Creating Space for Belonging in Juneau, Alaska — Episode 152
Release Date: 03/12/2024
Introducing Guardians of Greenspaces — Episode 168
Open Space Radio
Happy Earth Month! On today’s episode, we’re excited to share a collaboration with NRPA’s new podcast, Guardians of Greenspaces. is a podcast focused on conservation from a park and recreation maintenance lens. Hosted by Rukmini Kalamangalam, a program specialist on NRPA’s community and environmental resilience team, Guardians of Greenspaces uplifts voices of experts in the field and will drop weekly for the next 10 weeks. We recently caught up with Rukmini to learn more about this new podcast and how it will bring value to maintenance staff working in the conservation and...
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Celebrating Women’s History Month in Parks and Recreation — Episode 167
Open Space Radio
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re celebrating the incredible women in parks and recreation who are shaping the profession and making a difference in their communities. Women have long played a vital role in parks and recreation – but it has historically been a male-dominated industry. Today, the leadership and presence of women in the profession continue to grow. In fact, within NRPA’s membership of more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals: 47 percent of members identify as women 48 percent of 2023 NRPA Annual Conference attendees identified as women 53 percent of...
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Youth Sports: If She Can See It, She Can Be It — Episode 166
Open Space Radio
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we explore the critical role that parks and recreation plays in advancing sports opportunities for all youth — especially girls. Providing these opportunities is more than just fairness; it’s about giving girls the opportunities and support they need to succeed, both on and off the field. Participation in sports is linked to increased self-esteem, better academic performance and higher career aspirations for girls. Sports also have the power to build confidence, foster leadership skills and create lifelong connections. However, girls often face barriers...
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Mentoring: A Positive Impact for All — Episode 165
Open Space Radio
Pictured: Teen Leaders in the HYPE program at City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities participate in an exercise to overcome obstacles. Photo courtesy of Blythe Brown. Did you know that 74 percent of adults who were mentored as youth say their mentor contributed significantly to their success in life? Now, consider that more than 1 in 3 young people in America are growing up without a mentor. Fortunately, park and recreation professionals are addressing this gap by bringing more mentoring opportunities to youth across the country. And, NRPA is in their efforts to build...
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Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Inspiring Park and Recreation Stories — Episode 164
Open Space Radio
It’s our final episode of Open Space Radio for 2024! Did you know we released 15 episodes this year and talked with 27 amazing community leaders for a whopping 758 minutes of conversation (more than 12 hours!) about the power of parks and recreation? Thank you to everyone who joined us on the show to share their story this year and to everyone who tuned in to an episode. We truly love amplifying these stories through our platform and appreciate you trusting us with that! On today’s episode, we’re reflecting on some of our favorite moments from the year, as well as chatting about what...
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Sustainability and Environmental Resilience in Parks — Episode 163
Open Space Radio
Sustainability and Environmental Resilience in Parks — Episode 163 On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, I’m excited to share our collab episode with GovLove Podcast, which we recorded live back in October at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference. This was our first live episode recording — with an audience. So, besides the obvious nerves that came along with that, it was such a fun, enriching conversation and it definitely won’t be our last! I was honored to co-host this conversation alongside Ben Kittleson, manager at Raftelis and co-host/producer of GovLove. is a production of...
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From Newcomer to Seasoned Professional: Navigating the NRPA Annual Conference — Episode 162
Open Space Radio
We are getting very excited to travel to Atlanta (in just one week!) to connect with thousands of our closest park and recreation friends at the . And on today’s episode, we’re talking with someone who is local to the Atlanta area and might have some insider tips if you’ll be joining us next week. Jamiah Flagg, CPRP, is the operations coordinator at Douglasville Parks and Recreation in Georgia, and after sharing a with us about her 2023 conference experience, we knew we wanted to chat with her further since this year’s conference is right in her backyard. We discussed what receiving...
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Roving Leaders: Decades of Empowering Youth in D.C. — Episode 161
Open Space Radio
On today’s episode, we welcome a superstar of out-of-school time programming! The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is making a huge impact on youth in the DC area through its weekly after-school group mentoring program, Roving Leaders. Among countless initiatives and opportunities that are part of the program, top of mind this time of year is the fact that Roving Leaders visit with students in schools outside of program times. They are truly going the extra mile. DPR’s Roving Leaders program has been around since the 1950s, building relationships of trust...
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NRPA Annual Conference Tips for First-Time Attendees — Episode 160
Open Space Radio
In less than 40 days, thousands of park and recreation professionals from across the country will gather in Atlanta for the . This is, without a doubt, the best park and recreation conference you can attend — it’s filled with tons of amazing opportunities to learn, build your network, and of course, have a little fun with your peers. As we get closer to the conference, we know there are probably some professionals out there who are attending for the first time and have a lot of questions. Cort recently asking for previous attendees to share their best tips for first-timers,...
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From Access to Action: How We Can Thrive Like a Meadow — Episode 159
Open Space Radio
On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re excited to chat with someone very influential in the outdoor recreation industry who is doing a ton of good work to raise awareness about protecting our environment. Not only that, but he is also a leader when it comes to making the outdoors more equitable and accessible. José Gonzáles is the founder of Latino Outdoors, an organization working to bridge the gap and create more inclusive and accessible outdoor experiences and opportunities for Latino Communities. He also currently serves as the equity officer at East Bay Regional Park District...
info_outlineMarch 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 Anderson is the Treadwell Arena Manager for Juneau Parks & Recreation.
Between having a primarily women-led team, facilitating programs that foster inclusion and belonging, and ensuring that every member of the Juneau community feels welcome, Juneau Parks & Recreation is doing some incredible work.
Tune in to our full conversation below to learn more about this unique community and how Amanda and Lauren are truly building a space where you belong. You’ll also learn:
- How Juneau Parks & Recreation is providing opportunities for girls, women, and trans and nonbinary youth in the community
- How the “Weaving Our Pride” project is bringing the community together and celebrating Indigenous communities in Juneau
- How Juneau’s Gender Support Group and Mindfulness Matters programs are making an impact
- Why Juneau is such a unique community, and what challenges and opportunities that presents
- And much more!
Related Links:
- City and Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation
- Weaving Our Pride Website
- Weaving Our Pride Facebook Group
- Zach Gordon Youth Center Facebook Page
This episode of Open Space Radio is brought to you by support from CivicPlus. CivicPlus’ recreation management solution is the only comprehensive activity, facility, membership, staff and point-of-sale management solution designed exclusively for municipal parks and recreation departments by former local government parks and recreation leaders. Municipal recreation departments that choose CivicPlus increase department revenue from online transactions while fostering positive civic experiences. Learn more at www.civicplus.com.