“We’re excited about the opportunity to advocate and promote healthy play, share state-wide training, and help local communities put research into action!”
- Erika Devore, Executive Director, KRPA
Goals of the State-Wide Healthy Communities Initiative
The KRPA Healthy Play Funding Initiative and Statewide Training Program is a multiyear partnership launched at the 2016 KRPA Conference in Dodge City. Initial outcomes will be outlined at the 2017 KRPA Conference in Manhattan, and data collection and outcomes reporting will continue over the course of the year to be shared in 2018. The following primary goals of the initiative were identified by KRPA, PlayCore, and GameTime:
- PlayCore would execute state-wide professional development across communities in an effort to create opportunities for professionals across disciplines to partner, network, and collaborate on health and wellness initiatives. Through quality education opportunities and consulting services, PlayCore would support communities in turning research into action.
- GameTime’s role would include the provision of matching funding assistance to assist high quality projects a KRPA Regions to create outdoor play spaces that align with research-based best practices in an effort to collect meaningful outcomes and serve as national models.
- As a unified team, the organizations would collaborate to publish white papers and other advocacy communication tools to further champion play and recreation initiatives and demonstrate effective strategies for all steps of the process.
