Maine's voice for community recreation and public parks

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The Maine Recreation & Park Association is a 501c3 non profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all in Maine.

Central to this core purpose is the understanding that quality park systems and recreation programs are vital components of a healthy community.  Our membership is made up of municipal and state employees in park and recreation service delivery, therapeutic recreation providers, educators, commercial recreation and related businesses, citizen board members, students and park friends agencies.
 
Objectives:
  • To unite people and groups with common interests in one state wide Recreation and Parks association.
  •  
    To foster and maintain the highest standards of training, professional qualifications and ethics in the field of Recreation and Parks.
  • To stimulate and promote planned recreation and leisure services throughout the State of Maine.
  • To study, endorse and actively support legislation pertaining to Recreation and Parks.
  • To affiliate with local, state and national organizations in related fields.
  • To support, promote and practice the wisest use of our national resources.
  • To provide opportunities to share concerns and ideas with others interested in Recreation and Parks.
  • To educate and update the public on existence of Therapeutic Recreation and integrating special needs groups into the community.
  • To offer seminars, lectures, and conferences in Recreation, Parks and Therapeutic Recreation.
 

Park and Recreation Services are a vital part of a healthy active lifestyle.

 

The Maine Recreation and Park Association invites you to use the information you find here to help make your community a better place to live and to do business in by supporting your local park system and recreation services in your city or town.


 

Did You Know That:

 

n  61% of Maine adults are overweight or obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2004)

n  27% of Maine high-school students and 30% of Maine middle school students are overweight or at risk for overweight. (ME YRBSS, 2003)

n  36% of Maine kindergarten students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (ME CHS, 2002)

n  33% of low-income children between 2 and 5 years of age in Maine are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC PedNSS, 2003)

n  Access to facilities like parks and activity programs is associated with more activity for both children and adults. (Sallis, Prochaska, and Taylor 2000)

n  The more time children spend outdoors, the more likely they are to be active. (Baranowski and Puhl 1993)

n  Active users of public parks have a lower body mass index (a ratio between weight and height) than did people who use parks passively or not at all? (Godbey, G., Roy, M., Payne, L. L., & Orsega-Smith, E. (1998)

n  89% of city managers indicated that the primary governmental agency responsible for helping to address the obesity problem is parks and recreation (ICMA, 2004)  


ASSOCIATION HISTORY

 

The Maine Recreation and Park Association was created in 1966 by a group of professionals serving various municipalities across the state.  The initial call for organization was the idea that by forming an association of peers, the individuals within this group could benefit from the combined knowledge of all.  At its most basic level this idea has been central to the existence of the association since.

 

The association offered regular training events and conferences to improve the knowledge base of association members, and established professional awards to recognize outstanding performance in the field of parks and recreation.  From its inception the association has been and continues to be a volunteer driven organization.

 

 

For more information:

 

Maine Recreation & Park Association
c/o University of Maine, Machias
9 O'Brien Avenue
machias, Maine 04654
 
 
MRPA is an affiliate of:
 

 

 

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

Current activies are focused on three main areas; professional development, grants, and advancing the field of parks and recreation.

 

  • Education, training and professional development of our association members is a primary focus of the association’s activities.  We organize professional development opportunities for our association members annually and facilitate a number of smaller regional meetings and workshops designed to keep our membership up to date on issues related to our field.

  

  • The Maine Recreation & Park Association believes strongly in the efforts of its members to enhance their professional development;  to this end, MRPA will, through the  Professional Development Grants Program, and Student Grant Program offer assistance to its members in the furtherance of such efforts.

GRANT AMOUNTS       Up to $500 will be awarded biannually respectively.

 

GRANT DEADLINES     March 1 and September 1 of each year respectively.

  • We continually seek to grow the association, expand the numbers of professionals serving in communities across the state, and to build coalitions with like-minded organizations to further the benefits of recreation and access to parks for all people in the state of Maine.  We provide information to elected officials at the local, state and federal levels regarding policies that either enhance or inhibit the abilities of our members in the pursuit of their mission.