June 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 12

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
NRPA Introduces New Health Equity Framework

O

n the World Health Organization's World Health Day - April
7, 2021 - NRPA joined the call to build a fairer, healthier
world through the release of a new resource. Now is a critical
time for park and recreation professionals to create more equitable access to high-quality spaces, programs and services, where all people
can experience the physical, environmental, mental and social health benefits that parks and recreation uniquely provides.

ELEVATING
HEALTH EQUITY
THROUGH PARKS
AND RECREATION
A Framework for Action

Authored by Epic Health Solutions
(tinyurl.com/5593pzj6),
Elevating Health Equity Through
Parks and Recreation: A Framework
for Action is designed to help park
and recreation professionals intentionally advance health equity by
applying a racial equity lens when
designing, implementing and evaluating programs and services, and
when developing infrastructure,
maintenance and operations plans.
When health inequities are eliminated, the health of individuals
and their communities - especially
those living in Black, Latino, Indigenous and Asian American/Pacific
Islander communities - improves.
Many park and recreation agencies
have made progress toward this
goal, but there is still much work
to be done to eliminate and prevent
health inequities.
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Using this interactive framework
as both a personal and agency-wide
guide, the goal of this tool is to spark
conversations that engage individuals
and organizations in deep reflection
and a process of ongoing learning.
The framework provides a foundation of guiding principles that park
and recreation professionals can build
upon to create more equitable spaces, programs and services to advance
community health and well-being.
The guiding principles are:
*	 Center Health Equity - When
health equity is centered in strategies, initiatives and policies, the
full power of parks and recreation will be realized.
*	 Use Parks and Recreation as a
Pathway to Advance Health Equity - When park and recreation
professionals create just and equitable access to programs, services
and activities, they can promote
better health outcomes.
*	 Reimagine Inclusion - In park
settings, inclusion must go beyond
ability and access and should include a focus on who, how and
where people are included.
*	 Focus on Learning - This work
requires a constant examination
of self and systems, connection
with individuals who are not like
you, and a willingness to share
failures and successes.
*	 Respect the Environment -

Parks and recreation can be a
catalyst for creating, maintaining
and activating spaces that are not
only resilient and regenerative,
but also celebrations of diversity.
The framework is divided into
four parts with corresponding
learning objectives, worksheets and
action items:
*	 Self-Assessment - Questions
to Challenge Individual Thinking: Take time and consider your
thoughts, beliefs, actions and experiences, and the ways those impact your work.
*	 Agency Assessment - Assessing Agency Culture: Think about
your agency's standard operations
and determine whether the current
ways of operating lead to the most
equitable impact for the community; and if not, imagine new, more
equitable ways of operating.
*	 Health Equity Integration -
Steps to Center Equity and
Change Systems: Create an action map that will guide your
agency as it moves from its current state to its ideal state.
*	 Committing to the Call -
Action Planning to Advance
Health Equity: Make a plan of
action to build upon current efforts and to advance equity within agency culture and agency
programs, services and facilities.
When we achieve equity, everyone benefits, but achieving equity requires action. NRPA recognizes that
even the smallest step in the fight toward equity and justice is never wasted, and we hope you take what you
need from this guide to start your
own journey toward health equity.
Learn more at nrpa.org/equity.
http://www.tinyurl.com/5593pzj6 http://www.nrpa.org/equity
June 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2021 - Parks & Recreation
