June 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 15

of residents. This mutually beneficial partnership is
a blueprint for how park and recreation agencies and
academic institutions can learn from community resources to accomplish strategic goals. Paula McDevitt,
director of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Department, says, " Sharing experiences from the field
with researchers provides IU faculty with valuable
knowledge, and [offering] opportunities for students to
gain experience outside the classroom completes their
educational experience and [prepares] them for their
future careers. "
In 2020, Bloomington Parks and Recreation was
awarded funding through the NRPA Parks as Community Nutrition Hubs grant. The grant leverages the field
work of parks and recreation to help expand access to
healthy foods and nutrition education. As a result, the
partnership with the IU School of Public Health has
evolved to include the Department of Applied Health
Science, which focuses on promoting wellness in families, organizations and society through research, health
education, policymaking and therapeutic intervention.
Bloomington Parks and Recreation recognized the
importance of conducting a community health needs
assessment to identify geographic and socioeconomic
areas where access to healthy, nutritious food is most at
risk. This relied on IU School of Public Health expertise.
" Community-academic partnerships are essential in creating participatory approaches to ensure that the [voices]
of local residents are heard and represented in the development and sustainability of health programming and
policies, " says Associate Professor Dr. Priscilla Barnes.
From health departments to hospitals, experts in
every community can provide insight into the roles a
local park and recreation agency can play in improving the health and well-being of its residents.
The success of any partnership relies on the ability to
build quality, lasting relationships - not just between
staff and residents, but also among all community stakeholders. Agencies often create short-term or programspecific agreements, but strategic partnerships for broader agency development are just as important.
In the ever-changing field of health and wellness,
park and recreation agencies must creatively use every
tool available to do what parks and recreation does
best: improve the quality of life for all residents.
Erik Pearson is Program/Facility Coordinator for City of
Bloomington (Indiana) Parks and Recreation (pearsone@
bloomington.in.gov).

Member Benefit:
Discounted Insurance
for NRPA Members!

RPA offers its members insurance discount programs provided by K&K Insurance. During
these uncertain times, it is important to
make sure you are keeping your department and employees safe and covered.
So, what type of coverage does NRPA
offer?
* Directors' and Officers': Directors' and officers' liability insurance protects directors, officers, volunteers and
the nonprofit sports organization itself against claims
alleging mismanagement of the organization and other
exposures.
* Blanket Accident: Blanket accident insurance is typically purchased by park and recreation departments or
municipalities to provide protection for participants engaged in both sponsored athletic and non-athletic recreational activities.
* Instructors and Interns: This includes important general liability protection for instructors and interns while
acting within the scope of their duties granted to them
by the sponsoring organization, typically a park and
recreation department.
* Team Sports: This combined liability and excess accident medical coverage provides valuable protection to
youth and adult sports teams for multiple risks on and
off the playing field.
* Football: This combined liability and excess accident
medical coverage provides protection to youth tackle,
flag and touch football teams.
* Equipment Property: This provides property coverage
for team inventory of sports equipment. It covers all
equipment owned by the insured organization while in
the building specified for storage.
Also, for those activities your agency officially sponsors,
we can offer stand-alone excess accident medical coverage
for the participants, a way for you to provide enhanced value
and an incentive for increased participation. This is valuable
protection not only for you, but also for your community!
For more information, visit www.nrpainsurance.com,
email info@nrpainsurance.com or call 1.800.722.5676.

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June 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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