influenced experiences, I realize that for some Black participants, what I am endorsing may be a source of humiliation, loneliness or trauma.

Black people may feel as though they do not belong when participat ing in activities, like camping or boat ing. They may encounter unwanted attention, unsolicited advice or insult ing commentary, resulting in micro aggressions and tokenism. Although not physically harmful, microaggres sions — such as asking, “How did you afford that camper?” or “Where did you get that boat?” — suggest that the Black participant could not possi bly own or have access to these items.

Additionally, offering assistance or celebrating Black participants, either symbolicly or superficially, because of their race and not from a genuine place, tokenizes them.

Black people may turn away from activities wherein they do not see other Black participants. The lack of representation and community hin ders their ability to fully engage and feel comfortable exploring and learn ing. The growing number of affinity groups, like Soul Trak Outdoors, Black Outside Black and Girls Trek kin, provide a community wherein Black participants can engage in out door adventure recreation with oth er people who they closely identify with. By building community, Black participants can feel a sense of safety and connectedness to an activity or facility, and will be more inclined to continue to utilize the service and in troduce it to others.

Ensuring Safety

Physical and emotional safety, whether realized or perceived, is another obstacle for Black participa tion. Black participants can be made to feel unsafe in our spaces by being followed or questioned; seeing vi sual cues, like a confederate flag; or through outright racist acts, like racial slurs and cultural insensitivity. This lack of safety creates tension, hesitan cy and suspicion. Participants who can feel comfortable and confident to be themselves have a greater opportu nity to discover new experiences.

The concept of recreating while Black underscores that the opportu nities and experiences of Black peo ple engaged in leisure time activities can be drastically different from that of white people simply because of race. As we campaign and inspire more and more people to take ad

vantage of the essential services and facilities we provide, we also must consider why access does not always translate to utilization. Welcoming new participants can begin to influ-

ence a sense of belonging and there by nurture a new lifelong user.

Chamreece

Diggs, MBA, CPRP, is Facilities Coordinator at City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation (chamreece.diggs@ greensboro-nc.gov).

Parks as Places for Connection, Belonging and Inspiration

By Yakuta Poonawalla

In the fall of 2021, while wildfires raged in California and I mourn ed the heartbreaking losses to human and nonhuman life due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I read a book titled What Kind of an Ancestor Do You Want to Be? (tinyurl.com/46mjddb8). This bold, radical and powerful invitation tugged at my weak heart, and slowly hope started to strengthen me from within. I was reminded of a stewardship program we hosted pre-pandemic to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a festival of remembering those who have passed away, and Diwali, a festival of light and hope. The trailhead was transformed into an altar (ofrenda), where participants placed photos and sentimental objects of loved ones they had lost. Marigolds, colorful paper flowers and diyas (an oil lamp made of clay) cast a warm and welcoming glow. We exchanged stories about rituals around life and death and made a promise to spread hope and light beyond this program. Plants were planted in memory of loved ones who had passed, and now, many participants come back to that park site to say hello to the Seaside daisies and Yarrow they had planted.

When people see themselves — their cultures, languages and iden tities — reflected in a park, they come back. The connection moves

beyond an initial introduction to a sense of belonging.

For example, when Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and

National Park Service staff sent an invitation to our communities in ob servance of the Festival of Eid (an event marking the end of Ramadan) — as part of a habitat restoration volunteer program — it brought not just people from within local Mus lim communities, but also a diverse group of people who showed up to learn and offer support, including the park’s regular volunteers. This gathering and many others like these over the years have given us new ways of bringing our commu nities into a conversation about cul ture, traditions, rituals, beliefs and faith as metaphors for deepening our relations with each other.

Sweet exchanges like “Eid Mubarak!” filled the air at this pro gram. When a personal language

A Latino Outdoors coordinator connects and cares for parklands during a Día de los Muertos celebration.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA REEDER

A group decorates a park trailhead with marigolds and rangoli art for a Diwali celebration as part of a community stewardship program.

or mother tongue is shared out loud, there’s an immediate connection to a place and people, and a sense of comfort and home. A wel come table at the entrance was dec orated with books and artwork by authors, poets and artists from the community. Henna cones placed in a bowl invited participants to en gage in art inspired by local flora and fauna. We gathered in a circle, and respectfully engaged our multicultural and inter-generational group in an interpretive talk on the environmental spirit of Islam. We invited our participants to reflect, observe and listen along with us.

In an age of so many competing demands from life, our participants had chosen to give their time to nurture the park site. We picked up our tools and started our habitat restoration work while participants shared their stories of nature con nections. At break time, a bowl of sweet sheer khurma was enjoyed by all. A young Muslim girl in a hijab offered to draw a monarch butterfly with the henna cone on the hand of a new park friend.

My inspiration to try this ap proach — connecting ecology, conservation, restoration and dis cussions about climate change to culture and spirituality — is in spired by observing Indigenous people in India, Nepal and now here in the United States. In my home state of Maharashtra, In dia, I was introduced to the Warli tribe’s symbiotic and mutually ben eficial relationship with all beings through art. Their paintings depict a collective way of living, center ing the nonhuman world in every

thing they do. For this to happen, it takes a lifelong practice of thinking about our everyday actions and ac tivities — in our work, our homes, our community gathering spaces and our relationships — and how they are intrinsically connected to the nonhuman life we cohabitate with. Can parks become the points of entry for the beginning of these lifelong practices? As we grapple with everyday challenges due to cli mate change and social inequities, can park programs become spaces for communities to come together, and find hope and inspiration to confront these challenges?

A joyful and welcoming illustration as part of a park kiosk invites visitors to experience, enjoy and explore nature in unique ways.

At dawn and dusk every day, I go back to the invitation — What kind of an ancestor do I want to be? I want to be an ancestor who cre ates park programs such as these, where love, compassion and joy grow and become the tools we can use to embrace the challenges that are still to come.

Yakuta Poonawalla is the Associate Director for the Community Stewardship and Engagement Program at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy ( ypoonawalla@ parksconservancy.org).

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVANCY

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF JEAN WEI

Soccer Camp Game Segregated Youth by Race and Ethnicity

By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

As illustrated by the reported federal court opinion described be low, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, one might speculate that better communication and public relations in addressing an upset parent’s concerns about a public recreation program may have avoided the significant ongoing cost and time associated with defending a subsequent lawsuit in federal court.

In the case of Viau v. City of Troy, (E.D. Mich. 6/10/2022) 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114509, plaintiff Tennille Viau (Viau) filed a feder al civil rights complaint on behalf of her child, “K.V.,” against the defendants City of Troy, Michi gan, city employees Elaine Bo and Scott Mercer, as well as two city agents identified as John and Jane Doe who jointly administered a summer soccer camp with the city. In her complaint, Viau sub

sequently added the Troy School District as a defendant.

“Bomb the Country” Game

On July 10, 2019, Viau alleged her 10-year-old child, K.V., was enrolled in the City of Troy Rec reation Department’s summer sports camp for soccer, which was “jointly administered” by John Doe and Jane Doe. John Doe was K.V.’s soccer coach. He allegedly had told K.V. and the other chil

dren that they were going to play a game, called “Bomb the Country.” According to the complaint, John Doe asked all the non-white chil dren, including K.V., who is bira cial, what country they were from. Doe then placed all the white chil dren on Team America and all the non-white children on other teams designated by their respective na tional origins and/or races.

Viau claimed “one AsianAmerican child indicated that her family was from China, and the coach instructed her that she would be on Team China,” while an “Argentine-American child in dicated that her family was from Argentina, and the coach instruct ed her that she would be on Team

In the case of Viau v. City of Troy, plaintiff Tennille Viau filed a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of her child, “K.V.,” against the defendants who jointly administered a summer soccer camp with the city.

Argentina.” Allegedly, K.V. was placed on Team Argentina, even though she had told the coach she was from the United States.

Viau further alleged that “none of the white children were asked what country they were from, and all were placed on Team America.”

In addition, Viau alleged that John Doe then had the children play the “Bomb the Country” game, “pit ting” the white children against the non-white children.

On July 11, 2019, Viau com plained about the practice to the City of Troy Recreation Depart ment Director Bo and to Troy Recreation Supervisor Mercer, as well as another Troy official who was not a named defendant. In response, Mercer informed Viau that “the game had been played for ‘years’ and the children loved it and requested it.” Mercer, however, al legedly had admitted that the game might need a “name change.” In response to her complaint, Viau claimed no one addressed the al leged segregation of the children by race and/or ethnicity.

Viau further alleged that, on July 12, 2019, soccer coach Jane Doe in formed the children that they were going to play a game, called “Cow boys and Indians.” According to the complaint, Viau also complained to Troy officials that this game was in appropriate because of its “us versus them” environment. In addition, Viau notified Troy city officials that children had been segregated by na tional origin, race and/or color on July 10, 2019. Bo had allegedly re sponded by saying, “good to know.”

Viau then “promptly” pulled K.V. and another child of hers out of the remainder of the summer sports camp programs.

Plausible Claim in Complaint

On October 18, 2021, in response to Viau’s lawsuit, the City of Troy, Director Bo and Supervisor Mercer (collectively the City Defendants) filed motions for dismissal and a pretrial summary judgment. These pretrial motions based upon Viau’s complaint, if granted, would have effectively dismissed Viau’s law suit. Viau, however, had argued “the City Defendants’ motion for summary judgment is premature,” because “she should have the opportunity to depose Mercer and Bo before the Court considers their request to have the claims against them dismissed.”

As noted by the federal district court, “a motion to dismiss pursu ant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) tests a complaint’s legal sufficiency”:

To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain suffi cient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face. A claim has facial plausibility when the plain tiff pleads factual content that al lows the court to draw the reason able inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.

The plausibility standard… simply calls for enough fact to raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence of illegal conduct. Put another way, the complaint’s allegations must do more than create speculation or suspicion of a legally cognizable cause of action; they must show entitlement to relief.

Further, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, the federal district court would grant summary judgment if “the mo vant [i.e., each city defendant]

shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”

The federal district court would, therefore, reject the City Defendants’ motions to dismiss and summary judgment if Viau had alleged sufficient facts in her complaint to set forth a “plausible” claim. In so doing, the court acknowledged it was required to “accept the factual allegations in the complaint as true.”

As cited by the court, to state a Section 1983 claim, “a plaintiff must allege the violation of a right secured by the federal Constitution or laws and must show that the deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law.”

Section 1983 Municipal Liability

In her lawsuit, Viau brought a Sec tion 1983 claim against the City of Troy. As cited by the court, to state a Section 1983 claim, “a plaintiff must allege the violation of a right secured by the federal Constitution or laws and must show that the deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law.” In so doing, the court noted “the first step in an action under Section 1983 is to identify the spe cific constitutional right allegedly violated,” because “Section 1983 is a method for vindicating federal rights, not a source of substantive rights itself.”

In her complaint, Viau had alleged “the City Defendants

violated K.V.’s rights under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause by discriminating against her on the basis of race, color, and/or national origin.” The court, however, noted that “a municipality faces Section 1983 liability only when its official policy or custom directly causes the plaintiff’s injury”:

A plaintiff seeking to impose liability on a municipality under Section 1983 must identify a mu nicipal “policy” or “custom” that caused the plaintiff’s injury. To do this, the plaintiff must plead suffi cient facts to show a direct causal link between the policy and the al leged constitutional violation such that the municipal policy can be deemed the moving force behind the violation.

Accordingly, Viau had alleged “the City of Troy had a custom and practice of allowing segregation

based on race, color and/or nation al origin as evidenced by Mercer admitting that the segregation prac tice had been going on ‘for years.’” Moreover, Viau alleged Bo’s po sition as recreation department director and Mercer’s position as recreation supervisor “reasonably suggests each had authority over the adoption and implementation of the alleged policy.”

Taking the allegations in the complaint in a “light most favor able” to Viau’s claims, the federal district court found “sufficient fac tual matter” in the complaint to satisfy the “facial plausibility” stan dard for a Section 1983 violation against the City of Troy. The court, therefore, denied the City of Troy’s motion for summary judgment on Viau’s Section 1983 claim.

Equal Protection Claim

As described by the court, the

Equal Protection Clause is “essen tially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treat ed alike.” Accordingly, to state an equal protection claim, the court would require Viau’s complaint to adequately plead that “the govern ment treated K.V. disparately as compared to similarly situated per sons and that such disparate treatment either burdens a fundamental right, targets a suspect class, or has no rational basis.”

In her complaint, the court found Viau had alleged that “K.V. was intentionally segregated, based on her race and/or ethnicity, while she participated in a summer sports camp run by the City of Troy.” In so doing, Viau claimed the follow ing alleged facts in the complaint had demonstrated “a facially dis criminatory policy or practice”: Soccer coach John Doe deliber ately assigned children to differ ent groups based on race or eth nicity, with only white children being assigned to Team America. All non-white children and those who advised they had national origins outside the United States were assigned to play for differ ent “countries.”

As cited by the court: “Courts have recognized that the segrega tion of school-aged children based on race or ethnicity during extra curricular activities is prima facie evidence of an equal protection violation.”

Similarly, in this particular in stance, the court found Viau’s com plaint had adequately alleged “a prima facie [i.e., legally sufficient on its face] case of an equal pro tection violation based on a facially discriminatory policy or practice.” Given alleged evidence of an equal

Viau alleged “the City of Troy had a custom and practice of allowing segregation based on race, color and/or national origin as evidenced by Mercer admitting that the segregation practice had been going on ‘for years.’”

protection violation, the court ac knowledged “the burden of jus tifying the classification shifts to the defendant, and the justification must be ‘exceedingly persuasive.’”

As described by the court, an ex ceedingly persuasive justification would require the City Defendants to “show at least that the challenged classification serves important governmental objectives and that the discriminatory means employed are substantially related to the achieve ment of those objectives.” Absent such a showing at this preliminary stage of the proceedings, the court found dismissal of Viau’s Equal protection claim against the City of Troy was “not warranted.”

Section 1983 Supervisory Liability

Having addressed the City of Troy’s motion for summary judgment on Viau’s Section 1983 claim, the court then considered the claims against the individual defendants, Mercer and Bo. In the absence of an official policy or custom, the court acknowledged “a municipali ty, like the City of Troy, may not be held vicariously liable [i.e., legally responsible] for the actions of its employees under Section 1983.”

In her complaint, Viau did not allege that Mercer or Bo were di rectly involved in “the segregation of K.V. or the other children par ticipating in the soccer camp.” In stead, Viau had claimed “Mercer and/or Bo should be held liable based solely on their supervisory roles.” The court rejected this ar gument.

According to the court, “super visory liability cannot attach under Section 1983 where the allegation of liability is based upon a mere

failure to act.” On the contrary, the court found “supervisory lia bility under Section 1983 requires a plaintiff to show that the super visor encouraged or condoned the specific incident of misconduct or in some other way directly partici pated in it”:

At a minimum, then, a Sec tion 1983 plaintiff must show that a supervisory official im plicitly authorized, approved, or knowingly acquiesced in the unconstitutional conduct of the offending subordinate.

Since “each defendant is liable only for his or her own conduct,” the federal district court would, therefore, “analyze Mercer’s and Bo’s potential Section 1983 liability separately.”

Recreation Supervisor

Viau alleged that she had com plained to Mercer in his capacity as “Recreation Supervisor” regarding “the practice” of dividing the chil dren based on race. In response, Viau claimed Mercer had informed her that “the game had been played for ‘years’ and the children loved it and requested it.” In so doing, Mercer also had allegedly admit ted that the game might need a “name change.” Based upon these allegations in Viau’s complaint, the court found “it can reasonably be inferred that Mercer knew of the practice, approved of it and acqui esced in it.”

In his sworn affidavit, Mercer claimed “he first became aware that Bomb the Country was being played when he reviewed a July 11, 2019 email from Viau that she had sent to the Troy Recreation Department.” As a result, Mercer contended “he neither knew of, ap

proved, or acquiesced the alleged practice and/or John Doe’s act of dividing children based on their race and ethnicity.”

Mercer further claimed Viau’s email did “not complain that there was any discrimination or segre gation based on race or national origin.” Instead, in Mercer’s view, Viau’s email “was only complaining about the violent implications of playing a game, called Bomb the Country,” not a complaint about “any discrimination or segregation based on race or national origin.”

Upon reviewing Viau’s email, Mercer further stated he had “for warded it to Brian Zawislak with the Troy School District since he was the person most familiar with the coaches and lesson plans for the soccer camp.” In response, Za wislak had informed Mercer that “no person had ever complained about the game” before Viau’s email. While acknowledging the game “Bomb the Country” was “a camp favorite and had been played for many years and that kids requested it,” Zawislak in formed Mercer “they could come up with a name change.” Mercer subsequently informed Viau of Zawislak’s response.

Based upon the following as sertions in Viau’s email, the court found “one could reasonably reach the opposite conclusion” that Viau

According to the court, “supervisory liability cannot attach under Section 1983 where the allegation of liability is based upon a mere failure to act.”

had indeed objected to “discrimi nation or segregation based on race or national origin,” not “the vio lent implications of playing a game called Bomb the Country”:

Children were put into groups and asked what country they were from. A child said she was from Argentina, so her group became Argentina. Another was from America, so that group became America and so forth.

While a portion of Viau’s email had criticized the violence implicit in the game, taken in the light most favorable to Viau, the court found Viau also had expressed shock that a government/city program would group “the children based on their national origin and race” in a game, which encouraged children “to pre tend they are blowing up their own country and other countries with a soccer ball.”

Although Mercer claimed he “was not aware” of the Bomb the

Country game until he reviewed Viau’s July 11, 2019 email, the court found Viau should be al lowed to conduct discovery to ob tain relevant documents to test the veracity and credibility of Mercer’s statements, in particular, his denial of knowledge of segregation in the soccer program.

Accordingly, given the reasonable inference from Viau’s allegations that Mercer “knew of the practice, approved of it and acquiesced in it,” the federal district court held “sum mary judgment in his favor is not appropriate at this time.”

Recreation Department Director

Similarly, the federal district court reviewed allegations in Viau’s complaint to determine whether summary judgment in favor of de fendant Bo, the City of Troy’s rec reation department director, was warranted at this preliminary stage

of the proceedings.

In her complaint, Viau had al leged that Bo had responded, “good to know,” when she notified him that children had been segregated by race or ethnicity. As characterized by the court, Bo’s response “may merely reflect a lack of profession alism and sensitivity to Viau’s feel ings.” On the other hand, the court found “one could also reasonably interpret it as being so callous that it indicates Bo knew of, approved of, or acquiesced in the alleged segrega tion of children on the basis of race and/or ethnicity.”

Accordingly, given the reasonable inference from Viau’s allegations that Bo “knew of the practice, ap proved of it and acquiesced in it,” the federal district court concluded summary judgment in favor of Bo was “not appropriate at this time.”

Full and Equal Enjoyment

Since K.V. had “still participated in soccer camp activities each day of the program,” the City Defendants also had argued John Doe’s alleged conduct had not denied K.V. “the full and equal enjoyment by K.V. of the soccer camp” under federal and analogous state law. Citing Supreme Court precedent regarding the ap plicable standard for evaluating protected class discrimination un der the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, the fed eral district rejected this argument:

[T]he City Defendants’ argu ment is precisely the type the Unit ed States Supreme Court rejected more than 65 years ago when it summarily upheld the trial court’s holding that racial segregation on busses violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection

The federal district court found “one could reasonably conclude the City of Troy, Mercer, and Bo knew of, approved of, or acquiesced in the alleged wrongful conduct.”

Clause despite the fact that all pas sengers rode the same bus to the same stops.

In this case, despite her ability to participate, the federal district court similarly found allegations in Viau’s complaint indicated K.V. was denied “full and equal enjoy ment” in camp activities. In par ticular, the court found the following alleged facts in the complaint demonstrated K.V.’s “participation was marred by John Doe’s alleged race/national origin-based dis criminatory conduct”:

The words and actions of soccer coach, John Doe, Troy Recreation Department and/or Troy School District’s agent, created an intim idating, hostile, and/or offensive public accommodations/public services environment…. K.V. felt offended, intimidated, alienated and stigmatized by being segregat ed based on her color and/or race.

Conclusion

Based upon the above-described facts alleged in Viau’s complaint, the federal district court found “one could reasonably conclude the City of Troy, Mercer, and Bo knew of, approved of, or ac quiesced in the alleged wrongful conduct.” Accordingly, “without this case first proceeding through discovery,” the court concluded “summary judgment is not appro priate” in favor of any of the City Defendants at this preliminary stage of the proceedings.

The federal district court, there fore, denied the City Defendants’ motions for dismissal and for sum mary judgment. As a result, Vi au’s lawsuit would be allowed to proceed to conduct discovery and take depositions to challenge Bo

and Mercer’s statements disclaim ing any knowledge of the alleged discriminatory practice in sum mer camp activities prior to Viau’s complaint.

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Professor emeritus in the School of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management at George Mason University ( jkozlows@gmu. edu). Webpage link to an archive of articles (1982 to present): mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows/lawarts/artlist.htm

Mini Golf: Profitable

Attraction OR A Fun Amenity

Interlocking, Contour-Ready Panels are Permeable for Water Drainage.

Miniature golf attracts and holds guests of all ages at your park, civic center or municipal golf course for longer periods of time. Operated as an amenity or charging admissions, mini golf regularly fosters spending at other revenue centers such as food, beverage, retail shops and more.

Whether outdoors, indoors or on rooftops… permanent, temporary or fully portable…from our EcoFriendly Modular Advantage® Mini Golf system, SplashGolf® and putting greens to shuffleboard, bocce ball and more, we have ideas and solutions to make your park, water park or golf course more inviting, profitable and fun!

Contact us today and let the fun begin!

A Global Leader in Miniature Golf & Game Court Design/Installation

(231) 922-8166 AGSGolfAndSports.com

Traverse City, MI | Chicago | Miami | Venice, FL

Eco-Friendly Modular Advantage™ Mini Golf system uses interlocking flexible, patented panels to give you the look & feel of a permanent concrete course with faster, less costly installation.

SplashGolf® is miniature golf played on a special interactive splash pad. Just when players least expect it, sudden bursts of water push their balls in crazy directions.

Everyone has a sphere of influence, or the ability to effect change somewhere — in the leagues you manage, the type of customer service you provide or how you coordinate a program.

Creating an Inclusive Environment While You Wait

A park and recreation professional and her child discuss how they promote belonging in their programs

By Autumn Saxton-Ross

hen I stepped into this role a lit tle more than two years ago, so many of the conversations I had with people in the field were either about where to start or what could they do to ad vance diversity, equity and inclusion, while lead ership decided the best policies and/or actions for the agency. My answer is always: What power do you have? Everyone has a sphere of influence, or the ability to effect change somewhere — in the leagues you manage, the type of customer service you provide or how you coordinate a program. The best place to start is with what you have and what you know. Let that seed be the start while you wait.

This past summer, I had the hon or of meeting Robin Rowe, née Desens, as I started the process of connecting with professionals with experience and passion working with the LGBTQIA+ community, specifically supporting non-binary and transgender (trans) youth. Jes sica Desens, who has been a park and recreation professional for more than 20 years, and Robin, her child — the “definition” of a park and rec kid — is now a dance in structor for the same park district she grew up attending.

Their approach to creating a

safe and inclusive space for their dancers shows the power each of us has to help make sure people — and specifically young people — feel like they belong. Recently, I spoke with both of them to learn more about how they are fostering belonging.

Autumn Saxton-Ross: Can each of you tell me a bit more about yourself and what you do?

Jessica Desens: For [more than] 23 years, I have been the recreation supervisor for performing arts at

the Round Lake Area Park District (RLAPD) [in Illinois]. I oversee the dance program, the communi ty band and other music lessons, as well as assist with organizing and planning events.

Robin Rowe: I have grown up in RLAPD, participating in programs for the past 20 years. For the past six years, I have been a dance teacher for the park district. Currently, I am a facilitator for Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s (IPRA) Safe Zone Conversations (tinyurl.com/2p949eaw) through out Illinois, via Zoom.

Saxton-Ross: From each of your perspectives, what are the major challenges or barriers for non-binary and trans inclusion in dance and parks and recreation?

Desens: The first major hurdle is acceptance. I think it’s the main one since every community is dif ferent and everyone’s understand ing and level of acceptance does not look the same.

Rowe: Another obstacle is parent/ child relationships. Parents are the ones who make the final decision regarding paperwork, really every thing, for their child. A parent’s perspective on LGBTQIA+ looks different, depending on their will ingness to accept their child’s iden tity. A parent’s level of acceptance can make it harder for kids to share with trustworthy adults and see us as a support system when their im mediate support system (parents/ family) isn’t accepting.

Jessica Desens says building a trusting environment is key.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CASS PHOTOGRAPHY

Desens: Next is about trust. Building a trusting environment is key. The program and agency must have that trust within their environment for this to work. Within our programs, we work to make sure there is that trust. If a trusting environment or re lationship isn’t there, non-binary and trans youth may feel unsafe coming to our programs. This is extremely important in a park district agency. We are expected to provide programs for the commu nity that are inclusive and accept ing. We [should] want to be that safe space serving the commu nity, and we do that by building trust. We should not be another entity that is making people suffer in their own skin, forcing them to deny their true self.

Rowe: Another barrier can be the community and the people we serve as an agency. As an agency, we should set an example for oth ers to follow, helping to educate those who do not understand, as well as set policies and guidelines for accountability.

Saxton-Ross: Can you share with us what you do within your own sphere of influ ence to make sure your pro grams are inclusive?

Desens: I consider our dance pro gram an accepting community. We do our best to educate and create an atmosphere of acceptance by embracing what makes each per son in the program unique. One of the first things I did was to add my

pronouns to my email as an olive branch to those in the LGBTQIA+ community (parents and partici pants), so they know and under stand that my classes are a safe space. This is something anyone can do and make a difference [do ing]. We have many parents and participants who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as those who are not. I believe that we as staff have the power to set the example of acceptance and inclu sion in dance class.

Rowe: One of the most import ant things that we are attentive to

is the environment we create by being as accommodating to the students as…we can be. We strive to familiarize ourselves with com mon microaggressions toward the [non-binary and trans] communi ty and address them. We do this by taking time to think, consider and learn from situations where there might be a microaggression or situation that…might make folks feel that they don’t belong. We are recognizing our partic ipants — non-binary, trans or cisgender — may not know better, and we use these as education al opportunities for all. We don’t

Jessica Desens’ (left) and Robin Rowe’s approach to creating a safe and inclusive space for their dancers shows the power each of us has to help make sure people feel like they belong.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL MELENDEZ

“should” or shame people, but [rather] try and have a conversation communicating a message that we accept everyone and want to in clude everyone without prejudice to identity.

Desens: Here is an example of a situation at our agency. A dancer wrote an email explaining a recent discovery about himself, inform ing me that he was a transgender female to male dancer. He asked about costuming for the upcom

ing recital and was concerned that we would make him wear the traditionally female costumes purchased earlier that season. He further stated that he would wear the female costumes if I told him to. My heart was breaking as I could sense the fear in those few words in an email. I consulted one of my instructors…who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community to dis cuss options on potential solutions so that all our dancers would feel comfortable. I was inspired by the support within our dance program. After our meeting, we decided to re-create costumes from the ones already purchased. After discuss ing the idea with the dancer, I was given permission to explain his sit uation to one of the dance parents in my program who has sewing and alterations experience (who is also a part of the LGBTQIA+ commu nity). She was excited to take on this project! She re-created the bal let costume into a masculine shirt in three days. The look of happi ness and relief on my dancer’s face was priceless. It was rewarding to be a safe space and have the oppor tunity to accommodate him. This was only possible because he felt safe enough to do so.

Saxton-Ross: There’s a mis conception that you need to have a full budget and agency commitment to create inclusive spaces. But what are some everyday ac tions program staff can do “while they wait” for their agencies to craft inclusive policies and procedures?

Rowe: We agree that this is a mis conception. Without a budget, you [still] can do so much to em brace diversity. Adding pronouns

to your email is free. Asking stu dents their pronouns or preferred name at the beginning of a pro gram or at registration is also free. It is priceless when it comes to respect and building trust with the participant and the community. This also sets a tone from the very beginning, showing the par ticipants and community that we are a safe space for them to par ticipate in programs or events.

Desens: You do need a budget for other items, such as bathroom/ locker room signage, to hold Safe Zone training for employees, or for a website update (if you don’t maintain your own site) to change wording or forms online.... Despite these things, there are so many ways to be accepting without mon ey/budget or waiting for executive approval.

Saxton-Ross: When think ing of frontline and recreation staff, where do you suggest they start to make sure their programs are more inclusive?

Rowe: What we addressed in the last question is a great start. Frontline staff set the tone, en vironment and expectations of the center. They are the first staff most community members inter act with, and should maintain a welcoming environment, treating all participants and families as equals. Practicing and using the proper pronouns and preferred names (if known) is key. Adding additional options or removing the gender-related questions on registration and health emergen cy forms is a start, too. Just ask yourself what you can do to cre ate an environment of safety.

Robin Rowe says even without a budget, much can be done to embrace diversity.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA DESENS

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN ROWE

Saxton-Ross: How can lead ership at the agency, state and national level support non-binary and trans inclusion?

Rowe: Support staff who are employed by the agency, whether it is targeted support for those staff who are non-binary, trans or LGBTQIA+, or providing train ing for all staff on language, acceptance and how to support their co-workers and the larger commu nity as it relates to LGBTQIA+ concerns and issues.

Budget for changes. Agencies should plan and include funding for facility changes that show their support, like gender neutral re strooms, improved signage and up dated forms across the agency.

Create a team to review and re vise the current employee hand book and other policies. Be proac tive and make changes in policies and practices to reflect that we want to keep not only non-binary and trans employees safe, but also the many facets of the LGBTQ+ com munity. Think about summer camp and aquatics policies and email templates. Don’t wait for your first non-binary camp counselor to start or your first trans camper to register to get your policies in place.

Desens: This is a good first activity or starting place for a DEI (diversi ty, equity and inclusion) committee. Every agency should have one for accountability and updating poli cies for all to be safe and educated.

Rowe: As someone who works in Safe Zone and has seen many agencies with people who hold different beliefs, one of the more important aspects is to have DEI programs or committees. There

have been park districts that come to Safe Zone conversations with out having a DEI committee, but the simple fact is that they took the time to come and be at the trainings. All of this is to say that regardless of where your agency is at with creating a committee, you must keep yourself and the agency updated and informed on new ways to support the LGBTQ+ community. Adapt with the times!

Saxton-Ross: Beyond inclusion and creating welcoming spaces for trans and non-binary people, there’s power in these community members also feeling visible and seen within parks and recreation programs. Can you talk to us about the role of visibility in creating inclusive spaces?

Desens: The best answer is acknowledgement — the best way to say, “we see you, we hear you, we respect you, you are valid!” We must, as agency employees, set an observable and admirable exam ple for the current participants and those who will participate in the future. Whether as an employ ee you like it or not, we do not di minish based on like and dislike. Change is inevitable and ignoring it or bringing animosity to the ta ble will eventually lead you to the destruction of your program or agency. That is why we say, “Embrace diversity.”

Saxton-Ross: Is there anything we didn’t discuss that you feel is important for folks to know — specifically, when it comes to serving trans and non-binary folks through parks and recreation?

Rowe: If a young person comes to you [for anything], fill the GAP: Gratitude

Ask if they have an adult Pass it on to a supervisor

Be careful when a participant comes forward to share their situ ation with you. If they are a child and haven’t shared with their parents, it may not be safe to do so. It is not your job to tell the parents; it is your job to protect them and run a safe program. Here are some guidelines we compiled:

Show gratitude that they trusted you enough to tell you about it. Ac knowledge the risk they took com ing to you and sharing with you.

Ask, “Do you have a trusted adult you can talk to?” (Not just you, the employee of the agency is another person). Don’t judge and don’t push, meaning don’t shame or force them to discuss what they are not comfortable sharing with you.

Ask parameters, such as: “How confidential is it? Do I use your preferred name with parents? Peers? What do they prefer? What are your pronouns? How can I sup port you?” Again, don’t push if they don’t respond. Accept “I don’t know” as an answer, as some are still processing.

Remember that their gender/sexu al preference is just one part of them. Just like all humans, they have many aspects of themselves.

Autumn Saxton-Ross is Vice President of Education and Chief Equity Officer at NRPA (asaxtonross@nrpa.org).

Remember that their gender/ sexual preference is just one part of them. Just like all humans, they have many aspects of themselves.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF INDY PARKS

Indy Parks is known for creating places and experiences that inspire.

Indy Parks’ Road to

Racial Equity

By Kimberly Campbell, Kavita Mahoney and Ronnetta Spalding

With 214 parks and more than 11,000 acres of green space, Indianapolis Parks and Recreation — also called Indy Parks — is known for creating places and experiences that inspire. We also hope that people know and appreciate our parks and park services as equitable, inclusive and welcoming spaces.

The agency explores diversity, equity and inclusion in its parks and park spaces

In 2021, Indy Parks reaffirmed its commitment to welcoming all children, adults, and their families and friends by reflecting on and re-evaluating all programs, services and amenities to ensure inclusion and accessibility.

As we celebrated our parks as treasured spaces for all to enjoy,

we wanted to be thoughtful and intentional about equipping and supporting our team with diver sity, equity and inclusion (DEI) resources while building a founda tion for staff to learn, share, lead and grow. We created this engaging foundation through our staff-led DEI Committee.

Beginning Our DEI Journey

Our deputy director of operations and programs, Kimberly Camp bell, and chief strategy officer, Kavita Mahoney, volunteered to co-chair the committee with the initial goal of researching and identifying resources for education and training, facilitating ongoing discussions with staff, and assisting with community focus groups and active listening sessions.

To get started, the co-chairs

scheduled regular one-on-one sessions to share their own experi ences personally and professionally as women of color. When asked why she wanted to be part of the park department’s DEI efforts, Mahoney acknowledged she was beginning to integrate racial equity work into her arts and culture goals in a previous Indy Parks position, and she wanted to expand some of these practices throughout the organization. It was important, she said, to view her workplace as inclusive and equitable, both inter nally and externally.

Campbell and Mahoney also looked at existing DEI resources from other park and government agencies whose cities were similar in size to Indianapolis, and they reviewed racial equity plans from museums, arts organizations and cultural institutions. This research led to the review of best practices, identification of training resourc es, and a better understanding of how other cities and agencies are addressing racial equity and DEI initiatives.

Through this initial review, it be came clear that Indy Parks needed a guiding statement, something to support its current vision and mission, yet the statement should clearly state why DEI matters to the park department, its staff and the people it serves. Our racial equity statement was a guiding platform for our DEI work, goals, communication and other next steps. It purposely positioned Indy Parks as a leader in making India napolis a vibrant and healthy place to live to better reflect the multi

In 2021, Indy Parks reaffirmed its com mitment to welcoming all people by reflecting on and re-evaluating all pro grams, services and amenities to ensure inclusion and accessibility.

As we celebrated our parks as treasured spaces for all to enjoy, we wanted to be thoughtful and intentional about equipping and supporting our team with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) resources while building a foundation for staff to learn, share, lead and grow.

cultural community we serve. The racial equity statement is proudly featured in all of our park family centers, nature and recreation cen ters, and facilities.

Training and Engagement

Internally, Indy Parks leadership and senior managers participated in equity training alongside the introduction of DEI efforts to the larger parks team, which estab lished a common language and helped staff become comfortable conversation starters.

During this period, an internal assessment was conducted with all park staff to assess where we were in relation to our familiari ty, experience and understanding of DEI issues. Indy Parks enlist ed the help of history experts to present and discuss Indianapolis and park history, including rac

ism and park neighbors not feel ing welcomed in certain parks due to the park’s history.

Additionally, our team contin ued to rally around staff engage ment with regular DEI Committee meetings, staff conference sessions on DEI efforts, and the creation of key DEI goals to measure progress and challenges.

Staff engagement led way to building skills in racial equity and applying a racial equity lens to policies, programs, services and community engagement. We also wanted to make sure our staff were representative of our community and took steps to better understand our staffing makeup regarding gen der identity, race and other demo graphic components.

Assessments and Analysis

Our performance assessment of

self-care skills (PASS) action as sessment consisted of performing several sessions of active listening; examining key aspects of our oper ations; and conducting a strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of our policies and procedures. During this process, our team shared feed back and scored our performance in strategic leadership, culture and climate, policies and practices, pro grams and services, engagement and advocacy, and evaluation and accountability.

From increasing transparency to help bridge the communica tion gap between our leadership and management teams, to being more direct in talking about is

Indy Parks’ racial equity statement was a guiding platform for its DEI work, goals, communication and other next steps.

The City of Indianapolis’ Racial Equity Core Team is spearheading an extensive DEI effort for city employees to streamline reviews of best practices, iden tify resources to continue training, and understand how other cities and agencies are addressing racial equity and DEI initiatives.

sues of race, diversity, equity and inclusion, and working to make sure that we are offering programs equally across the communities we serve, the PASS assessment and SWOT analysis helped us home in on accountability for our decisions and the effect on staff and park visitors as we continued to build DEI focus areas and goals.

Developing a Diverse and Equitable Workforce

After several internal evaluations,

which included providing spaces for park staff to share their thoughts, provide personal and professional testimonies, to listen, and begin to explore ways to engage more staff and partners in our efforts, we fo cused on staff engagement, recruiting new talent, equitable pay and more. More specifically, our team:

• Invested in DEI training for all Indy Parks staff, including parttime and seasonal employees, to ensure that our team is equally committed to and understands our department’s DEI goals

• Expanded recruitment efforts while evaluating current staff pay structure through the city’s compensation study and plan, and added DEI language to all newly created job descriptions, job postings and job interview panels

• Allocated $100,000 to create two

new outreach positions, which will expand environmental edu cation and arts programming to more Indy Parks facilities; anoth er $80,000 in contract funding was allocated to enhance equal access to programming

• Utilized available tools to evalu ate program inventory to ensure all residents have equal access to our offerings

• Increased wages for lifeguards, food program coordinators and day camp counselors to attract more applicants and work to ward equitable pay

• Continued to review and update fees and charges for admissions and programs at all of our parks

• Increased funding for and pro motion of scholarship oppor tunities to subsidize costs and make camps and pools more ac cessible

While we work to make impactful DEI change and contributions within Indy Parks, the City of Indianapolis’ Racial Equity Core Team is spearheading an extensive DEI effort for city employees...

The Indy Parks team is committed to ongoing training in implicit bias, anti-racism and inclusion practices.

Taking a Holistic Approach

While we work to make impact ful DEI change and contributions within Indy Parks, the City of Indianapolis’ Racial Equity Core Team is spearheading an extensive DEI effort for city em ployees to streamline reviews of best practices, identify resources to continue training, and under stand how other cities and agen cies are addressing racial equity and DEI initiatives.

As other park departments and agencies begin their own DEI journey, we encourage them to:

• Avoid undervaluing the input of staff at all levels of your or ganization, especially those who work regularly with customers

• Provide transparency and com munication within the organiza tion and to external stakeholders

• Be intentional about leading con versations, deep listening and separating managers from lead ership

• Come to terms with and learn from the past, including any rac ism that occurred in your parks or racist policies that have been upheld

• Recognize that DEI work is a continuous journey — set goals, re-evaluate and adapt along the way

Looking Ahead

Our DEI journey had its challeng es, spanning from finding resourc es to dedicating time for staff input and space for honest discussions, knowing that staff had varying experiences with racial equity and DEI work. In some cases, our ac tive listening sessions were rooted

DEI will always be an important facet of Indy Parks and will be integrated into everything the organization does.

in building trust, even in instances where someone did not think DEI efforts affected them.

Looking ahead, our team is committed to ongoing training in implicit bias, anti-racism and in clusion practices. Many full-time staff have participated in implicit bias training, and to date, more than 40 of our team members have completed Child Advo cate’s Interrupting Racism for Children workshops, with plans to send more in the future. Other trainings and workshops include the equality-focused TEDxCol legePark Conference and a num ber of workshops through NRPA and City Parks Alliance. Most recently, park staff joined col leagues for a social equity series on bias and perception hosted by the Indiana Park and Recreation Association. Our team also has participated in a variety of train ings focused on adaptive and in clusive programming.

Our training efforts extend to engagement and advocacy,

especially as they relate to our community partners, stakeholders and advisory groups, to closely align our goals surrounding DEI. Throughout this process, our team understood that we were on a DEI journey without a final des tination. DEI will always be an important facet of our organiza tion and must be integrated into everything we do. As a team and as a park department, we will con tinue to re-evaluate our offerings and programs, adapt to our evolv ing communities’ needs, and put in place practices to address historical inequities and structures in our parks and green spaces.

Kimberly Campbell is Deputy Director of Operations and Programs of Indy Parks (kimberly.campbell@indy.gov). Kavita Mahoney is Chief Strategy Officer Indy Parks (kavita. mahoney@indy.gov). Ronnetta Spalding is Chief Communications Officer of Indy Parks (ronnetta.spalding@ indy.gov).

NRPA conducted a survey in the winter of 2020, titled “Equity Practices in Parks and Recreation,” to assess the state of equitable practices in the park and recreation field, identify gaps and inform our future offerings.

NRPA’s Equity in Practice Initiative

Our two-year journey and how we’re preparing for the future

By Shalini Mirpuri

Park and recreation professionals operate at the intersection of dif ferences in race, gender identity, religion, class, geography, age and ability, and remain on the frontlines of many of today’s most pressing challenges. Quality parks and recreation opportunities are essential to advancing individual and community health, environmental and community resiliency, and overall well-being. As trusted local lead ers with a mission to make their communities better places to live, learn, work and play, park and recreation professionals are in a unique position to champion efforts that advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and enable every community member to find themselves in the outdoors.

Despite the vital role park and recreation professionals serve in their communities, across the pro fession there remain gaps in un derstanding how systemic racism, unfair power structures and a lack of cultural humility undermine quality park and recreation spaces, programs and services for Black, Indigenous, people of color and low-income communities.

At NRPA, equity is at the center of what we do. Our mission is to ad vance parks, recreation and environ mental conservation efforts that en hance the quality of life for all people. NRPA’s Equity Pillar has been a driv ing force behind our programs for the

past six years. With the approval of our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, NRPA transitioned its DEI efforts away from initiatives implemented by a handful of staff and into a consistent, com mitted effort — both internally and externally — supporting individual growth and organizational change in the field. Because of this, we are broadening our focus outward and making strategic investments to ad vance DEI across the industry.

What We’ve Learned Park and Recreation agencies are increasingly prioritizing DEI efforts.

To guide this journey, NRPA began

with a survey in the winter of 2020, titled “Equity Practices in Parks and Recreation,” to assess the state of eq uitable practices in the field, identify gaps and inform our future offerings. We learned that 40 percent of affili ates and 30 percent of agencies were looking to establish DEI activities within the next year. We also found that one-third of park and recreation agencies already had formal DEI ac tivities, and another third planned on launching DEI initiatives in the near future. Even agencies that do not have formal DEI programs in place still promote DEI practices through their policies and activities.

The most common DEI activity among park and recreation agen cies is the development of hiring practices and policies, followed by an expressed commitment to DEI in foundational documents, such as vision and mission statements. How ever, more than 65 percent of survey respondents identified their biggest challenge to advancing DEI efforts is difficulty developing staff capacity and competency around DEI.

Over the past few months, NRPA also has been conducting focus groups and individual interviews with members and professionals about the state of DEI initiatives in their agencies and communities. Through this discovery process, most participants noted that they have been exposed to most of the foundational concepts of DEI but are looking for training opportuni ties that go beyond that. One focus group participant noted, “We need to move on from why this is import ant to what we can do about it.”

Park and recreation professionals value professional learning.

In 2021, NRPA found that park and recreation leaders note a strong de sire to share best practices in DEI as they establish or build upon existing efforts at their agencies. Specifically, survey respondents want more con versations with their peers on “what’s being done across the country” when it comes to DEI, such as exchanging agency policies and making recom mendations on DEI subject matter experts and speakers. When survey respondents were asked what was needed from NRPA, agencies re quested access to educational and professional development opportuni ties; subject matter experts and con sultants; and a library of resources, including best practices, webinars and toolkits. During our focus groups and interviews, one participant highlight ed that leaders want to learn from the practitioners who are one step ahead of them on their DEI journey. They want to “see the path” and learn how to better transfer their knowledge into the application of skills.

During the past 18 months, we’ve been working hard to fill these gaps, and in response, have developed our latest initiative: Equity in Practice (EiP).

Equity in Practice: NRPA’s Plan to Support the Field in Achieving Equitable Outcomes

To put it simply, to create a future where everyone has fair and just ac cess to quality parks and recreation, we need to act. Equity requires prac tice, patience and a commitment to progress. Because of this, NRPA is creating new opportunities for park and recreation professionals to put equity into practice through a variety of learning experiences where mem bers can increase their knowledge around centering equity and practice the necessary skills to advance equity in our communities. NRPA’s new EiP initiative has three goals: (1) Pro vide a curated learning experience for our members that meets them where they are and builds upon core skills to advance DEI; (2) Create a sus tainable learning model that equips individuals or teams within agencies to develop long-term, meaningful equity programs; and (3) Go beyond awareness-based DEI education to elevate equitable change that’s spe cific to the goals and challenges of parks and recreation.

The EiP initiative provides mem bers with several different learning and engagement opportunities, which are designed to assist every single professional, regardless of role, capacity or influence with promoting equity in their community and agen cy. Our EiP initiative can be broken down into four types of offerings: a resource library, peer networks, monthly online learning events, and our latest certificate program.

EiP Resource Library

One piece of the EiP initiative in cludes NRPA’s newest resource library, the EiP Resource Li brary (nrpa.org/EquityResource Library), which is a set of vetted

and carefully curated resources available to NRPA members. De signed to help park and recreation professionals with any DEI-related issue, the newly launched EiP Re source Library has toolkits, policy examples, book recommendations, articles, research, webinars and oth er activities to support individual learning of equity concepts across park and recreation functions. Housed on our website, anyone in the field can search, filter and dis cover new ways to learn about and implement equitable solutions.

DEI Peer Networks

A second portion of the EiP initia tive includes new ways to engage members through peer networks. The State Affiliates DEI Committee Network (a peer network for mem bers of state associations working to advance equity at the state level) and the DEI Leaders Network (a peer network for members leading DEI work within their agencies) utilize bimonthly calls and an NRPA Con nect channel to facilitate learning and sharing amongst professionals. These network calls are held on al ternating second Tuesdays of every month at noon ET.

Monthly Online Learning Events

Members now can dive deeper into equity issues through month ly “talks” and “clinics.” Formerly known as a webinar, a “talk” is a presentation by a subject matter expert or a panel of professionals sharing best practices across the field. A “clinic,” while still virtu al, is a more hands-on approach to learning, inviting participants to actually practice a specific skill with guidance from an instructor. These events allow participants to interact and dialogue with the facilitator, as well as with other

attendees. Every month, members can find an EiP offering, whether a talk or clinic, available on NRPA’s online learning platform.

EiP Certificate Program

In response to surveys, focus groups and interviews during the past year, NRPA has developed the final piece of the EiP initiative, NRPA’s Equity in Practice Certificate program. The program is based on the reality that we can all perpetuate racism — and we can all take action to dismantle it. This series expands our understand ing of systemic racism and how it im pacts the field of parks and recreation. This certificate program seeks to fill gaps in DEI content that is relevant and applicable to park and recreation professionals working at the intersec tion of increasingly interracial and in tergenerational demographics.

The certificate program will pro vide a high-quality professional development experience that uses a race equity lens as a foundation to examine ways that various iden tities are marginalized, specific to the needs of park and recreation. NRPA has made a careful and in formed decision to center racial equity, and within that, to focus on anti-Blackness as a lens for build ing skills that can be applied across many historically-excluded commu nities. Through conversations with professionals in the field, it was clear that racism often feels the hardest to discuss, yet is the most salient barrier in serving our communities. By lead ing with race, we can intentionally make connections across identities, equipping professionals with the skills to tackle discrimination in all its forms and promote equity across race, gender, age, ability, class and other demographic lines. The Equity in Practice Certificate program will consist of a small cohort of profes

sionals who will dive into skills and action plans around racial equity over a 12-week period, specifically boosting skills around the following four areas: equity analysis, direct communication, self-awareness and relationships across differences.

This certificate program will be divided into three sequential co horts, each building upon the nec essary skills and knowledge from previous cohorts to culminate in equitable agency change. Partici pants who complete all three certif icate cohorts will be equipped with the necessary skills and confidence to serve as DEI leaders within their agencies and communities.

“Exploring Racial Equity,” the first of the Equity in Practice Certificate installments, is designed for individuals who are just beginning to learn about equity and crosscultural issues, whether personally or professionally. Spanning 12 weeks of pre- and post-session work and live learning sessions, this cohort will introduce and stress fundamental terminology, concepts and approaches, offering participants time to build understanding in a supportive environment. Launched in September 2022, members now have the opportunity to apply for this inaugural cohort with sessions beginning in February 2023. Capped at 20 participants for each cohort, this deep dive into racial equity within parks and recreation allows for robust and personalized learning, led by an experienced facilitator. Once participants complete the 12-week program, NRPA will offer several complementary opportunities for them to continue building their capacity in this area, including an in-person networking event at the NRPA Annual Conference and the chance to advance to the second and third certificate cohorts. Applications

for this inaugural cohort will be available via the NRPA website beginning the first week of October.

Preparing for the Future

NRPA embraces our role and ob ligation to help our members meet emerging and future challenges by working to expand innovation, research, resources and life-long professional development. This re quires centering equity in all that we do to ensure all life experienc es are valued and represented; the field better reflects the community it serves; and our parks remain acces sible, inclusive, engaging and culturally responsive. The purpose of the EiP initiative is to continue building NRPA’s foundational capacity to de velop and provide high-quality pro fessional development to park and recreation professionals that increase knowledge, understanding and ap plication of core competencies in DEI. As the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, healthy and resilient com munities through the power of parks and recreation, NRPA does not take its responsibility lightly. We’ve sur veyed the field, and we are listening to what professionals need and the challenges they face in promoting equity in their communities. We are committed to bridging gaps to pro vide our members with scaffolded, intentional learning opportunities to advance equity across the country by putting equity into practice.

To hear NRPA’s Autumn SaxtonRoss and Philip Silva share more about our DEI journey and Equity in Practice initiative, tune in to the October bonus episode of Open Space Radio at nrpa.org/October2022Bonus Episode.

Shalini Mirpuri is Senior Manager of Education – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NRPA (smirpuri@nrpa.org).

OPERATIONS

Providing Adaptive and Inclusive Aquatics Services in Your Community

By Lauren Johnson Roweton, TRS, CTRS

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4 (tinyurl.com/8v97msts). For children with autism, that range increases to ages 1 to 14 (tinyurl.com/ 4h3h5bmk). The risk of drowning surges when the individual has a disability. Adaptive and inclusive aquatics services save lives. Where should we begin when providing those services?

People-First Language

People-first language puts the person before the disability. For ex ample, we may use “child who has autism” instead of “autistic child.”

Accessibility

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifies two types of access we are required to provide: facility and program. Accessible pool fea tures, such as lifts, must be maintained in operable condition. Offer adaptivespecific lessons along with accommo dation services for inclusion cases to make your programming accessible.

Reasonable Modifications

A reasonable modification allows changes to a rule, policy or program that will enable a person to participate equally, within reason, given the pa tron’s disability. Public entities are re quired to provide reasonable modifi cations to individuals with disabilities unless doing so would pose an undue burden, either financially or as a fun damental alteration of the program. What is reasonable for some pools may be an undue burden for others.

To determine if a modification is reasonable, ask: Is it safe? Does it im prove their ability to participate? Does it make their skills equal to others? Can we or they provide what they need?

Assessment Process

My agency follows a four-step assessment process: written, verbal, in-water and reassessment.

Have patrons fill out an assessment form before they register for lessons. This may cover the topics of swim history, abilities, communication styles, triggers, etc. Then verbally go over the form with them to clear any thing up.

An in-water assessment takes ap proximately 15 minutes and simulates a lesson. Conduct this while others are in the pool and water structures are operating to create an environ ment similar to the actual lesson.

Reassessment is not always need ed but applied if initial program placement isn’t the best fit.

Inclusive vs. Adaptive Programming

Inclusion is allowing a person with a disability to participate alongside participants who don’t have a dis ability. Individuals do not have to disclose their disability, as long as they meet program requirements.

Adaptive programs are designed specifically for those with disabilities. Some individuals prefer this type of program environment. Adaptivespecific programs can be used when inclusion isn’t successful. Best practices

include lowering instructor-tostudent ratios in group settings, having specialized trainings for adaptive instructors, incorporating more break times and offering group lessons at each level, including a swim team.

Intellectual Disability Population

When working with these individ uals, there often is a need to man age behaviors. In these instances, you may refer to the Mandt Sys tem’s “Crisis Cycle” (tinyurl.com/ yjm3j3ya) to identify behavior trig gers and ways to avoid escalation.

Physical Disability Population

When working with individuals who have visual impairments, try handover-hand instruction, in-depth verbal instruction, and utilizing “tappers” to correct direction or prompt turns. When working with individuals who have hearing impairments, try Sign Language, gestures, white boards and laminated visuals.

You can accommodate a swim mer with a physical disability by modifying strokes or providing adaptive equipment. If a stroke is keeping them safe in the water and they have forward motion, that is a successful stroke. Adaptive equip ment doesn’t need to be specialized — you can use what you already own and be creative.

Lauren Johnson Roweton, TRS, CTRS, is Adaptive Recreation Manager at Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation (ljohnson@slco.org).

Net Climbing Structure

GTWave® is an innovative and inclusive net climbing structure, and the industry’s first net climber with an EveryBody Plays® transfer platform on one end. The transfer platform makes it possible for people to transfer to or from a mobility device. It attaches to a SureGrip® accessible path and features a six-foot slide at the other end. In between and all around are fun and exciting ways for children to climb and explore the structure. By combining two things — net climbing and accessibili ty — GTWave enhances physical, social-emotional and cognitive-skill development for everyone.

GAMETIME, GAMETIME.COM/GT-WAVE, 800.235.2440

People-Powered Electronic Game

The next generation of play is here. It’s inspired, innovative, and will test your fitness, your agility and your speed. It’s for people of all ages and abilities. It’s MOVMNT® and it will move you more than you thought possible. MOVMNT is an electronic game that is powered by people. Users can dive into numerous game options, from single player to multiplayer and individual achievement to team spirit. It’s a huge video game that disguises exercise as entertainment and fosters healthy competition. With two versions, everyone can play at their level.

BCI BURKE PLAYGROUNDS, BCIBURKE.COM/MOVMNT, 800.266.1250

EDITOR—Lindsay Hogeboom, National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501

(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright ©2022 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Ed itorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

289 282 (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) 125 1,500 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 414 1,782

f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 11,891 13,316 g. Copies not Distributed (See instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3)) 0 0 h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) 11,891 13,316 i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 96.52% 86.62% 16. Electronic Copy Circulation a. Paid Electronic Copies

complete. I understand that anyone

Expanding Equitable Park Access in Providence, Rhode Island

Jenn Recinos, a resident of Providence, Rhode Island, grew up across the street from Donigian Park. She has fond memories of spending time with her family there.

“[My parents] are from Guatemala, so they’re used to being outdoors. I think this was a place that reminded them of home,” Recinos says.

She also talks about how parks played a role in her childhood in a city where backyards are scarce.

“We didn’t have a backyard. In a lot of these houses in Providence, the yards are parking lots, so the only green spaces we really saw were at parks...,” Recinos explains. She adds that her family didn’t own a house. “Growing up, I felt like I needed to go somewhere else to experience what a yard was like. I remember being frustrated as a kid [and wonder ing], ‘where do I use my bike, my soccer ball, my basketball, my scooter?; where can I use these things?’ My parents had to physically take me to a park to enjoy a gift I might have gotten,” she says.

Providence is a small but diverse city of 300,000 residents. Over the past few decades, many residential neighborhoods in the city saw their front and backyards paved over to accommodate cars. With more than 30 percent of residents born outside the United States, many coming from places where spending time outdoors is a regular part of life, rent ers and homeowners alike have used their city’s parks as their backyards.

Recognizing the need for public access to green spaces, Providence has invested more than $27 million in capital improvements to parks over a five-year period that will expand equitable access across the city. “To most of our kids throughout the city, our public parks are their backyards, so we want to make sure that they have beautiful backyards where they can spread their wings,” says Mayor Jorge Elorza. “We’ve made an effort throughout the city to improve our parks. We have about 120 parks and when I took office, the vast majority of parks hadn’t been touched signifi cantly since the 1970s. So, we decided that we were going to prioritize our parks, and of those 120, we’ve significantly rehabbed over 100 of them. Now we have beautiful parks like this in every part of the city.”

As a champion of parks and equity, Mayor Elorza committed to ex panding access to parks by signing onto The Trust for Public Land’s 10Minute Walk Program (10minutewalk.org) in 2017. The work Providence has done to improve access to open spaces is predicated on the knowledge that public spaces are places where communities can gather and recreate, and provide a wealth of co-benefits related to health, climate and commu nity. Yet, access to space is not equally shared across our nation, and the 10-Minute Walk Program is working to promote a more equitable future in hopes that cities like Providence prioritize close-to-home parks.

“We have big infrastructure challenges as a city, as so many cities do, and we can’t do everything, but we said, ‘let’s go broad and deep with our parks,’ understanding that we still have roads and sidewalks that we still need to get to, but let’s start with our parks,” says Mayor Elorza.

– Eliza Lawson, Associate Director, Partnership and Outreach, 10-Minute Walk Program, The Trust for Public Land

Recognizing the need for public access to green spaces, Providence, Rhode Island, has invested more than $27 million in capital improvements to parks over a five-year period that will expand equitable access across the city.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IAN MACLELLAN