September 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 41

als to share challenges, exchange
ideas and celebrate successes. This
sense of shared purpose and collective
action strengthens the program's
impact.
The Potential Impact
The potential impact of NRPA's
Equity
in
Practice
far-reaching. By equipping
zational culture, and the focus on
equity can inspire more equitable
practices like broader recruitment
efforts within park and recreation
agencies. This helps
to
build a
program is
park
and recreation professionals with
the knowledge, skills and tools to
move toward greater equity, the
Equity in Practice program is well
positioned to lead to transformative
change in the profession. Here
are some key areas where the program's
impact will be felt:
More Inclusive Park Design
and Programming: The program
fosters a focus on understanding
the diversity of community
needs. An increased understanding
of diverse community needs
can inform the design and programming
of park and recreation
agencies. For example, parks may
cater to a wider range of interests,
abilities and cultural backgrounds
by incorporating sensory gardens,
providing culturally relevant and
appropriate programs like traditional
dance classes, building accessible
playgrounds, and providing
multilingual signage.
Enhanced
Community
strategies
partners
in
that
Engagement:
The Equity in Practice
program emphasizes community
engagement
enable
individuals from historically
marginalized communities to be
equitable
the
planning,
design and implementation
processes. This fosters a stronger
relationship and increased trust between
park and recreation agencies
and the communities they serve.
More Representative Workforce:
The program enables participants
to examine their organiworkforce
that is more representative
of the community it serves
while bringing fresh perspectives
and a deeper understanding of
community needs.
Increased Funding and Resources:
Program participants are
better prepared to collect important
data and document disparities
in park access in their communities.
This data and the knowledge
gained from it can be used to advocate
for increased funding and
more resources, while also helping
park and recreation professionals
identify and apply for grants and
other resources aimed at promoting
equity in parks and recreation.
Where We've Been and
Where We Are Going
We are so excited to reflect on the
first full year of Equity in Practice.
Since the first cohort of Certificate
1 in January 2023, we have completed
five additional cohorts for a
total of six cohorts - and Cohort
7 is coming in fall 2024! Throughout
each cohort, we have intentionally
focused on continuous quality
improvement and assurance so that
our participants have a meaningful
learning
experience. More than
100 park and recreation professionals
have completed Certificate
1 and actively are applying their
learnings in their day-to-day work.
We are also excited to share that
we will be offering our second cohort
of Certificate 2 in fall 2024.
Cohort 1 wrapped up during summer
2023, and while we are still
analyzing our learnings from this
inaugural cohort, we do recognize
that we have opportunities to provide
more visibility to the work
that is already happening to move
the needle toward greater equity in
parks and recreation. Read " Equity
in Practice " on NRPA's Open
Space Blog (tinyurl.com/2ckjya5u)
to learn what participants had to
say about their experience in the
Equity in Practice program.
The knowledge and experience
we have had with both Equity in
Practice Certificate 1 and Certificate
2 have helped inform the initial
development of an Equity in
Practice catalog of professional
development opportunities, including
Clinics that explore the competencies
for equity in practice and
a series of online learning events
focused on navigating uncomfortable
conversations, applying best
practices for accessible communication,
centering equity in youth
development spaces and more.
For too long, the benefits and
promise of parks and recreation
have not reached all corners of
our communities. NRPA's Equity
in Practice program is more than
a bandage for a wound - it is an
instrument wielded
for
dismantle
change.
It is a call for park and recreation
professionals
the legacy of racism
that has long cast a shadow on
our communities. It is a chance to
unlock the transformative power
of parks and recreation for every
community member and create
a future where parks are truly for
everyone.
Author's Note: Our learnings also
have informed the development of Certificate
3, and we couldn't be more excited
to announce that this offering will
be available in early 2025.
Tiff Cunin (they/them) is Senior Education
Manager for DEI at NRPA (tcunin@nrpa.org).
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to step up and
http://tinyurl.com/2ckjya5u
September 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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