August 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 60

Education: A Congress Cornerstone
By Samantha Bartram

onsistently, past NRPA Congress attendees tell us the high value they
place on the continuing education and certification programs offered
during the three-day conference. For park and recreation professionals,
Congress is a one-stop shop for networking, professional development and information about our industry. During this year's event, we're featuring even more
opportunities to learn and grow during our Off-Site Institutes (OSI) and Pre-Congress Workshops (PCW). As NRPA's Education Manager of Conferences and
Schools Tom Crosley puts it, " [Off-Site Institutes and Pre-Congress Workshops]
focus on the subjects that folks need to dig into and spend more time with. It's an
opportunity to show up early and take advantage of additional training. "
Pre-Congress Workshops
The 2014 NRPA Congress is set for
October 14-16 in Charlotte, North
Carolina, but those who arrive early
can gain access to an impressive roster of classes, trainings and networking events. The first PCWs begin Saturday, October 11, and include units
on agency accreditation, playground
safety, grant writing, Certified Park
and Recreation Professional training, fund development, Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and the highly anticipated
Brand+Aid Marketing Institute.
Of particular note is Monday's
one-day Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies
(CAPRA) training, titled, " Agency
Accreditation and CAPRA Visitor
Training: A Mark of Excellence. "
Here, new standards for accreditation
will be unveiled and attendees will
receive information tailored to these
new benchmarks. This unit is recommended for all agencies going through
the initial or continuing accreditation
process. Attendees will also qualify to
apply to become CAPRA visitors, and

Parks & Recreation

the training serves as a refresher for current visitors. The training reviews all
144 accreditation standards and identifies recent changes to the accreditation
program, including new fundamental
standards, eliminated standards, and
changes in how visits and hearings
are conducted, and it provides an opportunity for audience questions to be
answered. Registration and tuition, set
at $65 per person, is required to attend.
Perhaps the gem of the PCWs
is Monday's Brand+Aid Marketing Institute, which functions as a
" mini-conference within the conference, " says Crosley. Many agencies
lack the time and expertise to launch
an effective marketing campaign in
their communities. Brand+Aid is designed to give valuable marketing tips
and tools to park and recreation professionals with budgets of any size, or
no budget all. Experts from both the
public and private sectors will share
how to develop branding and marketing strategies that work, increase
citizen advocacy, develop targeted
advertising campaigns, and more effectively utilize both print and digital

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advertising media. The day-long event
is broken down into several sessions
covering everything from digital marketing to social media, website design,
mobile marketing and more. Attendees can choose which sessions they'd
like to attend. Lunch will be provided
and CEUs may be earned. The cost
to attend Brand+Aid is just $99 for
those also attending Congress, $125
for NRPA members not attending
Congress and $162 for nonmembers.
Registration information and further
details are available at www.nrpa.org/
Congress2014/Program-Schedule.
Off-Site Institutes
This year, almost a dozen OSIs are
available to Congress attendees. The
trainings, classes and tours are planned
by the Congress host committee,
meaning the folks in Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation (MCPR) have taken pains to
tailor offerings to highlight the best the
area has to offer, as well as best practices among those facilities. Three days
before Congress, as well as the Thursday during the event, offer unique opportunities to experience the gems of
Charlotte's parks and urban spaces.
Here, we highlight just a handful of the
many beneficial OSIs of which Congress participants may take advantage.
Kicking things off for Sunday's batch
of OSIs is " Anne Springs Close Greenway: Outdoor Recreation, Education and Special Events. " Topics for
discussion include special-event planning and challenges, event execution,

August 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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