From Newcomer to Seasoned Professional: Navigating the NRPA Annual Conference — Episode 162
Release Date: 10/01/2024
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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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Sustainability and Environmental Resilience in Parks — Episode 163
Open Space Radio
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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
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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_outlineWe 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 2024 NRPA Annual Conference. 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 blog post 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 NRPA’s Diversity Scholarship in 2023 meant to her, how her conference experience motivated her to become a Certified Park and Recreation Professional, and the boost in confidence she feels with another year of experience under her belt.
Tune in below to learn more about Jamiah, her conference tips and more. You’ll also learn:
- What inspired Jamiah to get into the field of parks and recreation
- What Jamiah’s 2023 NRPA Annual Conference experience meant to her
- What she’s looking forward to at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference
- Tips for conference attendees and recommendations for first-time Atlanta visitors
- Why Jamiah feels like parks and recreation is where she belongs
- And much more!
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If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA to not only support our storytelling efforts, but also our mission to advance parks, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all at nrpa.org/donate.