We will explore the mental health challenges specific to the field of parks and recreation, identify signs of burnout and stress, and provide practical strategies to promote resilience. Additionally, this session will equip leaders with tools to recognize and address mental health concerns among their staff, fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes well-being.

Coming October 2025! Discover how to meet the needs of today's workforce and create an environment that appeals to top talent. Join us to gain insights on fostering a workplace that attracts and retains the best employees, ensuring your organization thrives in a competitive market. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your workforce strategy!

Coming September 2025! Discover how play can transform lives and enhance well-being for both children and adults. From boosting brain function and relieving stress to sparking creativity and fostering social connections, play is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Join us for a session that showcases Play Frisco’s innovative initiatives to promote well-being through play, benefiting both our employees and the community. Let's play our way to a happier, healthier life!

The 2025 Monthly Virtual Learning Subscription includes 12 on-demand education Talks, one per month, and is free to Premier Members. These on-demand talks will be released on the first Monday of the month unless otherwise noted. The full 2025 Monthly Virtual Learning Subscription is worth a total of 1.2 CEU. NRPA's virtual education Talks feature knowledgeable subject matter experts presenting on timely insights from research and practice. Each Talk is worth 0.1 CEU.

Council Connection is an NRPA Business Council-led learning series aimed at addressing the most pressing topics in parks and recreation today. These sessions are led by subject matter experts on the council, developed in collaboration with park practitioners, and are designed to foster leadership and innovation. Check out these sessions to unlock valuable insights today!

In this session you will learn to articulate who is in your network, pinpoint who is not in your network but would benefit from inclusion and identify clear stakeholder categories and individuals. We will then discuss how to leverage the power of your network to secure volunteers, resources, and partnerships while tailoring programs and events to better reflect your patrons' interests, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.

Do you struggle with knowing how to respond when someone tells you their dog is a service or emotional support dog? Do you wonder whether you should take them at their word? Ask them for documentation? Have you received complaints from people who were refused access to your parks, playgrounds, pools or recreation centers because staff did not know how to handle the situation appropriately? Bringing a service or support animal into a public place, including parks, playgrounds, pools or recreation centers is a civil right, but many people try to take advantage of this right by passing their pets off as service or emotional support animals. What can staff do to ensure that they are only allowing legitimate service or support animals in their facilities? Come to this fun, interactive speed session to learn the ins and outs of the laws governing service and support animals, and what you can do to manage them in your facilities. Attendees will be able to take this training back to their agencies, to use to train their staff!

Are your staff members feeling burnt out? It's a common problem, with more than half of employees experiencing burnout, according to Workforce Management. I've been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt. As someone who has also experienced burnout, I'm here to help you steer your team clear of it. We need to ensure that our team is mentally equipped to serve our communities. One effective tool to combat burnout is empathetic leadership. With empathetic leadership, you can improve team dynamics, boost morale and enhance overall performance. Let's explore ways to outsmart burnout and become the empathetic leader your team needs. In this session, we will develop techniques to avoid and navigate your team through the stages of burnout. By practicing empathetic leadership, you can create an environment where people feel understood, respected and motivated to contribute their best. You'll gain the necessary skills and insights to create a workplace where empathy flourishes, burnout fades and resilience thrives. I'll share my own experiences, help you identify burnout traps and teach you how to empathetically lead. So, get ready for an engaging session that will leave you with savvy strategies to shield your team from burnout.

Who said writing a policy can’t be fun? Whether you are preparing to write a policy, procedure or plan for CAPRA Accreditation or for your own purposes, this presentation will guide you on your writing journey from the title page to appendices. Learn how to create a table of contents using styles in Microsoft Word, how to add signature block and other technical tips for document creation. Explore various methods for creating your content: How do you know what to include? What to change? What to delete altogether? When is it appropriate to use AI and when should you rely on other resources? We will explore the individual process I use for policy writing and tips I have learned through my experiences as a CAPRA Reviewer and content creator for numerous “P-words,” including a recreation program plan, policy manuals for state and volunteer boards, standard operating procedures and policies for the Town of Parker, numerous employee manuals, training documents, and other various written documents. Participants of all writing abilities will leave with a variety of practical tips and tools to create their own policy, procedure or plan. Can the “P” word be fun? Maybe...but can they be effective and useful? Definitely!

Coming August 2025! Discover how therapeutic recreation (TR) can enhance the well-being of individuals with disabilities and diverse needs in community settings. Through real-world examples and evidence-based practices, you'll gain practical strategies to implement inclusive and effective TR programs, no matter your department's size or resources. Join us to transform your community recreation initiatives!