WRPA 2021 Conference Breakout Session Block 3

• Session 3A
• Session 3B
• Session 3C
• Session 3D

Bringing Anti-Racist Practices to Your Agency: Racial Identity Caucus

Description:

In this session, you will explore a tool designed to improve your ability to serve as a change agent within your organization. Change agents work to normalize equity discussions, practices and to center equity as a core value within their organization.

Come experience racial identity caucusing firsthand and practice normalizing discussion about race.

Racial identity caucusing is a powerful anti-racist tool in confronting the effects of internalized racial oppression and internalized racial superiority in an organization. Members work separately in their respective racial identity groups (BIPOC or White Ally) to examine the dynamics of their organization, unpack them, and plan for action. Although it may seem counterintuitive to caucus in separate groups, there are good reasons to do so. Within respective racial identity groups, individuals learn to work towards dismantling racism from their particular positionality. When they come back together, both identity groups have the skills and tools to move forward together to name, address, and dismantle institutional racism. This time to explore and unpack is known to increase the resilience of individuals doing the difficult work of undoing institutionalized racism.

Join us for the racial identity caucus.

Cáususes de Identidad Racial: 

Negros, Indígenas y Personas de Color (BIPOC)

Aliado Blancos

Para hacer frente a los efectos de la opresión racial internalizada y la superioridad racial internalizada en una organización el caucus racial es una poderosa herramienta antirracista. Los miembros trabajan por separado en sus respectivos grupos de identidad racial, negros, indígenas y personas de color (BIPOC) o aliados blancos, para examinar la dinámica de su organización, desempacar y planificar la acción. 

Aunque puede parecer contra-intuitivo hacer causus en grupos separados, hay buenas razones para hacer esto. Dentro de los respectivos grupos de identidad racial, los individuos aprenden a trabajar para desmantelar el racismo de su posición separada y particular. Cuando vuelven a unirse, ambos grupos de identidad tienen las habilidades y herramientas para avanzar juntos para nombrar, abordar y desmantelar el racismo institucional. Esta vez para explorar y desempacar pues se sabe que esto aumenta la resistencia en las personas que hacen el difícil trabajo de deshacer el racismo institucionalizado. 

Únase a nosotros para la discusión facilitada complementaria y aprender el uno del otro. Por favor, planee asistir a toda la sesión y abstenerse de programar cualquier otro compromiso que entre en conflicto con la hora de la sesión.

*La sesión será en inglés.

Spanish Voice Translation

English Voice Translation

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will explore tools designed to improve their ability to serve as change agents within their community.
• Participants will practice applying tools that help normalize equity discussions and practices within their organization.
• Participants will work together to brainstorm ways to implement the tools within their organizations.

REGISTRANT NOTE! This session has a limited number of available spots (25 BIPOC and 25 White Ally) and requires additional registration. Participants can choose to take only this course or to take this course or they can also take part in Part 2 Session 4A.

Presented by: 

WRPA Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, WRPA has launched a new committee in support of our commitment to Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (EIB). The EIB committee was formed in recognition that many public service institutions were created during a time when societal norms privileged and included some groups, while they disadvantaged and excluded others, creating inequities. These founding policies, practices, this culture, behaviors, and beliefs created day-to-day barriers for equity-seeking communities, which have compounded over time. The legacy of these barriers is sustained in our current time, through the unconscious practice of doing things as they have always been done. If left unexamined and unchanged, our current policies, practices and procedure recreate the historical exclusions set by their predecessors.

WRPA’s EIB Committee is an invitation for members of our professional community to connect, collaborate, and increase equity within our profession.

Modifying Adaptive Recreation in a Virtual World

Description:

Covid – 19 created the need to re-invent how adaptive recreation programs are offered in order to continue serving participants safely. Learn about the challenges the pandemic brought to the adaptive recreation field, and modifications made to connect vulnerable populations together in a safe and fun environment. The panel will also discuss outreach and registration changes made to ensure access for participants.  Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, as well as, share information about their adaptive recreation programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the challenges that the Covid-19 global pandemic has brought to the adaptive recreation world.
• Learn ways that fellow adaptive recreation professionals have modified (and will continue to modify) their programs in the ever-changing Covid world.
• Have the opportunity to hear from other session participants about their programs and get questions answered by the panel speakers.

Presented by: 

Kim Indurkar, Community Services Supervisor, City of Bellevue

Kim Indurkar manages the Highland Community Center for the City of Bellevue. She has worked in the field of disabilities for 43 years. Working in residential, school, and community settings over her long career. She has completed the 2018 update on the Choices Plan for People with Disabilities. This plan outlines the policies and procedures for inclusion and ADA compliance for the Parks and Community Services Department. She is the department liaison working with the City’s ADA administrator on a variety of compliance requirements.

Mary Boyle, Community Services Program Coordinator, City of Bellevue

Mary Boyle has a BA in psychology and specializes in behavior modification techniques. She is the inclusion coordinator for the park’s recreation division focusing on training general recreation staff on inclusion services for programs and provides support to staff for program modifications. She is responsible for the adaptive recreation programs held at the Highland Community Center serving adults and youth with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Stephanie Ruiz-Carbajal, Recreation Specialist II, City of Shoreline

Stephanie Ruiz-Carbajal is the lead for the City of Shoreline’s year-round CHOICES program for adults with developmental disabilities along with all the other great specialized recreation programs the city offers.

Top Trends in Parks and Recreation

Description:

This presentation will cover how emerging trends in the field of parks and recreation are impacting the way we do business, interface with the public, conduct recreational programs, embrace new technology, and how we meet the challenges facing us in an ever-changing world. Topics will include effects of Covid and orientation towards health outcomes; the impact of technology such as the use of augmented and virtual reality, touchless/cashless payment systems, drones, robots, and microbility advances; and the future of evolving park design concepts.     

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to incorporate lessons-learned from at least three trends that are impacting and influencing parks and recreation.
• Participants will understand how trends influenced by the Covid pandemic will continue to influence programs, operations, and visitor services in the coming year.
• Participants will be able to identify trends in their communities based on similarities to trends presented nationally or in other communities around the country.

Presented by: 

Richard Dolesh, retired, Editor-at-Large former VP for Strategic Initiatives, NRPA

Rich Dolesh is the former VP for Strategic Initiatives at NRPA. He previously held the positions of Chief of Public Policy and VP for Conservation and Parks working 18 years for NRPA after a nearly 30-year career in conservation and parks at the local and state level in Maryland. Rich has written extensively about parks and recreation throughout his career including articles in National Geographic Magazine, The Washington Post, and Parks and Recreation Magazine. He was awarded the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Award in 2019.

The Great Symphony—How Water and Air Interplay in Natatoriums

Description:

Air quality in natatoriums has long been a facility challenge and a continued topic of conversation in the aquatics world. To overcome natatorium air quality challenges, one must understand them better as well as keep up with the latest industry knowledge. Explore how air and water interact with one another in natatoriums, uncover best practices for troubleshooting common challenges, and clear the air in natatorium design trends.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of the challenges associated with water and air quality in natatoriums.
• Explore best practices for troubleshooting common air quality challenges in natatoriums.
• Learn the latest industry trends in natatorium air quality and be exposed to strategies employed inbest-in class facilities through of series of mini-case studies.

Presented by: 

Justin Caron, CEO / Principal, Aquatic Design Group

Justin Caron has worked on over 500 projects with municipalities, park and recreation districts, colleges, high school, resorts, and water parks as they studied, planned, programmed, designed, and constructed new or renovated aquatic centers. Justin received his MBA in 2009. He has presented multiple educational sessions at conferences for national organizations and regional organizations as well as having over a dozen articles published in national or international publications.

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