December 2007

Prepare to Lead

These days, it's no good to rest on your laurels—no matter how much you've accomplished. For most people in most professions, some amount of continuing education is a must. Parks and recreation directors are no exception. Lucky for you, the NRPA is partnering with the Oglebay Foundation and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University to offer The Directors School, a two-year program designed to prepare new and future directors of park and recreation programs for the challenges of leading and managing.

"The primary goal of The Directors School is to provide a dynamic educational program for 'new' park and recreation administrators, and for management personnel who are being trained to assume positions as agency administrators," said Dr. Phil Rea, the founder of the school and former head of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University.

Based on standards set by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the contents of "Management of Park and Recreation Agencies," edited by Betty van der Smissen, Merry Moisiechick and Vern Hartenburg, the curriculum is divided into Year I and Year II topics. The school will be offered in 2008 for the Year I program only. Beginning in 2009, Year I and Year II schools will be conducted simultaneously.

Year I topics cover professionalism, management, leadership, alternative fund development, advocacy, performance management, strategic planning and more. In Year II, students will learn about physical resources planning, management and maintenance; information systems management, human resources management, recreation program management, fiscal resources management, risk management and more.

Faculty come from parks and recreation departments across the United States, as well as the NRPA, CAPRA, Oglebay Foundation, multiple universities and other organizations.

A limited number of qualified applicants will be accepted for the inaugural offering of the school, which will take place in August 2008 at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W.Va. Qualifying applicants must either be current park or recreation directors, current park or recreation assistants or deputy directors, or in a mid-level position training to become a park or recreation director.

Deadline for submission of applications is May 1, 2008. To learn more, visit http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=6380