Parks & Recreation 2022 Innovation Guide

INNOVATION GUIDE 2022 N R PA .O RG

2022 INNOVATION GUIDE The 2022 NRPA Innovation Award Winners

SMART DESIGN EQUALS SMART PLAY

At Landscape Structures, a lot of thought goes into designing our Smart Play® playstructures. Each must include a ton of activities, an equal ton of play value, yet offer a compact footprint. With a variety of innovative themes and concepts to choose from, these preconfigured playstructures are smart, whimsical and easy to order.

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©2022 Landscape Structures Inc. All rights reserved.

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Landscape Structures Inc. Collaborating to Create Adventure-Inspiring Designs Playgrounds and outdoor play do so much more than expend a child’s excess energy. Playing on a playground teaches children self-regulation, how to handle stressful situations, and increases self-confidence and selfesteem. Including exciting and interesting playground elements that test and challenge children of all ages and abilities increases these benefits.

Landscape Structures Inc., a Delano, Minnesota-based commercial playground equipment manufacturer, is aware of the importance of designing innovative playground products that engage and challenge all kids. The company’s team of playground designers, sculptors and artists collaborate with clients to create playground designs that offer exciting and challenging play activities to

entice children to be active, use their imaginations, and help them to fully develop a wide array of skills.

Landscape Structures’ newest innovation, Smart Play® Summit™ (playlsi.com/Summit), delivers a mountain adventure for kids ages 5 to 12. But there’s more to it than just reaching the peak. Kids can search for hidden animal tracks as they trek across laser-cut climbing decks and three-dimensional nets. Best of all, kids of all abilities will find a variety of learning and sensory play experiences with many activity panels along the accessible route.

Designing a playground environment is not a one-size-fits-all process.

That’s why Landscape Structures and its global network of playground consultants are prepared to collab-

orate with landscape architects and park and playground planners to develop designs that celebrate the heritage of a community, bring children and families of all abilities together for play, promote outdoor adventure, and, above all, help your project stand out from the rest.

Learn more about Summit and how to create adventure-inspiring designs at playlsi.com. While there, search our library of designs for more inspiration and so much more.

playlsi.com 888.438.6574

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Contents Feature 10 Innovation in Parks and Recreation

Company Profiles

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Landscape Structures Inc. EP Climbing Shade Systems™ The Toro Company Issuu DaySmart Recreation Smart Rain Creos

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EP Climbing Innovative Play With Free-Standing Boulders

INNOVATIVE PLAY

With the rising popularity of climbing, we’ve created pre-casted and custom-built indoor and outdoor boulders that include natural routes and set routes with handholds. Routes vary in difficulty to offer opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. We’ve integrated accessible routes for adaptive climbers and climbers with disabilities, expanding this recreational opportunity to all in this rapidly growing sport.

From the youngest scramblers to elite rock climbers, outdoor boulders in parks and playgrounds match the needs of your community. The boulders provide an opportunity for parents and children to share a common activity and time together.

Manufactured in Bend, Oregon, by an expert team, we take pride in delivering complete solutions to our customers. epclimbing.com 541.388.5463

Made in Bend, Oregon info@epusa.com 2

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®

The X-TREME NINJA line by Greenf ields Outdoor Fitness is ready to test your strength, agility, and endurance. Race through the obstacles, improve your time, and compete with f riends! Not for the faint of heart, the X-TREME NINJA course offers challenging features such as rotating cone wheels, hovering beams, jump boards and much more!

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Shade Systems

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Trust the most capable fabric shade manufacturer

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Shade Systems™ is the premier manufacturer of outdoor fabric shade products designed to protect people and property from the harmful effects of the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays. Whether it’s for playgrounds, sports fields, pool decks or concession areas, a perfect solution for harmful sun exposure is a durable and attractive shade product from Shade Systems.

Now in our 20th year, we design and manufacture all our products at our state-of-the-art fabrication plant in beautiful Ocala, Florida. At over 100,000 square feet, the Shade Sys2023 tems plant2003 is a YEARS completely vertically integrated,YEARS fully OF EXCELLENCE OF EXCELLENCE self-contained manufacturing facility where all oper2003-2023 ations and processes required to produce your shade structures are completed under one roof. Such focused

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attention to detail ensures complete quality control and American manufacturing efficiency.

A perfect example of our leadership is our patented Turn-N-Slide™ easy canopy removal and reattachment system. At times imitated by our competitors — but never equaled — our time-tested Turn-N-Slide fastening system makes it easy for most anyone on your staff to quickly remove and reattach the canopy in the event of a severe storm or for the winter season. Shade Systems was the first to manufacture such a system, and our Turn-N-Slide is still the most-used fastening system with the longest, most successful track record.

Likewise, our imaginative “Sail” products are the highest quality fabric tension structures on the market.

Like our frame-supported shade products, Sails feature all stainless-steel cables and hardware and an easy-touse quick release system for fast removal of the canopies. Engineered to last and designed for beauty, Sails add a stunning skyline to your site while providing much-needed shade.

With a nationwide network of dedicated sales representatives and installers, you can trust Shade Systems to help you create the perfect shade solutions for your particular site, including complete design, planning and installation services for a turnkey project that’s done on time and on budget.

For all the above reasons, along with the most air-tight warranties on the market, Shade Systems is proud to be your first choice in quality shade products for public venues.

shadesystemsinc.com 800.609.6066 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

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Pickleball Courts need shade to protect players, and Shade Systems™ offers the perfect solution! ✓ Multi-Panel Mega Spans cover HUGE spaces and are ideal for shading pickleball courts.

✓ All stainless steel hardware and cables for maximum corrosion resistance.

✓ Colorful CoolNet™ shade fabrics provide up to 99% U.V. screening.

✓ Most comprehensive warranties in the industry.

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The Toro Company

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ounded in 1914, Toro is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, including turf maintenance; snow management; landscape, rental and specialty construction equipment; and irrigation solutions. Through a strong network of distributors, dealers, retailers and rental stores in more than 125 countries, Toro helps customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, construction sites, and agricultural operations.

Toro Workman UTX The Workman UTX is a straightforward, no-nonsense, four-wheel drive utility vehicle built to stand up to the toughest tests without compromising performance. With standard commercial-grade components, the highest payload in its class, and a proprietary speed control system, it’s designed for the rigors of a long work week — not just a few hours of recreation on the weekends. The Workman UTX has the muscle to blast through snowdrifts while still maintaining the ability to regulate speed and sound in sensitive areas. To raise the standard further, every Workman UTX features an integrated plow mount, power steering, turn signals, brake lights and a spray-on bed liner.

Toro Field Pro 6040 From the leader in infield maintenance, the Field Pro 6040 will help you create ballfields that fans and players love. This workhorse features efficient operation with the innovative MultiTool™, ergonomic operator comfort and incredible versatility in attachment options. The dedicated platform produces a consistent, superior infield playing surface regardless of starting conditions. Precision engineering means precise results. With the Field Pro 6040, it’s game on.

toro.com 888.384.9939

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TORO INNOVATION. SEE IT IN PERSON. Toro is committed to creating the most durable, reliable and productive equipment for grounds professionals.

With a wide range of innovative products to choose from, Toro has the right solution for any season.

WORKMAN® UTX SERIES

FIELD PRO® 6040

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL TORO DISTRIBUTOR FOR A DEMO TODAY! 800-803-8676

© 2022 The Toro Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Issuu Issuu empowers you to better engage with your community by uploading your park and recreation program guides, brochures, catalogs, annual reports and more.

Easily promote your activities by instantly transforming your static PDFs into dynamic digital experiences. Create additional assets from just one PDF at the click of a button and easily share with your entire community.

Save on printing costs — creating seasonal programs can be expensive, and we’re here to help! By going digital with Issuu, not only are you saving time and effort, but also you’re saving money.

“We typically do four brochures per year, sent out to 12,000 households. By going fully digital with Issuu, we save around $55,000 every year in printing costs,” says Thomas Romano, community program coordinator for Town of Lexington (Massachusetts) Recreation.

What Is Issuu?

A truly modern media company, Issuu gives anyone with digitally bound content the ability to upload and distribute their publications worldwide — in just minutes and as often as they’d like.

Each day, more than 20,000 newly uploaded publications become instantly available to active readers around the world who use Issuu’s site and mobile apps to discover and engage with what they love — from magazines, newspapers and portfolios, to catalogs, DIY guides, community programs and more.

Creators everywhere choose to publish on Issuu because they get what they need to grow, including collaboration tools, advanced analytics, and the ability to charge for publications. And their readers are rewarded with the absolute best reading experience possible — regardless of device or platform.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Issuu also has offices in Copenhagen, Denmark; Berlin, Germany; and Braga, Portugal.

issuu.com

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Innovation in Parks and Recreation

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ach year, the NRPA Innovation Awards recognize and honor the park and recreation professionals, and their agencies, who are making the latest advancements in the field of parks and recreation. The 2022 Innovation Award winners highlighted below exemplify the inspiring work park and recreation professionals are doing in their communities.

Innovation in Health — Tallahassee (Florida) Senior Center, UPSLIDE

WARIDSARA/ADOBESTOCK

PHOTO COURTESY OF TALLAHASSEE PARKS, RECREATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS

It is well-recognized that loneliness is a persistent public health issue, and one that was exacerbated during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic due to physical distancing and stayat-home mandates. To address this issue, park and recreation professionals

at the Tallahassee Senior Center created the Utilizing and Promoting Social Engagement for Loneliness, Isolation and Depression in the Elderly (UPSLIDE) program to combat loneliness and isolation in older adults.

The program takes a holistic approach by providing no-cost individual counseling, therapeutic support groups, transportation

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assistance, social engagement support, resource connection and social events.

It also features Friends Connection groups that provide meaningful social interaction, both in person and virtually. “UPSLIDE is unique for addressing loneliness and isolation long before COVID-19,” says Ashley Edwards, director of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs. “Services are flexible and individualized, and quality mental health counseling is available at no cost, which has literally saved lives.

UPSLIDE has helped over 500 people become part of a community, thus improving their mental health and overall quality of life.”

The UPSLIDE program engages trained mental health professionals to assess and identify individuals’ complex issues, as well as provide intervention, care, support and guidance. The program also provides essential mental health counseling to underserved populations at no cost, so they can improve their quality of life by combating the negative social determinants of health. According to UPSLIDE staff, they prioritize knowing and understanding the unique personalities and needs of

Park and recreation professionals at the Tallahassee (Florida) Senior Center created the UPSLIDE program to combat loneliness and isolation in older adults.

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BEST IN

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY

N O I T A INNOV Congratulations to Forest Preserves of Cook County (Illinois) for winning the overall 2022 Best in Innovation Award for its project, Palos Preserves Urban Night Sky Place.

each participant and follow up with individuals to ensure their social, emotional and physical health needs are being met.

Community Engagement and Partnerships During the first year of UPSLIDE, Friends Connection sites were chosen with a focus on rural and underserved communities, which also coincided with additional outreach efforts. These efforts included press releases, television and radio advertisements, fliers and brochures, as well as social media posts. More than 1,500 people were reached through formal presentations, exhibit tables, community announcements and partner conversations.

These engagement efforts and more educated the community about the harmful effects of loneliness and isolation, the importance of social connection, and the ways the UPSLIDE program helps to foster healthy people for a healthy community.

Program Impacts Since 2018, more than 450 individuals have been served by the UPSLIDE program. Of these people, 350 have attended at least one Friends Connection group and approximately 150 have taken advantage of the counseling services.

In 2020 and 2021, 90 percent of participants said UPSLIDE made a positive difference in their lives.

Additionally, 75 percent said they made friends and felt less isolated, and 90 percent said their quality of life had improved.

Looking to the Future Grant funding, as well as financial support from the City of Tallahassee, helps to ensure UPSLIDE staff can continue providing services, as well as expand the program. Staff plan to continue to seek out funding for additional opportunities for social engagement, such as field trips and educational programs. Staff also will continue to engage community

members and partners by presenting at local, regional and national conferences to encourage involvement in the program.

Innovation in Equity — Hillsborough County (Florida) Parks and Recreation, Hillsborough County Wheelchair Football The Hillsborough County All People’s Community Park and Life Center — a facility created for serving people with disabilities — is home to Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports (HCAS), a program that serves people with disabilities and veterans. To increase opportunities for competitive play, HCAS staff created a wheelchair football program.

While all participants have a physical disability, many represent minority groups, including 30 percent Black or African American, 29 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 14 percent New Americans.

The program also is free, including travel and equipment, which allows

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION PHOTO COURTESY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION

Hillsborough County (Florida) Adaptive Sports is the only team representing a government agency in the USA Wheelchair Football League.

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individuals with financial barriers to participate.

“Offering competitive team sports to adults with physical disabilities is unfortunately rare,” says Adrienne Rouse, CPRP, manager of recreation services for Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation. “We are proud to provide this program at little to no cost to the athlete. The sense of pride and belonging that comes from being a part of a team brings a positive emotional health benefit that is felt by the athlete, their families and the community.”

Currently, HCAS is the only team representing a government agency in the USA Wheelchair Football League — most others are run by nonprofits.

Running a league costs approximately $40,000 annually, and Hillsborough County provides resources that may not be available to nonprofits, such as creation of professional promotional materials, a dedicated home facility, an adaptive fitness center, an in-house wheelchair technician, a Friends of the Parks group, a professional sponsorship manager and more.

Fifty percent of coaches in the program are Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists. Having this certification helps coaches understand how to adapt equipment and programming to improve accessibility.

Community Engagement and Partnerships By engaging partners, HCAS has been able to remove financial barriers and reach underrepresented segments of the population. For example, the

In its first season, the wheelchair football program provided access to the sport to 25 people with disabilities.

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Program Impacts In its first season, the HCAS wheelchair football program provided access to the sport to 25 people with disabilities. Since 2020, attendance has increased by 200 percent.

One of the goals of the program was to serve veterans, and the program’s reach to this population has been successful. The makeup of the team comprises 40 percent veterans, and the relationships with the James Haley Veterans’ Hospital and the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch will help continue to increase veteran attendance.

What’s more, participants often express the positive impact the sport has had on their social and emotional well-being.

greater support and resources to help expand the program.

HCAS staff also have been creating plans for sustained funding for the program. The department recently created a sponsorship coordinator position, which focuses on building public-private partnerships to raise funds and increase program support.

Additionally, HCAS works closely with the Friends of the County Parks and Recreation, which assists with fundraising and volunteer support.

Innovation in Conservation — Forest Preserves of Cook County (Illinois), Palos Preserves Urban Night Sky Place After a report was released revealing that Chicago is the most dangerous city in the country for migratory birds due to light pollution, the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the Forest Preserves) worked with the Adler Planetarium to develop a plan to convert all indoor and outdoor lighting to meet the recommenda-

tions of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). Today, the Palos Preserve system — a 6,662-acre area just 15 miles from downtown Chicago — emits almost 1,000 times less light than downtown Chicago, with four times as many stars visible in the night sky as in the city.

The Forest Preserves will provide public access at night to select locations within the Palos Preserves and will host dark sky-related events and activities throughout the year, most of which will be no cost to attendees.

What’s more, the Adler Planetarium’s Far Horizons program improves the ground observing networks designed to collect data on light pollution while engaging “teen stratonauts” from diverse communities in the Chicago region. And while the Forest Preserves is in the process of completing retrofits to conserve energy and meet the lofty standards of the IDA in order to protect the nighttime environment, Adler Planetarium staff and the stratonauts participate in lighting inventories and output audits to support this work.

The Palos Preserve system emits almost 1,000 times less light than downtown Chicago, with four times as many stars visible in the night sky.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY

league is backed by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, which supplies funding and helps to create additional relationships. The James Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch enhance outreach efforts to engage more veterans.

HCAS staff work with Move United, the governing body for USA Wheelchair Football, to secure grants, purchase equipment, receive training and plan tournaments. Staff also partner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who provide gear, marketing and fundraising support, and the team name.

Looking to the Future Partnerships, financial support and staff training will serve to ensure the HCAS wheelchair football program continues to be a success. HCAS has demonstrated it is a reliable partner that provides a high level of service, and its relationship with Move United, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and others continues to grow, providing PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | 2 02 2 I N N OVAT I O N G U I D E |

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“People know the Palos Preserves for its extensive trail system and the natural wonder of the hills, bluffs, woodlands and wetlands. I’m pleased that with this Urban Night Sky designation, the site is also recognized as a location that preserves the night,” says Arnold Randall, general superintendent of the Forest Preserves. “The many species of plants, insects, birds and other animals that call the Palos Preserves home benefit from the absence of disturbing artificial lighting.”

Receiving the Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP) designation makes the Palos Preserves “the largest Urban Night Sky Place in the world” by the IDA. The UNSP designation helps promote the resource of the nighttime environment to those who are in most need of it.

Community Engagement and Partnerships As part of the UNSP application process, the Forest Preserves received letters of support from the mayor of the Village of Homer Glen, the president and CEO of the Adler Planetarium, the mayor of the Village of Palos Park, the president of the Chicago Audubon Society, the chief sustainability officer of Cook County, the president of Moraine Valley Community College, the president of the Chicago Astronomical Society, the president of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, and the president and CEO of the Chicago Academy of Sciences/ Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

The Forest Preserves’ partnership with the Adler Planetarium was critical to the success of the project, and they will continue to partner to provide educational programs and events, such as stargazing nights, night hikes, owling and light pollution awareness programs.

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Project Impacts Receiving the UNSP designation from the IDA was a critical measure of success. Additionally, Forest Preserves staff state that local support from colleges, municipalities, and conservation and community science organizations with similar missions is a testament to the success of the initial stages of the program.

Looking to the Future The dark sky program is included in the Forest Preserves’ Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Plan and the Clean Energy Framework, which includes goals and objectives through 2050. Additionally, Forest Preserves staff plan to continue to retrofit their facilities inline with the IDA’s UNSP standards to expand and enhance the project.

The Forest Preserves’ new community science light monitoring program, which was a result of proceeding with the UNSP application in collaboration with the Adler Planetarium and a diverse community of volunteers across the Chicago region, is expected to continue to grow and evolve. And, the Forest Preserves’ Energy Group’s lighting management plan and retrofits described in the Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Plan and Clean Energy Framework will ensure this program has long-term viability.

Innovation in Park Design — Fishers (Indiana) Parks and Recreation Department, Fishers Maker Playground The Fishers Maker Playground — a 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art public maker space at the Hub and Spoke building in West Fishers —

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offers users tools, technology and arts to encourage imagination, curiosity, engineering, building and more. The space includes a wood shop, metal shop, 3-D printers, computers, tools and more.

While the playground welcomes users ages 16 and older, staff partner with educators, artists and industry leaders to introduce hands-on learning to younger children through programs, camps and activities.

“Fishers Maker Playground is a space where tools, technology and art come together to foster innovation in our community,” says Sarah Sandquist, director of Fishers Parks and Recreation. “Our collaborative partnership with Hamilton Southeastern Schools brings over 1,600 fifth graders through the space for hands-on STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art and math]-based study trips. At the Maker Playground, anyone can be a maker and learn new skills or grow existing ones.”

The goal of the Maker Playground is to equip community members with the tools and skills needed for a career in the trades, to improve skills of a lifelong hobbyist, to provide older adults with opportunities to learn new skills, and to show children what opportunities are available to them that they may otherwise not be aware of.

By partnering with Hamilton Southeastern School District (HSE) to provide experiential programming to fifth graders, Fishers Parks and Recreation staff are bridging the gap between education and industry.

Community Engagement and Partnerships In designing the space, Fishers Parks and Recreation staff engaged with the

Fishers Maker Playground offers users tools, technology and arts to encourage imagination, curiosity, engineering, building and more.

Project Impacts Initial data from the project shows that in its first year, more than 1,500 fifth grade students, as well as 209 members, visited the Maker Playground. In less than three months, there were 84 reservations for the computer numerical control (CNC) laser cutter, and approximately 15 3-D printing projects are completed per work week.

Fishers Parks and Recreation staff also assert that they have received accolades from community members that data cannot convey. One member, a woman in her 60s, thanked staff for providing her with a platform to learn new skills and keep her hands active and her mind sharp. Members also have written unsolicited letters to the director of Fishers Parks and Recreation and the mayor, thanking them for offering a unique experience.

Looking to the Future Fishers Parks and Recreation staff use metrics, such as reservation

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FISHERS PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

local maker community to determine what people wanted to see within the playground and what gaps could be filled by providing opportunities that were not being offered at other workshops or maker spaces. Staff also collaborated with the school district to help build STEAM curriculum.

Fishers Parks and Recreation partnered with the Hub and Spoke Institute on the construction planning and funding development and HSE on curriculum development. A local internet of things lab and community co-working space, Launch Fishers, also helped with initial planning ideas and provided advice about roadblocks to avoid at the start of the project.

logs, to identify where the greatest need is for new equipment. Additionally, feedback from members and other data are received in real time, allowing staff to make adjustments quickly when needed. For example, based on feedback and visit times, park hours were adjusted to be open later on weekdays and not

as late on weekends.

As the program and space continue to grow, staff will implement member surveys and program participant surveys, continue to solicit feedback from visitors, seek advice from community partners and work with the school district to plan for the future.

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DaySmart Recreation Recreation facility management made easy

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aving an all-in-one facility management solution is the best way to grow with your community and simplify operations across your organization. With DaySmart Recreation’s mobile-friendly facility management solution, we’re making it easy to streamline scheduling, registration, payment processing and community engagement in one platform, so your staff and members can find important information wherever they are.

Streamline Payments Make payments and processing for rentals, concessions, tickets and membership a breeze with payment processing built into DaySmart Recreation. With additional features, like reoccurring payments and being able to send invoices, you can ensure your facility isn’t missing out on revenue.

Measure Success and Track Progress Monitor payments, resources and program performance so your team can forecast future demand. With all your important facility data in one location and more than 60 standard reports built into the platform, you can easily view finances and facility usage in real time.

Make an Impact With Robust Solution Capabilities Simplify Scheduling and Reservations Do you run into double-booking or unused space because of low visibility across facility locations and schedules? Planning and booking leagues, camps and reoccurring events are easy with our calendar solution that gives you visibility across multiple locations and rentals.

Improve Customer Experience Retain and grow your community base with our mobile-friendly solution. DaySmart Recreation’s interface is easy to navigate, 16

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so members can quickly make reservations, view family member details and see upcoming events. Your facility also can use member data to send targeted communications about upcoming events members of your community might be interested in based on past engagement.

Automate Check-In Kick paper check-in to the curb with mobile check-in capabilities all in one platform. Having this data stored in the same locations as your other facility reporting makes it easy for your staff to manage attendance by reducing manual work and entry errors so you can track program performance and membership engagement.

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Have you heard?

DaySmart Recreation acquired TeamUp, a leading provider of fitness and gym management software. TeamUp takes away the heavy lifting by managing your customer data, memberships and class booking all in one place.

For more information on how DaySmart Recreation is helping other NRPA members, visit daysmartrecreation.com/nrpa or give us a call.

daysmartrecreation.com/nrpa 800.881.6515

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Smart Rain

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mart Rain technology saves water and money on commercial and municipal landscapes, giving users the simplest water management solution on the market. Whether you step foot on the property or not, you’ll know exactly what is happening thanks to information from your mobile device or computer.

We live in a day and age where technology is at our fingertips. Why not use it to your advantage? It’s easy to conserve water and cut water bills with Smart Rain products.

Our EPA-certified, LEED-qualifying SmartController™ is a loyal minion, pushing data points of weather, schedules and more from SmartApp™ to sprinkler heads, as well as giving real-time reports of actions and savings while you are working hard at the office or on-site.

Or, even while you’re hardly working from the beach in Cabo San Lucas.

You can have peace of mind that the landscape is healthy and watering is effective.

You know what else gives you peace of mind? Your remote water management team. You didn’t even know you had one, huh?

Smart Rain’s customer success team helps get the most savings possible out of your irrigation system.

Smart Rain

customers get a dedicated account manager that is available 24/7. This proactive manager monitors your sites for efficiency and brings in other experts from the team as needed. All this allows you to focus more of your time on what you do best.

Time can be as precious as water. One of the many award-winning features is our interactive SmartMapping™. This feature allows users to identify watering zones and other equipment on an interactive map. By clicking a zone on the map, one can manage and operate zones and more. No need to drill down to that zone on another screen. Stay on the map view, locate the zone. Click.

Manage. Save. Now, that’s simple.

The City of Sanford, Florida, has seen great success using Smart Rain.

Its parks department’s workforce was down by 50 percent this past summer. Yet, during the hottest month of the year, August, the staff only needed to water two times! The Smart Rain system responded with perfec-

tion, using the hyper-local SmartWeather™ data and utilizing the most accurate weather reports within two square miles. Now that is weather-based watering technology at its finest.

“I love the simplicity of Smart Rain. Being short-staffed, the automated smart features save me a lot of time,” says Benson Josue, parks superintendent for City of Sanford.

Using more than 3 million weather data points, our smart water system is worry free. And at no extra cost, we provide lifetime support and lifetime training, as well as a lifetime warranty. We are here to make your job easier. So, when we have a software update, you get it immediately.

When a SmartController™ is out of date, we send you a new one.

Smart Rain saves water, money and time.

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Parks & Recreation

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Creos

We Came. We Saw. We Transformed.

The 2022 NRPA Annual Conference is now wrapped. We were truly fortunate to have met so many incredible and enthusiastic people who gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our passion for bringing the arts to parks around the world.

We were thrilled to launch Optik, our latest installation, and excited to see the reactions of attendees. Optik is one of our many interactive installations designed to lighten up, brighten up and breathe new life into your public spaces.

es on four continents, creating unforgettable moments for millions of people day and night.

Deborah McAuliffe Senner, president and CEO of Allied Arts in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, had this to say: “We were delighted to partner with Creos to introduce interactive, largescale pieces as part of our 50th anniversary celebration. It was so inspiring to see how Oscillation sparked joy, excitement and creativity — thrilling art fans and creating new ones.”

Trusted Worldwide

If you enjoyed what you saw and experienced at the NRPA Annual Conference and are curious about how

we can work together, we’re here to make it easy for you. We will make magic happen and transform your park or public space into a vibrant and attractive gathering place for your community. We hope to hear from you soon. Drop us a line at naomi.adler@creos.io.

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Our touring installation transformed more than 300 parks and public spac-

We Make It Easy for You!

Optik a creation of The Urban Conga

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Interactive Art for All Bring communities closer together Increase visitor traffic Create memorable moments Amplify social media presence Generate added revenue

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Parks & Recreation

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BECOME A CERTIFIED PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSIONAL Do you want to open the door to bigger and better opportunities for your career and community?

Demonstrate your commitment to parks and recreation by becoming a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP).

IMPACT IMPACT YOUR YOUR CAREER COMMUNITY

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Apply now at nrpa.org/Become-A-CPRP

Because one size doesn’t fit all, NRPA offers many ways to support the field of parks and recreation.

Choose the one(s) that best suits your situation: Online Giving is an easy click away.

Monthly Giving gives you flexibility while being an anchor of support for NRPA. Tribute Gifts honor someone special or celebrate an important occasion.

Gifts of Appreciated Stock allow you to save on taxes while supporting parks and recreation.

Gifts Through a Donor-Advised Fund are a great way to see the impact of your gift right away.

Gifts from your IRA may be a great way to avoid taxes on your withdrawal and meet your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

Designating NRPA as a beneficiary in your will, trust, IRA, retirement account or life insurance plan ensures parks and recreation will be around for generations to come.

Give Today nrpa.org/Give