Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pearland Parks and Recreation
Most parks and recreation departments have an abundance of amazing areas, so it’s easy for some of the smaller neighborhood parks to get lost in the shuffle. Here’s a program idea that can bring attention to those parks and your department:
1. Start small. Choose one park to highlight once a month during the summer. Evaluate current methods to carry out a program, and build upon those ideas. For example, in Pearland, Texas, we are starting a program called “Play-Full Park,” which invites children to participate in organized activities. Cypress Village Neighborhood Park--a community-built playground project--was selected because of problems with children playing in neighborhood streets with moderately heavy traffic. Consider grant opportunities in program planning as well. Our city received grants for the Cypress Village project because it brought the neighborhood together; hosting a program in a new park can qualify for more grant dollars. Expanding a community park is a great option to help justify grant requests and make that funding sustainable.
2. Since taxpayers’ dollars are utilized, make sure the program is more than just being active outside; add an enrichment and/or nature component, and incorporate that into the theme, including all activities and games. Make programs outcome-based, which looks at impacts, benefits and changes to participants. The goal of the Play-Full Park program is to have children achieve at least 30 minutes of physical exercise. Another outcome is to offer enrichment components in a fun and interactive environment, including math, reading and science. Make sure that outcomes are specific and measurable so that when program evaluation occurs, that program can be justified to the community.