June 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 18

RESEARCH
Using the Data to Tell Your
Park and Recreation Story
By Kevin Roth
ast month's research column introduced the 2022 NRPA Agency Performance
Review (APR) (nrpa.org/APR), the latest edition of the
annual report series that summarizes key data from NRPA Park
Metrics (nrpa.org/ParkMetrics). The column noted that the report
and the benchmarking resources found within Park Metrics allow your agency
to compare itself to a peer group that you define. Perhaps that peer group
represents similarly sized agencies in your part of the country, or it is a group
of agencies that you aspire your department to become. These comparisons
are vital when making the case to a mayor, council member or funder for
greater and more sustainable funding. If you have not already discovered the
Park Metrics reporting tools, I encourage you to give them a try today.
Beyond benchmarking, data is a
powerful storytelling tool that can
shift how your community and partners
view parks and recreation. We
use the APR to paint a picture of the
broad and deep impact our nation's
local park and recreation agencies
have on their communities. This is
critical. Even as NRPA surveys of
the public find strong support for
parks and recreation, we also see the
public does not necessarily know
every way your agency serves the
community. This may even include
some people not realizing their local
park and recreation agency is
responsible for their favorite place
to recreate or delivers a vital community
service on which they rely.
Take the example of health
and wellness. Data from the APR
demonstrate how park and recreation
agencies are responsible for
vital infrastructure and services that
advance their communities' physical
and mental health.
It
starts with facilities. Using
APR data, NRPA points out that
park and recreation agencies across
the United States operate:
* Recreation centers that include
gyms and other opportunities for
physical activity (64 percent of
agencies)
* Community centers
that
often
are a hub for wellness activities
(e.g., nutrition programs and education)
(60 percent)
* Buildings focused on different
segments of the community: senior
centers (41 percent) and teen
centers (14 percent)
We also use the APR to highlight
park and recreation agencies' vast
and diverse outdoor infrastructure
that promotes improved health and
wellness outcomes. This includes:
* Playgrounds (95 percent)
* Basketball courts (86 percent)
* Tennis courts (78 percent)
* Outdoor pools (53 percent)
* Community gardens (51 percent)
* Skate parks (39 percent)
Magnifying the impact of this
critical infrastructure is programming
that welcomes every community
member as it educates, inspires
and brings joy. The APR notes most
local park and recreation agencies
deliver to their community:
18 Parks & Recreation | JUNE 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
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* Health and wellness education
(80 percent)
* Programming targeting
adults (79 percent)
older
* Safety training (72 percent)
* Fitness enhancement classes (82
percent)
* Team sports (87 percent)
* Individual sports (76 percent)
Finally, we use the same report to
tell the public that parks and recreation
is a leader in youth and young
adult programming, including:
* Summer camps (83 percent)
* After-school programs (55 percent)
* Preschool (34 percent)
* Specific teen programs (66 percent)
We note in the APR that no agency
is typical. So, while the report's key
insights demonstrate the full power
of parks and recreation across the
United States, it does not tell your
agency's unique story. But you can
take your agency's data to educate
and remind political leaders, key
stakeholders and the public of your
team's contribution to a healthy
and vital community.
For
example,
consider
creating
a health and wellness-themed infographic
that notes the number of
parks, playgrounds and trail miles
your agency manages and speaks to
the number of youth participating in
out-of-school time programs and the
number of healthy meals your team
delivers. If your agency already is
doing this, great. I encourage you
to share your agency's example
of using data to tell its story on
NRPA Connect (connect.nrpa.org)
to inspire others. Most importantly,
use your agency's data to highlight
how parks and recreation is essential
in your community.
Kevin Roth is NRPA's Vice President of
Research, Evaluation and Technology
(kroth@nrpa.org).
http://www.nrpa.org/APR http://www.nrpa.org/ParkMetrics http://connect.nrpa.org
June 2022 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2022 - Parks & Recreation
