Michael J. Muldoon is the Executive Director of the North Suburban Special Recreation Association. He has been chairman of the Professional Admissions and Standards Committee for two years and is presently Director of the Illinois Therapeutic Recreation Section of IPRA. He has his Master's Degree from the University of Illinois.

Continuing education opportunities

by Michael J. Muldoon

The recreation and parks professional faces a rapidly changing and increasing body of knowledge necessary to grow in the field. Computer use, marketing techniques and energy conservation, for example, are topics that have not been traditionally taught in recreation and parks curriculum. Other fields such as medicine and education have found necessary the implementation of continuing education standards for their practitioners. As society changes and technology advances, the recreation professional also needs to pursue continuing educational opportunities.

There are at present a vast and increasing number of continuing education opportunities available to the recreation and parks professional in Illinois outside the formal education setting. To coordinate this vast information and pass it on to its members, the IPRA has designated the Affiliate Relations Committee to compile a master calendar of meetings and workshops, seminars and similar efforts that is published several times yearly. Executive Director, Kay Forest, and the Board of Directors meet periodically with section and committee chairs to suggest and keep abreast of programming. Lastly, the Professional Admissions and Standards Committee was formed to evaluate and catalogue continuing education opportunities.

The educational programs divide themselves into several categories:

College and Jr. Colleges

Many professionals are seeking to supplement their recreation/parks education through graduate degrees or credit in areas such as public administration, finance and accounting principles, landscape architecture and personnel management, among others. For example, the successful Executive Development program offered through the National Recreational and Park Association at Indiana University uses professors in biology, marketing, English, economics— everything except recreation.

Private Organizations

Recently, several Park Districts have hired consultants or representatives from private industry to conduct in-service seminars for their employees. This Spring, a marketing expert, Dr. Gary Kizibash, from Northern Illinois University conducted a one day workshop for the Highland Park, Arlington Heights and Schaumberg Park Districts. The cost was shared cooperatively. This may be a trend in the central and downstate regions in the future.

National Recreation and Parks Association

NRPA holds several regional and local forums. This year they include the National Forum on Youth Sports, Community Based Recreation Programming for Special Populations, Great Lakes Park Training Institute and the Innovative Programming Forum.

Illinois Park and Recreation Association

Through the Conference Committee the highly successful state conference is held yearly servicing over 2400 professionals in 1980. The focus is on quality sessions that lately have included paid experts from private industry and colleges presenting topics in-depth often extended for two and three block sessions. In the Spring, the Continuing Education Committee coordinates the happening, a three day mini-conference. Last year, over 350 people attended this affair in Springfield. Individual committees such as the Affirmative Action Committee also plan educational programs.

IPRA Sections

The four membership sections of IPRA offer a wide variety of one day workshops, seminars and even week-long schools across the state for varying costs. This year the Parks section has plans for a Parks Manageement School and the Administrative and Finance Section has a state executive development school slated for the Fall in Champaign. The Therapeutic Recreation Society holds three extensive workshops yearly and the Recreation and Special Facilities Section have sponsored a number of programs in 1981 already. In addition, each section contributes greatly to the Conference and Happening sessions.

Affiliate Organizations

Across the state there are IPRA affiliates: North Shore Round Table, Suburban Parks and Recreation Association, South Suburban Parks and Recreation Association, Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association, Midwest Institute of Park Executives and Special Recreation Association Northern Illinois. Between these groups meetings, speakers, potpourri's, seminars and workshops are sponsored. The affiliates react directly to their membership, keep the costs down, and provide opportunities in close geographic proximity to their members. For example, the SPRA Playground Institute in 1981 had over 450 registrants

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at a cost of $5 for their members for a full day of speakers and "hands-on" experiences.

Allied Fields

There are a number of other governmental agencies and related associations such as the Illinois Department of Conservation, Forest Preserve Districts, Illinois Community Education Association, Illinois Planning Commission, Ice Skating Institute of America, the International Society of Arborculture and the Illinois Art Education Association. The list is endless . . . each agency sponsors continuing education programs and several have yearly conferences.

To categorize, evaluate and determine the value of continuing education programs for recreation and parks personnel, the Professional Admissions and Standards Committee was formed. The President of IPRA appoints members to serve as examiners and administrators of the plan of registration approved by the IPRA Board of Directors. Duties of the Committee include publishing names of professionals and registered associates, keeping an active list of those registered and conducting or assisting in researching problems related to professional standards.

It is the intention of the IPRA Board of Directors to establish standards to help insure that Illinois residents receive the very best in leisure activities and facilities. A professional registration system insures that individuals fulfill the requirements necessary related to educational and practical experience.

The Admissions and Standards Committee assigns continuing education points to each of the educational opportunities mentioned in this article based on intensity and duration. For example, a workshop on Grantsmanship lasting from 7-12 hours and covering the subject in great intensity, would receive 4 points. A seminar on the Consolidation of Elections lasting from 3-6 hours on one subject would receive 2 points. Each request for continuing education points is evaluated individually. A minimum of seven (7) points is needed yearly to maintain professional standing.

Recently, the Committee published a pamphlet concerning the entire registration plan. A "how to" manual for interested IPRA members is available at the IPRA office 250 E. Wood, Palatine, IL 60067.

Following is a list of affiliate organizations:

Midwest Institute of Park Executives, Bill Brauer, Du Page County Forest Preserve District
North Suburban Round Table - Don Kapple, Wheeling Park District
Suburban Parks & Recreation Association - Pat Hussey, Schaumburg Park District
South Suburban Parks & Recreation Association - Ron Lorenzo, Palos Heights Park Recreation Dept.
So. Ill. Parks and Recreation Association - Jim Hammontree, Belleville Parks and Recreation Dept.
Special Recreation Association of Northern Illinois - Cindy Kirwan, 375 Oswego, Park Forest

Illinois Parks and Recreation 17 September/October 1981