Education Sessions:

• 1-Hour Education Sessions* - Either individual lectures or up to four-person discussions that deliver a selection of relevant and timely topics. (1-4 Speakers, including moderators/panelists)
• 20-Minute Speed Sessions - Short, individual lectures designed to engage and inspire, covering a variety of park and recreation trends. All Speed Sessions are both pre-recorded AND presented on-site. (1 Speaker)

*Sessions accepted to be a part of virtual conference will be notified in the spring of 2026.

NRPA’s Annual Conference is a conference whose educational offerings are organized and delivered by dedicated professionals from the field and volunteers. Speakers receive a free education package with options to add additional conference items and events at a discount. The commitment to present a conference session is voluntary, and speakers and panelists on accepted sessions will not be compensated for their role at conference. 

If a session proposal is accepted, any organizers and speakers/panelists on that session will have the opportunity to request financial assistance to attend Conference. 

All education and speed session proposals are reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. NRPA Research Sessions will undergo their own process of peer-review by research scholars.  

Reviewers assess submissions using the following criteria:  

• Originality: Sessions that demonstrate new, inspiring, and impactful ways of thinking and doing.  
• Relevance: Sessions that are immediately useful, applicable, and resonant with attendees. 
• Overall Quality: Sessions created and delivered by presenters that strive for clear communication, accurate content, and engaging learning.

Access for All

We commit to putting access at the center of our work to support park and recreation professionals in their efforts to create fair and just park and recreation systems. Each session proposal will be reviewed with attention to accessibility, representation, and community impact. We ask that speakers consider a variety of perspectives when crafting their description, learning objectives, and when selecting speakers.

Check out our in-depth tips for writing successful submissions HERE.  

Topics

• Relevant to the field / timely.
• Sessions that are broadly applicable (i.e. avoid niche topics).

Crafting your Submission 

• Write a catchy title!
• Check your description for clarity; more isn't always better.
• Clear, concise objectives that support your description. 
• Know your audience: Who are you hoping will attend your session?

NRPA's Conference accepts proposals of all types, but we specifically ask that proposals match at least one of the following topics:

Access for All

Accessibility

Accreditation

Advocacy

AFO

Aquatics

Arts and Culture

CAPRA

Career Development

Communication

Community Engagement

Conservation

CPRE

CPRP

CPSI

Customer Service

Data and Evaluation

Environmental Resilience

Funding

Health and Wellness

Hiring

Homelessness

Leadership and Personnel Management

LGBTQIA2S+

Marketing and Public Relations

Military Recreation

Natural Resources Management

Networking

Neurodiversity

NRPA Member Development

Older Adults

Operations and Maintenance

Partnerships

Planning and Design

Playgrounds

Recreation Programming

Revenue Development

Safety and Security

Social Media

Sports

Technology

Workforce Development

Youth