Park & Recreation Professionals Day

Park & Recreation Professionals Day

Friday, July 21, 2023

 

Park and Recreation Professionals Day, #ParkandRecDay, is back for its fifth year on July 21, 2023 and is celebrated during National Park & Recreation Month. It's a national celebration honoring essential industry professionals across the country, who make our communities better places to live, work and play. The toolkit can help you promote your celebration and create a tribute to those who deliver quality recreational and educational programming and keep our parks clean, safe and ready to use. Please click on the links below to download the documents from the toolkit.  

While we encourage all recreation and park agencies to honor their working professionals on or about July 21, (and PRPS and the Good Campaign will promote all their events), the Day’s celebrations will highlight three particular events about the state:

This year's Park Spotlights are:

Peters Township (District 1)
Carlisle Parks & Recreation Department (District 2)
Lower Makefield Township (District 3)

More details on what they will be doing for Park & Recreation Professionals Day will be available soon.

OUTREACH TOOLKIT - Download the full toolkit here!

The outreach toolkit will help you celebrate and promote Park & Recreation Professionals Day, it includes:

• GOOD IDEAS for meaningful recognition
• BLOG POSTS
  • Parks & Recreation Supports The Economic Vitality of Communities
  • Parks & Recreation Fosters Social Cohesiveness
  • Parks & Recreation Promotes Health & Wellness

• SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS - tag PRPS and Good for PA in your posts!
• Facebook:@PARecandPark and @GoodforPA
  • Facebook: cover photo, event photo, profile logo
  • Twitter: @PA_Rec_and_Park and @GoodForPA
    • Twitter profile photo, header graphic
  • Instagram: @paparkrec and @goodforpa
    • Instagram profile photo
  • LinkedIn header graphic, personal profile graphic
  • Facebook "How to go Live" instructions 

• PRESS RELEASE
  • Local Agency Media Press Release Template
  • Celebrate Park & Recreation Professionals Day in Your Community Press Release
    
    
SAMPLE PROCLAMATION: Seek and promote a Proclamation from your local governing body. Invite your elected officials to participate in your Celebration Event and publicly acknowledge your value to the community.
• Sample Park & Recreation Professionals Day Proclamation Template 
• GOOD Air Episode #4: How to Champion Your Local Park - Listen Here
  

• PRP Day Webinar: handouts
  
  LOGO: Use the logo on social media, website, and emails, from now until Park & Recreation Professionals Day and encourage your followers to do the same!  Remember to use the hashtag #ParkandRecDay
• Download logo
  
• logo with border
  
• black logo
• white logo

Infographics

 

GOOD Job! Now Open!

Inspired by the belief that local parks and recreation improves the lives of all Pennsylvanians, the Good For You, Good For All campaign raises awareness and use of our essential local assets. Pennsylvania Park and Recreation Professionals Day is celebrated each third Friday in July during National Park and Recreation Month. It honors those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide the high quality programs and facilities we desire and expect in our parks and public spaces.

The GOOD JOB! Award is presented annually on Park and Recreation Professionals Day to an individual whose contributions, through leadership, community outreach, facility management, maintenance, or program and event planning, have directly influenced the health and vitality of their community.

Eligible Recipients: Any fulltime, part-time, or volunteer parks and recreation practitioner who has shown outstanding dedication to the field and has directly impacted the local community. Nominee criteria include: Demonstrated community leadership qualities. Involvement in innovative parks and recreation initiatives. Contributions to improvements in the recreation and park system. Outstanding, long-term impacts to the local community.

Nomination Process: Nominations are submitted via this online form based on the above criteria, and you're welcome to send along a short video (less than 5 minutes) or slides highlighting the nominee’s efforts and achievements. Candidates may be self-nominated. 

Award Winners: Awardees are requested to record a short acceptance video or be available for an in-person award presentation during the third week in July.

The GOOD JOB! Award is presented annually on behalf of the Good For You, Good For All campaign by the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.

Past Good Job! Award Winners

2022 - Mitchell Kulp, Parks Superintendent, Lower Gwynedd Township
2021 - Emily Croke, Director of Parks & Recreation, Springfield Township
2019 - Tom Richino, Richland Township Parks & Recreation
2018 - Centre Region Parks & Recreation
2017 - East Goshen Township