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From the Executive Director
Dear PRPS Members & Friends,
This month will be an abbreviated edition of our e-newsletter. The office staff have had some days off for vacation and to enjoy the summer. Its hard to believe that summer is half over, but it is! We are gearing up for our busy Fall and Spring seasons planning the Fall Mini-Conference, one day workshops like Playground Maintenance and continuing to build new partnerships that could lead to other benefits to you our member.
You may have seen some information regarding the passing of the Pennsylvania state budget on June 30, 2011. We were monitoring this closely as there could have been some detrimental cut backs to services and grants available to you. Overall DCNR was saved, although much of our grant dollars are gone because Growing Greener money was not revitalized. A tax or fee for the gas drilling to support Growing Greener is still an option and has been put to the back burner until the report from the Marcellus Shale Commission is received and reviewed by the Governor. We'll address it again in September once the legislature is back in session. The other important program that was not renewed was the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps. This has also been tabled to the fall as there is a new bill proposing it continue for one more year with Labor & Industry then move into DCNR. If you are going to speak with your local legislator's this summer I'd encourage you to use this opportunity to mention the importance of Renewing Growing Greener and the PCC.
For those of you who may not know. Brenda Barrett, Director of the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation for DCNR is retiring at the end of this month. We have appreciated her support and wish her the very best in her new journey.
PRPS is working on a membership survey which you'll be invited to participate in before the end of the month. We encourage you to provide feedback to us on how we can best utilize the abilities of the staff with the services that you need.
Finally, we recently held the Hershey Track & Field State Meet here at the Penn State Track. What a fabulous day for the many youth that participated. It's a true testimony to the benefits of youth sports not only for our youth but also for our communities. Thanks to all the PRPS members and staff who volunteered and for Tracy Robert in our office for coordinating!
Stay Cool!
Sincerely,
Kim
Kimberly Woodward, CPRP
Executive Director |
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PRPS Hours
Please note...the office phone hours for the summer will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
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The Great Ideas Mini-Conference
October 12th-13th, 2011 Hotel Carlisle and Embers Convention Center
Come join PRPS for 2 full days of in depth training and fun at the Hotel Carlisle and Embers Convention Center. Workshops are a full to half day in length to allow for greater depth in topics covered. Some of the exciting sessions that have already been proposed are:
Transformational Leadership - This exciting new program is targeted towards Directors and Supervisors looking to work on their leadership capacity. Dr. Richard Houston of PeopleAssets, Inc. has developed this program for NRPA and has agreed to work with PRPS to deliver to our Members. This program will require pre-registration and will consist of a pre-work leadership assessment based on empirical benchmarks created by PeopleAssets. The one day session will include an examination of the leadership problems in the Rec and Park industry, review of the leadership assessment, and creation of a personal plan of action to address one or two top priority challenges. Progress will be monitored using documentation on the PeoplesAssets website. 1 to 2 webinar follow-ups will occur between the Mini-Conference and the Annual Conference where a final session will be held to collect and analyze results of the program. If you manage other people don't miss out on this unique opportunity, as the same training through NRPA costs $244 with less instruction and face to face time!
Other exciting session opportunities are a half day program on Civility Training and a half day on Training Seasonal Staff led by the Molly Hetrick of The Meeting Institute. Marci Mowery of the Pa Parks and Forest Foundation will do a full session on creating a friends group. Learn why you should be creating a friends group and also how to go about it from the creator of a very successful friends program. We will also be offering our Swimming Pool Management 101 class with the Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator Exam and our Playground Maintenance Workshop. Other session possibilities include a community gardens session, Behavior Styles Training, and a Get Outdoors PA Session. Lots going on so save that date and come see us in Carlisle!
If you have any other session ideas or would like to submit a proposal contact Jeremy Bean, Training Coordinator at jbean@prps.org or call the office at 814-234-4272 |
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Annual Conference
March 18th -22nd, 2012
"Recreation Powers Unite"
Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Seven Springs, PA
For your Budget's!
Full Conference Member Rate: $199
Full Conference Non-member: $229
Daily Member: $99
Daily Non-member: $115
Overnight Rate at Seven Springs:
$157 plus tax, double
$194 plus tax, single
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Therapeutic Recreation
Listening with Love-Walking Together
Weekend with Naomi Feil and Michael Verde presented by the Center for Compassionate Touch LLC
August 12th - 14th, 2011
Embassy Suites Downtown Cleveland, Ohio
Click here for more information or to Register! |
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Amusement Park Discounts/Tickets
Check out this link that came from ABC6 News in the Philly area regarding amuesment park tickets sold at local park and recreation agencies. PRPS is everywhere!
Click here to see the video! |
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Staff Profile
Anne Thomas
Anne joined the staff in November, 2010, to handle grant records and membership processing, morphed into the bookkeeper, retreated from that situation (hooray for Maria!), and is still trying to catch up.
She really doesn't care about PSU sports; she spent six formative years (and countless of her parents' dollars in out-of-state tuition) at the University of Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor's in Voice Performance (yes, she's an opera singer) and an MBA. She wears a Michigan jacket all the time during football season to get predictable eyerolls from the rest of the staff.
She spent most of her adult life moving around the world as a Navy wife, including tours in Italy, Iceland and Qatar. Her husband retired a few years ago after serving at the Penn State Navy ROTC unit. They have two teenagers who make their parents alternately very proud and very frustrated.
Anne is known around the office for being outrageous. She believes it's important to find humor in as many aspects of daily life as possible: that laughter is the best medicine. She's also usually unafraid to make a decision; she can't stand dithering. So, if you need a decision with an unexpectedly humorous edge, give her a call. (On the other hand, don't; just nurture your own wild side and charge ahead!)
Since nearly all of Anne's work has to do with the internal operations at PRPS, you will likely interact with her only if she happens to answer the phone when you call. If you are one of those lucky few, well, you may never even realize your brush with danger.
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Trail News
by Emily Gates, PRPS Special Projects Coordinator
Click here to Register online for the PA Greenways & Trails Summit. Check the PRPS website tomorrow for the registration brochure or contact Emily Gates at egates@prps.org and she can email it to you.
The Greenways and Trails Summit Planning Committee seeks exhibitors!
Network with trail enthusiasts from across the state as you promote your business or organization. Take a peek at our EXHIBIT BROCHURE and complete an EDUCATIONAL DISPLAY or VENDOR contract to exhibit! Booths don't need to manned, register for the summit and let your display do the work! The summit is September 11-13th in York, PA. Contact Jeremy Bean with any questions: jbean@prps.org or 814-234-4272.
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LERN Online Training
PRPS is excited to continue its' new partnership with Learning Resources Network (LERN) involving online training and education courses. LERN offers a variety of training classes for professionals on many different topics. Most courses can be taken as part of a certificate program or individually. The unique online courses allow you to choose when you participate! Lectures, lessons, and comments are all done online by you at your own convenience. Courses are taught by highly qualified professionals and professors from around the globe. Ever wanted to take a class on Social Media? How about Greening your workplace? Or wanted to take some business courses, but just can't fit it into your schedule? Well now is your chance to learn valuable information all on your own timetable. LERN also offers 1.0 CEU per month long course taken and completed!
The new fall offerings are now online and available for registration! Quite a few very interesting new courses added to the list for the fall. Please take a look and remember that by taking a class you help support PRPS who in turn helps support you. Any questions please contact Jeremy Bean, Training Coordinator at jbean@prps.org or call 814-234-4272.
http://www.yougotclass.org/courses.cfm/Prps |
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Other News
Allentown Mayor and Parks Director Help to Rebuild City in Haiti
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Director of Parks & Recreation Greg A. Weitzel, Playworld Systems Direct & Corporate Accounts Manager Julie Rearick and a team from Lifechurch in Allentown will be traveling to Carrefour, Haiti on June 28 to help rebuild a city devastated by the massive earthquake which rocked the country over a year ago.
The effort will entail the construction of the city's first public playground. The playground is being donated by Playworld Systems, Inc. of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the same company that designed and built Allentown's recently constructed destination playground at Cedar Creek Parkway. The PlaySimple commercial play system being donated to Carrefour includes straight and curved slides, a vertical climber, rock climber, climbing wall, pup tent climber, driver panel, stop light panel and rattle knob.
Pawlowski also helped arrange the donation of a garbage truck to the municipality of Carrefour from Waste Management, Inc. Waste Management has paid to transport the vehicle to the Port of Miami to be shipped to Haiti. In addition, local Lehigh Valley corporations Just Born and Crayola have donated candy and crayons along with the Crocs Corporation which has donated thousands of shoes all to be distributed to children who will attend the playground dedication ceremony. The Clinton Foundation is donating sand as a base for the playground.
"I cannot believe Haiti has friends living so far away who are thinking about us and who make great sacrifices to serve us," wrote Carrefour Mayor Yvon Jerome in a letter to Pawlowski.
"We are fortunate to have fantastic park and playground facilities in the City of Allentown and I know how much they mean to our residents," said Pawlowski. "We are also extremely fortunate to have great community partners who are willing to step-up to help some of the neediest people in the world. These donations will be greatly appreciated."
"Play is vital to children no matter where they live in the world - from right here in Pennsylvania to the Caribbean to Africa and beyond," said Matt Miller, CEO of Playworld Systems. "We are deeply committed to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals across the globe, and we do it by creating playground equipment that inspires kids everywhere to get outside and play. We are honored to be part of such an amazing outreach effort which will benefit generations of Haitian children."
Lifechurch had an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti that was badly damaged in a devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake. "As I returned a number of times over the past 18 months to assist in the recovery," said Lifechurch Senior Pastor Randy Landis, "I began to notice the lack of public playground facilities. I got part of the idea from the huge success of the new Allentown playground at Cedar Beach and it was Mayor Pawlowski's idea to approach Playworld."
Carrefour is a commune in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince with a population of more than 400,000. According to Pastor Landis, he had built a relationship with a representative of the Feed the Hungry organization, who introduced him to Mayor Jerome. "Mayor Jerome was ecstatic to learn that there were many people in our area who were willing to work together to come to their aid," Pastor Landis said. "This will be my third playground construction project and it will be a first in Carrefour."
The playground will be located in a secured area within the compound of the local stadium.
The playground construction team will be joined on the trip by the LifeClinic Mobile Team and the Lifechurch Justice Project all part of a 24 person contingent from the church. The LifeClinic Mobile Team will provide medical treatment for the Carrefour community and partner with Valley Prosthetics & Orthotics from the Lehigh Valley to provide moldings and fittings for amputees in Haiti. The Lifechurch Justice Project is sending a team to work with the Restavek Freedom Foundation and to assist girls who live in their transitional home. There are an estimated 300,000 Restaveks or child slaves in Haiti. |
Upcoming Workshops
Internship Program:
PRPS is happy to announce our formal internship program beginning this fall. We will be taking one intern in the fall, winter/spring, and summer to assist with various office initiatives and most importantly learn about Parks and Recreation from the society side of things. If you'd like to see the formal write-up please click here. We would appreciate you all spreading the word and sending us any great candidates!
Greenways & Trails Summit
September 11th - 13th, 2011
Yorktowne Hotel, York
Swimming Pool Management Re-cert Class
6 Core & Category 24 Credits
September 20th, 2011, Plymouth Meeting
September 21st, 2011
Upper St. Clair & Mechanicsburg
Playground Maintenance
October 13th, 2011, Carlisle (Fall Mini-Conference)
October 20th, 2011 Cabela's, Hamburg (Park Resource School)
October 21st, 2011 Gander Mountain, Pittsburgh
(Park Resource School)
Fall Mini-Conference -
"The Great Ideas Mini-Conference"
October 12th - 13th, 2011
Hotel Carlisle & Embers Convention Center
Fall Membership Meeting
November 16th, 2011
Stuart Community Center
Carlisle, PA
Save the Date!
Youth Sports Summit
April 13th, 2011 - 14th, 2011
Keystone College, Towanda
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NRPA News
 Attend 2011 Congress for Free
Apply for NRPA Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
This is your last chance to apply for NRPA's Young Professional Fellowship and Diversity Scholarship and attend the 2011 Congress and Exposition for free! They will be awarded to those who are currently a part of the park and recreation field. These opportunities are designed to support and encourage future success in the field.
Hurry! Deadline to apply is July 22, 2011!
NRPA Young Professional Fellowship
Who is eligible: Young professionals who want to interact and learn from NRPA leaders
This impressive fellowship is designed to enable outstanding young professionals to interact and learn from NRPA leaders. A primary focus of the fellowship is to inspire future participation and leadership in the National Recreation & Park Association and to develop professional contacts.
Fellowship recipients will receive: - A mentor who serves in a NRPA leadership role
- Free registration to 2011 Congress and Exposition in Atlanta, GA
- Free registration to 2012 National Legislative Forum in Washington, D.C.
- Up to $1,000 for each event to assist with travel and hotel expenses
*Four people will be awarded this fellowship.
NRPA Diversity Scholarship
Who is eligible: Individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the parks and recreation community as well as those that demonstrate outstanding contributions serving diverse communities
Scholarship recipients will receive: - Free registration for the 2011 Congress and Exposition in Atlanta, GA,
- Up to $1,000 to assist with travel and hotel expenses
- A mentor who serves on the NRPA Diversity Committee during the 2011 Congress
*Four people will be awarded this scholarship.
Now is Your Time to Shine - Apply Today!
NRPA Room Block The PA Room block for the NRPA Annual Congress & Exposition, held this year in Atlanta from November 1st - 4th, 2011, is now available. If you will be attending the congress and prefer to be with others from Pennsylvania, we will be at the Omni CNN. This is a very nice hotel with a lot of amenities and the convention center is across the street.
To book rooms online into your State Block, please follow the below steps:
-Go online to http://www.wynjade.com/nrpa11/states
-Click on "click here" to reserve your hotel room for NRPA 2011
-You will be instructed to provide a USER NAME and PASSWORD. Please ensure ALL attendees booking rooms into your block have the following USER NAME and PASSWORD:
USER NAME: penn PASSWORD: poconos
ALL individual names must be reserved into your block prior to July 29th, 2011 EOB. Any rooms remaining in your block after July 29th, 2011 will be released for general sale. |
| PA Recreation and Park Society
2131 Sandy Drive
State College, Pennsylvania 16803-2283
PA Recreation and Park Society
814-234-4272
Fax: 814-234-5276
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