Parks and Recreation: We Connect Communities  

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) represents all park and recreation agencies in America, touching the lives of more than 300 million people in virtually every community, whether rural communities, suburban neighborhoods, or urban centers. NRPA, through its vast network of 105,000 parks, is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all people through diverse national partnerships and quality programs.

With generous support from its partners and funders, NRPA successfully creates a myriad of opportunities in the areas of:

• Health and Livability
• Environmental Conservation
• Youth Development and Play

Health and Livability
Parks are recognized as major contributors to the health of the nation. Addressing diverse wellness factors -- from obesity and chronic disease prevention to nutritional education to inclusive recreation to spiritual rejuvenation -- parks provide people with essential resources to lead healthier, happier, and longer lives.

NRPA’s activities have long included health and well-being programs that include:

• Step Up to Health, which provides tools to communities to help them accomplish their health promotion goals.
• ACHIEVE, an initiative funded by the CDC’s Healthy Communities Program, which provides technical assistance directly to local communities to assist them in developing policy, systems, and environmental change strategies that aim to reduce the incidence of chronic disease.
• Hearts n’ Parks, which teaches children and adults about physical activity and healthy eating, in conjunction with recreational activities in parks.
• A partnership with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and the Walmart Foundation to encourage and assist park and recreation agencies to enhance summer feeding programs for children in communities where at least half the children are from low-income families.
• The U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Division and NRPA offer wounded service members and their families opportunities to participate in sports and recreational activities.
• Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW), a comprehensive prevention and wellness national initiative funded through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Programs and initiatives within parks and recreation that focus on chronic disease are guided by the Health and Wellness Advisory Panel. The panel provides oversight and feedback, including review of relevant materials and input to program activities, as well as subject-matter expertise to NRPA’s chronic disease prevention programs.

Click here for a list of Health and Wellness Advisory Panel members.

Environmental Conservation
NRPA enables and encourages park and recreation agencies to take action to protect and enhance the environment for current and future generations. This multi-faceted support includes:

• Empowering communities to protect natural environments and natural habitats.
• Developing sustainable conservation solutions that emphasize the integration of economic and environmental goals.
• Advocating for environmental issues, both nationally and locally.
• Promoting environmental stewardship ethics for communities.

NRPA’s activities have long included environmental and conservation stewardship programs that include:

• Grow Your Park, which provides funding and resources that not only support the creation and expansion of edible gardens and nutrition programs in urban park and recreation agencies, but also engenders a life-long appreciation for conservation.
• NRPA is developing a comprehensive Park Locator, based on a GIS platform, which will allow the public to identify treasured park assets and key programs.
• NRPA's National Environmental Stewardship Ethic was created as a fundamental component of parks and public recreation lands, which are carbon reducing landscapes that help clean our air and waters, recharge aquifers, reduce stormwater runoff, and provide vital contact with nature for our mental and physical health.

In the area of environmental conservation, NRPA is guided by the expertise of its Environmental Conservation Advisory Panel (ECAP). ECAP’s membership includes some of the nation’s top environmental experts from parks, academia, business and nonprofits.

Click here for a list of Environmental Conservation Advisory Panel members.

Youth Development and Play
In partnership with sporting organizations and non-profit partners, NRPA is focused on initiatives that encourage the following benefits to our nation’s youth:

• Regular physical activity
• Intellectual development
• Social development
• Connection to nature
• Safe community gathering places

Interested in learning more about partnering with NRPA? Contact Shelley O'Brien at 703.858.2156.