July 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 56

NRPA Update
NRPA Innovation Lab Explores
How Communities Are Connecting
Youth to Nature
By Richard J. Dolesh

A

group of more than 80 professionals from the fields of parks and recreation, early childhood development, public administration and other professions attending NRPA's latest Innovation Lab sat raptly listening to a
panel of five Latino teens from an Austin, Texas, high school describe the
first time they felt really connected to nature, and the barriers they faced in their lives
in doing so.
David Gonzalez spoke of the first
time he really connected with nature. " I
went to a park near where we lived and
just sat down and listened to the birds
and insects and sounds of nature - the
running water of a nearby stream. I was
lost in it, and suddenly, I realized it was
already nighttime. I knew I had to get
home or I was in big trouble! "

Jasmine Garcia said the first time she
realized she really connected with nature
was as a participant in an adventure recreation rock-climbing sponsored by the
Austin Parks and Recreation Department. " I climbed to the very top of a
rock face. I felt I had really accomplished
something. I conquered my fears! "
Ellyssa Saldivar and Arleni Carreno

Attendees at NRPA's
Austin Innovation Lab.

54

Parks & Recreation

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discussed how many Latinos in their
community didn't know about parks near
where they lived, didn't have transportation to get to parks or felt discomfort
about the idea of encountering " bees,
bugs and other critters. " They spoke seriously of their friends who feared going
to parks because of the chance they or
members of their families might be questioned or " taken " by authorities.
These students from Akins High
School are part of an innovative program
that Austin Parks and Recreation Department conducts in cooperation with
the Austin Independent School District,
enabling teens to connect to potential
career choices. The agency's park ranger
cadet program is a paid internship program for high school students who gain
training in real-life job skills - talking to
park visitors, presenting interpretive programs, learning how to budget for activities and other skills.
On the Cutting Edge of Innovation
NRPA's Innovation Labs have established a reputation for high-quality,
immersive experiences taking on challenging topics facing parks and recreation. The Austin Lab was presented
in collaboration with the Children and
Nature Network (C&NN) and the National League of Cities (NLC) Institute
for Youth, Education and Families.
C&NN and NLC are working jointly in a three-year program with seven
cities to activate strategies that will develop green schoolyards, connect chil-



July 2017 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2017 - Parks & Recreation

July 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 1
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
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