July 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 12

PUBLISHER'S LET TER
PRESIDENT AND CEO

Education: Why It's Still a Big Deal

Barbara Tulipane, CAE

It is an undeniable fact that how we learn, where we learn and even our perception of
the learning experience is changing. Tuition for traditional education is on the rise, but
at the same time, anyone with a laptop and a desire for mind expansion can opt in to
hundreds of free classes through the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform,
offered through Coursera or through EdX, a platform founded by Harvard University
and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and in partnership with the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Texas System. The use of technology
and advanced platforms such as these to open up learning options for all, at little to no
cost, is a much-needed transformation and points to the possibility of a complete shift
in the dynamics of traditional learning on a global level.

Gina Mullins-Cohen

There are numerous motives for such dramatic
modifications, but how do these changes influence the field of parks and recreation? Do our
universities offer well-rounded curriculums, as
well as the necessary opportunities for hands-on
experience? Are increasing tuition costs andthe
current high unemployment rates for college
graduates changing the trend toward upward
mobility or even personal fulfillment? Does
launching a career in the field of parks and recreation, armed with specific skills, but burdened
with student loan debt, make sense? Do our future park and recreation leaders have the correct
tools to move this industry forward?
The questions and controversies dogging the
educational programs in the field of parks and
recreation are examined by Associate Editor Samantha Bartram in " Learning Curve, "
this month's cover feature on page 38. Bartram moves quickly to the center of this topic, expanding on the critical question: If students are not learning what is needed to be
successful in the field of parks and recreation, is it a path worth pursuing? Speaking to
both practitioners and academics, Bartram opens the conversation to the possibilities
of reform and the continued opportunity for growth. While these questions may complicate the focus of our field's educational needs - already a divisive topic - it does
not negate the fact that these and other concerns need to be heard. It is clear, especially
in the field of parks and recreation, that we can no longer ignore this dialogue or the
transformations taking place.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN
Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing

Parks & Recreation

| J U LY 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING,
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING
gcohen@nrpa.org
SENIOR EDITOR

Danielle Taylor
dtaylor@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Samantha Bartram
sbartram@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN

Creative By Design
www.creativebydesign.net
SENIOR MANAGER OF
ADVERTISING

Dana Storm
703.858.2174
dstorm@nrpa.org
(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly
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July 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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