It's cold outside, it's morning, it's dark and you are in a sleeping bag while camping for the first time in your life. You have never done anything like this before, and yet here you are in northern Alabama with fellow college students spending your spring break learning and experiencing the outdoor recreation activity of caving.

Students studying parks and recreation are essential to the future success and growth of the parks and recreation field. Their education and experiences will translate into enriching experiences for future generations as new ideas, research and technology emerge. You have the opportunity to invest in the future of a park and recreation professional by donating a gift basket to the Silent Auction at the IAPD/IPRA Annual Soaring to New Heights Conference on January 28-30, 2016.

If not, renew by December 15 to receive the early renewal discount!
Simply login in to your member profile, click Renew My Membership, and enter payment info.

Have you checked out IPRAConnect? We've just launched our latest community, Nature Programming! Login using your username and password for the IPRA website.

Do you have a talent for public speaking, or are you looking to grow your leadership skills? Become a conference moderator and leave your mark on the 2016 conference. Contact Leesa Johnson at IPRA for more information.

IPRA welcomes executive directors, future leaders, commissioners and guests to join us for the Director's Leadership Academy Breakfast (LAB). This is a light breakfast, networking and an interview with a transformational leader. The December interview will be with Adam Fox, President and CEO of the WNBA's Chicago Sky.

The challenges of today are multi-faceted and can range from social ills to business models. Do we attempt to solve them all or identify what problems our agency's effectively address? What is most important is to understand how to be relevant, thus making parks and recreation a critical success factor to the success of a community. Along the way identification and development of critical advocates to ensure your success is needed. This session will address how to evaluate where you are, the identification of critical advocates, and the implementation of a plan for relevance.

IPRA welcomes Executive Directors, future leaders, commissioners and guests to join us for the Director's Leadership Academy Breakfast (LAB). This is a light breakfast, networking and an interview with a transformational leader. February interview will be with Sonya Evanosky, MBA Vice President of Finance, Chamberlain College of Nursing

Have fun skiing and/or snowboarding with your friends and teens from other IL park districts. Wilmot Mountain has 25 runs, eight lifts, three rope tows, four terrain parks, complimentary lessons, food/concessions available, and arcade room.

Save money and register by December 7, 2015 to receive the early registration discount!

"IPRA is a great resource for meeting other professionals and has been a great resource in my career development. It has made a difference for me because I chose to get involved and those involvements are a big part of where I am in my career today."

• IPRA Athletic Committee Meeting - 12/1/15
• Administration & Finance Section Meeting & Workshop: Internal Controls - 12/2/15
• How to Partner with Suppliers Effectively - 12/3/15
• Early Childhood Committee Meeting - 12/11/15
• Therapeutic Recreation Section's PSC Inclusion Committee - 12/17/15
• School Age/Day Camp Committee Meeting - 12/17/15