Colleagues of the Washington Recreation and Park Association Aquatics Network:
Parks across the country are striving to meet the needs of their local communities while navigating unique and ever-changing environmental circumstances. NRPA is offering a 16-week immersive, cohort-style program for park professionals with a vested interest in equitable environmental resilience that are ready to take the next step or not sure where to begin.
Park agencies are invited to apply alongside a partner community-based organization to increase their knowledge, understanding and implementation of environmental sustainability planning and practices through technical assistance, practical application, and peer learning opportunities to support them as they develop and implement community-driven sustainability practices at parks.
You are invited to apply for a John C. Potts "Pottsie" Leadership Development Scholarship to the 2023 NRPA Directors School! The American Parks & Recreation Foundation (APRF) is the philanthropic partner of the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration.
Youth Outdoor Education and Recreation Programs The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) will begin accepting applications starting August 10 for grants that provide outdoor education and recreation programs for Washington youth. RCO is also hosting an Application Webinar onAugust 10 from 1:00-3:00 pm. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR, which will be recorded and posted on RCO’s website by August 12. Two grant programs will be covered during the webinar,No Child Left Inside (NCLI) and new this year, Outdoor Learning Grants. RCO strongly encourages potential applicants to attend the live webinar, which will cover information about the grants offered, eligibility requirements, deadlines, program changes, how to apply for the grants, and a Q&A session. No Child Left Inside This Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission’s funding program offers grants for outdoor-based education and recreation programs. The grant program intends to maximize the number of Washington youth who receive quality outdoor experiences, focusing on youth participants with the greatest need. The timeline is as follows:
For more information check out theNCLI web page and grant manual. Outdoor Learning Grants This Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s funding program provides grants for federally recognized tribes and outdoor education providers to develop and support outdoor educational experiences for students in Washington public schools. Grants are available to support existing capacity and to increase future capacity for outdoor learning experiences. Applicants must partner with a Washington State public school, state-tribal education compact school, or tribal school. Funding for this program is available now! Please notice the very tight application timeline below.
Hello All! The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is hosting three Webinars on August 10 from 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. You won’t want to miss it if you are thinking of applying for a grant for your trails, shooting range, or motorized boating project! The Webinar will include information about the grants offered, eligibility requirements, deadlines, program changes for 2022, and how to apply for a grant. We will focus on the following grant programs with a November 1, 2022, due date:
Register for the Webinars here: FARR,BFP,NOVA and RTP If you cannot attend the Webinar and are interested in applying for a grant, please register anyway. RCO will send you a link to the recording after it is posted on RCO’s Web site. We will open PRISM Online for applications on August 10.When you start your grant application, RCO will assign an outdoor grants manager to work with you. Click here to find your grants manager now. What’s New for 2022? Staff is updating RCO’s Web site, Applicant To-Do Lists, policy manuals, and other resources. Here are some of the changes:
Good Friday Morning to WRPA Executive Board & Exec. Director; LEG Chair & LEG Committee Members; and full LEG Distribution List: With apologies if you’ve seen any of this – I’m catching up with week from several badly-needed post-2022 Session vacation days, and wanted to ensure you all have a few pieces of information and a link to a survey you may wish to complete. In order:
WA State Recreation & Conservation Plan Survey – RCO is updating this plan and as part and parcel of the update, an Eastern Washington University faculty member (Jeremy Jostad) is conducting a survey where people can indicate their usage of outdoor recreation facilities and spaces over the last 12 months. In the event you wish to participate, the survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and has 75 questions and you can access it here:Washington State Recreation and Conservation Plan Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Everyone experiences play in different ways. It’s the reason why there isn’t just one type of spray feature or just one type of pool. Aquatic environments are always changing and adapting to new trends and regulations in the industry. Likewise, aquatic facility directors and operators are constantly evaluating updates that will deliver increased value to their guests and members. In order to provide features that appeal to a wide variety of individuals, facility staff members need to choose what combination of elements will allow for limitless play for their intended audiences.
Providing options for guests to engage with a facility in different ways is a crucial component of play value. Play value directly influences guest perception of a facility and can be a determining factor of whether or not guests will return. For example, if a child has a better experience at a park farther away, parents may be more inclined to return to that park even if it is more inconvenient.
A message from the Recreation and Conservation Office
You probably have heard that the state is looking for public comments about where they like to recreate, what gaps there are, and where they think the state should invest money in recreation. Below are links to the news release and social media about how we are collecting data / what it will be used for. Be sure to also take the survey.
Teens in Auburn, WA were excited to hang out, have fun, and play as Auburn’s REC Teen Center reopened in September after an 18-month closure due to pandemic restrictions.
Washington has an abundance of natural beauty and a rich tradition of outdoor recreation. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social and political unrest across the nation have simultaneously shined a spotlight on the high-value people place on outdoor spaces and the inequities that exist within them.
A recent national survey found that 70% of city-dwelling Americans agree that parks are critical to preserving an individual’s physical and mental health amid today’s challenges. Yet, as the demographics of our state change, historically and currently marginalized communities still do not have the same opportunities as their non-marginalized counterparts across nearly every measure including education, poverty, employment, health and more. Inequities based on race, ethnicity, gender and other characteristics continue to be deep, pervasive and persistent; coming at a great economic and social cost.
By Suzette Hart, Marketing & Development Director, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington
Youth sports create a direct connection between the parks and recreation field and the work of the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington (BIAWA). WRPA members organize and administer sports leagues and/or coordinate with sports leagues that use public facilities. BIAWA fully embraces the importance of play, participation, and engagement in sports. That said, BIAWA also recognizes the possibility that injuries can and do occur during play.
Most of us love our Region’s outstanding systems. These trails provide exercise, escape, and enjoyment. We understand that it’s vital to take care of the system that has quickly become one of the most recognized assets of our community. And visitors are discovering and enjoying our trails, too.
TREAD is leading a project called TREAD Map. This comprehensive trail mapping app allows locals and visitors to plan the next outing, share experiences and conditions out on the trails or water, create connections with other trail enthusiasts and provide all the various land managers with a portal to create two-way communication with user groups and individuals.
A message from the Pierce County Parks
A Message from Ed Bronsdon, Executive Director, Outdoors for All Foundation
In a world turned upside down by the pandemic, many people are struggling to connect with others, get exercise, and find ways to increase their mental and physical fitness. The Outdoors for All Foundation is a Seattle Seahawks Spirit of 12 program charity that continues to help people with disabilities to adapt and enrich their lives despite the pandemic.
A message from the City of Burien 
Like many parks departments across the state and country, Burien Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (PaRCS) had to dramatically shift its program delivery model in order to help maintain mental and physical health during this stressful time. Staff worked hard to set up and offer virtual classes and, once restrictions were lifted, limited on-site programs with lots of safety precautions, like mask and contact tracing mandates, health, and temperature checks, and routine room and equipment cleaning, in place.
Testimonials from the City of Olympia's Community Members
The City of Olympia’s Recreation Department has worked hard since spring to adapt and evolve on the fly. By focusing on what we do best and following best practices for the new health and safety guidelines, we've been able to successfully serve our community during a really tough time. Here are just a few customer testimonials:
WRPA is so proud of the hard work you and your team have put in this year. We know that 2020 has given us many challenges to overcome, but we wanted to take a moment to congratulate and thank all of the parks and recreation professionals out there who have worked so hard. Just look at all the ways you have made this year better. Check out some of the big wins we have recognized this year, and share your own big wins in comments on the blog and on social media (be sure to tag WRPA)!
Also, be sure to catch up on the latest blog posts and the success stories that are being submitted by WRPA members.
As we all continue to navigate the unknown and start planning for 2021, WRPA wants to make sure our members and Recreation & Parks professionals have a voice. You may have already taken our questionnaire back in September but most of our results stated they would know more in November/December 2020. The WRPA 2021 Annual Conference & Tradeshow is still currently set to take place April 28 - 30, 2021 in Spokane, WA.
The Eastern Washington University RCLS Programs (Outdoor Recreation Leadership, Recreation and Tourism Management, and Therapeutic Recreation) are on a list of proposed programs to be cut at the end of this academic year. The University is facing historic budget cuts as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
The EWU Division of Academic Affairs has been asked to cut $16 million dollars from a $55 million dollar budget. As a result, a good number of campus programs are under consideration for discontinuance. The university has already begun the review process that will extend through most of this academic year and expects to make final decisions by June of 2021.
Just like many other professional development events, the 2020 WRPA Fall Summit went virtual! Traditionally, the WRPA Fall Summit is held as a one-day event in Lynnwood, WA. However, this year it was broken up into two half-day virtual events (Wednesday, October 14, 2020, & Thursday, October 15, 2020). More than 70 parks and recreation professionals joined us for this year’s two-day virtual event.
