July is Park and Recreation Month! How are you celebrating?
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has been celebrating Park and Recreation Month in July since 1985, promoting building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation, and recognizing the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals—along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers—who maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.
This year’s month-long celebration is themed “Where You Belong” and celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.
“July is one of my favorite months of the year — the month where we celebrate and lift up all of the great work park and recreation professionals are doing to build thriving communities,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO.
NRPA’s plans for the month include sharing stories of success in creating spaces where everyone belongs—“where you belong and each of us belongs,” she added. “The work that they do is more important than ever with all of the challenges that exist in the world today. We are so excited to share with you how important this profession is and can’t wait to celebrate Park and Recreation month.”
To learn more about how to participate in Park and Recreation month, visit nrpa.org/July. To follow along with what communities are doing to celebrate Park and Recreation Month, follow the hashtag #WhereYouBelong on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, formerly known as Twitter.