A Doomscroll Break: Parks and Recreation on Social Media — Episode 135
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
Release Date: 05/02/2023
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
As you may recall, our final episode of 2023 was . It was a wonderful conversation with Kande Jones, the Development Director for Mulvane Recreation Commission, and Dave McDaniel, the Operations Coordinator for City of Mobile Parks and Recreation about their experience as neurodivergent individuals. Well, we’re finally back with part two of the conversation! The inspiration for these episodes came from a 2023 NRPA Annual Conference session, “Neurodiversity and Inclusive Workplaces: Insights from Park and Recreation Professionals.” The session explored the individual strengths...
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On today’s episode, we’re talking with someone who has been making a big impact in the larger outdoor industry for a while now. Teresa Baker, founder of In Solidarity Project, is an outdoor enthusiast focusing on community engagement, creating events that encourage people to venture outdoors responsibly, and learning about our open spaces and what it takes to protect them. Teresa’s commitment to creating outdoor experiences that speak to culture, environmental responsibility and inclusion is something to be admired, and she is a staunch advocate for bringing underrepresented...
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March is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme celebrates women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. This year we are honoring women who lead change in their field, and today’s episode does just that. There are so many women who are leaders in parks and recreation and bringing positive change to their communities, and today we’re excited to talk with two women who are leading the way in Juneau, Alaska. Our guests today are Amanda Lovejoy, a recreation coordinator at the Zach Gordon Youth Center for City and Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation, and Lauren...
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We know the importance of partnerships in parks and recreation, and on today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving into an exciting partnership between NRPA and Bobcat. As part of this partnership, Bobcat has extended five grants, each worth $50,000, to support across the country. Today, we’re excited to learn more about one of these projects taking place in San Antonio, Texas. We were thrilled to speak with Caryn Odenbach, brand and experience specialist at Bobcat; Kristen Hansen, deputy director of parks and recreation at San Antonio River Authority; and Ayanna Williams, NRPA...
info_outline Make an Impact by Leading with a Mentoring Mindset — Episode 150Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
As you may know, January is National Mentoring Month, and all month long, NRPA has been sharing content around how mentoring through parks and recreation is helping youth develop positive connections with trusted and caring adults, which we know can support their long-term success. National Mentoring Month is an annual opportunity to spread awareness of the power of mentoring. It serves as a reminder of the critical role park and recreation professionals play in providing youth development and youth mentoring services in local communities across the country. We were thrilled to have a...
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Season two of Open Space Radio begins today! For the next year, we will focus on conversations around the 2024 NRPA annual theme, “Where You Belong,” and we’re so excited to kick off this season with a wonderful conversation. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Gabby Vera, CPRP, the regional park superintendent for Maricopa County (Arizona) Parks and Recreation. Between her session at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference and her Open Space blog post, titled, “” — which explored practical strategies to boost self-confidence, overcome imposter syndrome and thrive in...
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Back in October at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference, there was a session that really piqued our interest – so much so, that we wanted to turn it into a two-part podcast episode, with today’s episode being part one (and part two coming in Spring 2024!). The session, “Neurodiversity and Inclusive Workplaces: Insights from Park and Recreation Professionals,” explored the individual strengths neurodiverse professionals bring to their work and the strategies and accommodations that have helped them succeed, as well as ways to find workplace champions and allies. The presenters also offered...
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info_outline Entering the Next Era of Open Space Radio — Episode 146Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
I’m really excited for today’s episode because I am joined by my colleagues and new co-hosts, Christina High, NRPA’s marketing specialist, and Cara Myers, NRPA’s marketing and engagement manager. I’m really looking forward to this new era of Open Space Radio, and as many of you know, it’s been a while since I’ve had co-hosts. So, we thought it would be fun to sit down together for an episode and discuss what we’re looking forward to, what you can expect on the show in future episodes, and share some of our experiences and takeaways from the NRPA Annual Conference a few weeks...
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Earlier this month I joined nearly 9,000 other people who are passionate about parks and recreation in Dallas at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference. It was a week full of inspiration, networking and fun — and for me, a chance to celebrate not only all the good work happening in local parks and recreation, but also see the culmination of my NRPA colleagues’ hard work in putting on what was a truly incredible event. One of my biggest highlights of the week was connecting with Chris Bass, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation for Douglasville, Georgia, and the incoming Board President...
info_outlineIf you’ve been following NRPA on social media, you may already be familiar with my guest today via some very fun, informational, and engaging Instagram reels that have been gracing your feeds for the last few months.
Today I am so excited to be joined by my colleague and the amazing person behind all of NRPA’s social media content, Christina High. Christina joined the team as our marketing coordinator in 2022, and she has been doing some really amazing work ever since when it comes to rethinking our social strategy, what kind of social content we’re producing, and continuing to build an engaged social media community.
Recognizing the power that social media has nowadays, and how there are many ways park and recreation agencies and professionals can be using social media to their advantage, I’m really excited for our listeners to get some of Christina’s insight today.
Tune in to our full conversation below to learn more about Christina and how she’s using social media to highlight the power of parks and recreation. You’ll also learn:
- How parks and recreation can be a positive corner of the internet/social media
- Why social media is such a valuable tool for park and recreation agencies to use in their awareness, education and marketing efforts
- Things to consider when creating a social media plan or strategy
- What kinds of trends are performing best on the various social media platforms
- Tips for ensuring your social media posts are inclusive and accessible
- How to build an engaged community on social media, and much more!
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