Description

We’re excited to announce the return of the Statewide Education and Funding Initiative—a collaborative effort by IPRA, GameTime, Cunningham Recreation, and PlayCore to advance community parks and recreation.

Building on the success of previous efforts, this initiative continues to promote best practices in parks and recreation while providing innovative education and evidence-based resources to address the evolving needs of communities across the state.

What to Expect: This year’s initiative includes a series of professional development workshops in Tinley Park, Wheeling, Champaign, and O’Fallon. Titled Supporting Community Health & Wellness, each of these events are designed to reignite your community’s passion for outdoor play and recreation and equip stakeholders with tools to create meaningful and inclusive recreational spaces. Attendees will gain inspiration from leadership case studies that showcase design best practices rooted in independent research and supported by collective impact data. Through engaging content, valuable resources, and hands-on learning activities, participants will explore innovative strategies to champion key initiatives, boost physical activity, promote inclusion, foster nature engagement, and enhance overall play value.

Statewide Funding Opportunity: In addition to high-quality education, GameTime will discuss and explain how your agency can apply for 100% matching funding assistance to bring this amazing destination play space to your community. To qualify for funding, agency must employ at least one IPRA Professional member in 2025.

Who Should Attend: Industry practitioners interested in evidence-based design best practices for high-quality outdoor play and recreation destinations and instruction on how agencies with IPRA members can apply for matching fund assistance through this statewide initiative.

What’s Included: Lunch, 0.15 CEUs (75 minutes), and evidence-based resources will be provided to attendees at no cost.

How to Register: Interested professionals should register at www.gametime.com/ipra by Friday, April 4th.

Join us to empower your community and transform outdoor recreation across the state!