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.

Rails to Trails Conservancy’s analysis of the latest round of U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE Grants says there is widespread demand for connected walking and biking infrastructure in rural, urban and suburban communities across the country.

Just over half (54%) of children ages 6 to 17 in the U.S. played on a sports team or took lessons in 2022, down from 58% in 2017, according to federal data. That decline has driven the Aspen Institute to issue a call to action for its network of more than 20,000 leaders engaged with Project Play to get at least 63% of youth playing sports by the end of the decade.