Sustainability in Practice

Overview

_NOTE:  NRPA will be hosting three cohorts. Cohort 1: Application opens February 22, and closes April 18, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Program runs from June 12 to September 18, 2024. Cohort 2: Application launches September 2024 and program begins January 2025. Cohort 3: Application launches February 2025 and program begins June 2025_.

Parks across the country are striving to meet the needs of their local communities while navigating unique and ever-changing environmental circumstances. NRPA is offering a 16-week immersive, cohort-style program for park professionals with a vested interest in equitable environmental resilience that are ready to take the next step or not sure where to begin.

Park agencies are invited to apply alongside a partner community-based organization to increase their knowledge, understanding and application of environmental sustainability planning and practices through technical assistance, practical application, and peer networking opportunities to support them as they develop and implement community-driven sustainability practices at parks.

How do I know if this program is for me?

This program was created for rural and suburban park agencies (agencies in areas with populations smaller than the largest 100 U.S. cities) that are ready to implement environmental solutions but not sure how to proceed. Below are a few examples of ideal candidates for this program: - Your park agency has been asked to meet your district’s sustainability goals and not given guidance on how to do so. - Your park agency has begun the process of moving toward sustainable solutions, but without organizational or proper planning. - Your park has potential to be a hub for equitable environmental resilience, but you are not sure what your constituents’ interests are or how to engage them in the solutions process. - Your park agency has a great relationship with one or many environment-related community-based organizations (CBOs), but you are not sure how to work together to create sustainability plans or practices.

How is this program different from other sustainability planning programs?

The Sustainability in Practice program comprises eight live, interactive sessions hosted biweekly online with a small working group of 20 participants. While there may be programs with a similar format, there are two primary aspects of this program that set it apart from others: - This program is meant to be completed by a park professional and a member of a community-based organization with whom they work closely or are seeking to develop their working relationship. Providing a space for both to collaborate and learn together, along with nine of their peers in similar situations, creates a unique opportunity to work through and devise actionable community-led solutions in real time. - While we will be sharing helpful tools, templates, frameworks and other resources, this program focuses on empowering participants with the right questions to ask and perspectives to consider in order to anticipate obstacles, involve community members in a meaningful and mutually beneficial way, and consider existing strengths that already lie within their team.

What can I expect my participation in this program to look like?

Participants are required to attend eight three-hour live virtual sessions, hosted biweekly for four months. We also offer a one-on-one coaching session with each participating pair for more personalized technical assistance toward the agency’s community-driven sustainability goals. We ask that participants complete pre- and post-program evaluations to support our growth and iteration of future programming. NRPA will offer many resources, including webinars, articles, conferences and tools that participants may optionally engage with outside of sessions, though this is not mandatory.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* The primary applicant must be a full-time staff member at a local government agency who manages parks and recreation services (e.g., municipal park and recreation department, tribal recreation department, public works department that manages parks and recreation, etc.) or affiliated 501c(3) nonprofit organization.
* NRPA encourages membership to ensure your agency has access to the full suite of education and resources available; however, you do not have to be a current member of NRPA or any other organization to be eligible to apply.