Author of the New York Times Best Seller, The Sum of Us, Heather McGhee and Dr. Gail C. Christopher discuss racism’s role in creating barriers to nature and how we equitably move forward.

Join the Center for Outreach, Research, & Education for a webinar on using fabric shade in public, private, and commercial environments. The Shade (Un)Covered: Using Fabric Shade in Public, Private, and Commercial Environments presentation gives a comprehensive look at the orientation, style options, and engineering requirements when utilizing pre-engineered structures for locations such as concrete bleacher stands, grandstands school playgrounds, parks, hospitality areas, aquatic facilities, and more. During this session, attendees will learn how to design and plan spaces as a variety of options are discussed. In addition, attendees will learn how to maximize coverage and protection, minimize obstructions in spectator environments, and add the highest aesthetic value to the space.

This complimentary webinar will explore the impact of the 2010 ADA Guidelines for Accessible Design for parks and playgrounds and will provide tools to help evaluate the level of compliance of community play areas to plan for future needs.

ON-DEMAND - For a playground to thrive, good maintenance is essential. Learn how to maximize your agency or school’s playground maintenance efforts by properly identifying and correcting potentially hazardous conditions on the playground.

Learn more about the health & wellness benefits of natural elements on people of all ages, and how to select trees and plants to enhance environments.

Schools are considered ideal settings for advancing health and wellness initiatives for youth. Most youth attend schools, most schools have resources for health and wellness, and most schools are located in communities with park and recreation agencies. National frameworks even exist for school health and school physical activity where community engagement is identified as a key component for building healthier generations of youth. The challenge is how. How can park and recreation professionals successfully engage and partner with schools to collectively support health and wellness initiatives for youth?

The webinar will show design considerations and implications through inspiring case examples to help communities champion water play as a valid solution to healthier, happier communities.

​Come see the latest innovation in park environments! PlayCore and its family of brands will be introducing new research, new programs, and new products to create fun, active destinations for people of all ages and abilities.​

Research indicates predominately White communities are far more likely to take advantage of the numerous health benefits of public parks as compared to communities of color. What is the cause of this racial and ethnic disparity in park use? What are opportunities for play and recreational professionals to drive health equity in their communities? Join an esteemed panel to learn about how centuries of oppression and structural racism have excluded people of color from public parks and discuss future-driven solutions to deliver equitable public spaces that benefit all.

Join the Center for Outreach, Research, & Education on Monday, October 4 - Friday, October 8 for an on-demand webinar on how to plan, design, implement, and champion outdoor adult fitness initiatives that provide a well-rounded workout. The Outdoor Adult Fitness Parks: Best Practices for Promoting Community Health by Increasing Physical Activity presentation, helps communities effectively advocate the benefits of outdoor fitness spaces as solutions to providing readily available, affordable, and enjoyable ways to exercise in neighborhood parks and destinations. Supportive research, unique benefits, design considerations, and case study examples are outlined to effectively plan, implement, and champion fitness initiatives that provide meaningful outcomes to support overall health and wellness.