Multiple park projects were among the winners of ASLA’s 2024 Professional Awards. 

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has joined the Susan Crown Exchange’s (SCE) Million Coaches Challenge cohort, with the goal of training 1 million coaches in youth development techniques by 2025.

High school sports participation hit an all-time record for the 2023-24 school year, reaching more than 8 million for the first time ever. 

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-Fla.) introduced H.R. 9298, a groundbreaking piece of legislation designed to enhance water safety by authorizing basic, lifesaving swim lessons as a qualified expense for Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Savings Accounts. 

Nearly $47 million in funding through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program will go to the redevelopment or creation of 10 local parks across the U.S., says the U.S. Interior Department. 

With the U.S. celebrating its 250th birthday in 2026, Keep America Beautiful has launched the Greatest American Cleanup—a campaign to remove 25 billion pieces of litter from the national landscape to create a cleaner, greener and more beautiful America. 

Some 30 million youth—55% of K-12 youth in schools—are engaged in summer opportunities, according to a nationally representative poll by Gallup, published in partnership with National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and the American Camp Association. 

A community forest in Maine. A pocket park in Colorado. A community park in Massachusetts. These sites are among the recipients of the 2024 L.L.Bean Community Awards, which promote greater access to nature and foster community connections. The awards were announced in partnership with Trust for Public Land.

A joint position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Council on Exercise states that nutrition and physical activity interventions delivered by qualified practitioners can decrease risk of cardiovascular diseases and improve lifestyle behaviors among adults. 

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.

Park shelters, playgrounds and restroom structures were the most common amenities found among park respondents’ facilities, according to the 2024 Industry Report survey results. 

Respondents to the 2024 Industry Report survey from Ys and parks were the most likely to report that they currently host youth sports programs at their facilities. 

More than nine out of 10 (92.3%) school respondents said they currently offer programming of some kind at their facilities, down from 97% in 2023 and 93.7% in 2022. 

A majority of aquatic respondents to the Industry Report survey (79.9%) said they currently offer learn-to-swim programs for children. And nearly six in 10 (58.2%) said they offer swim lessons for adults.

Nearly three-quarters (74.6%) of park respondents in 2024 said they were planning construction, representing virtually no change from 74.3% in 2023. 

Outside of budgetary issues, parks listed staffing issues and equipment and facility maintenance as the top concerns for their facilities.