Five more weeks until the Soaring to New Heights Conference! There are so many aspects of conference I am looking forward to this year. One of which is our Sponsor a Student Program at the Annual Awards Luncheon at conference.

If you haven't, what are you waiting for?

The Silent Auction is a way in which the Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation (IPRF) raises funds for the Illinois Park and Recreation Student Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund has been created to give high achieving students the opportunity to attend professional development conferences and workshops. The IPRF provides resources to park and recreation agencies and professionals statewide, and this scholarship is an important aspect of this commitment, as they work toward developing students professionally through networking and education.

There is still time to support the Illinois Park & Recreation Foundation! The IPRF has just wrapped up their strategic fundraising retreat and have many exciting things in store for 2017. Contributions are deductible as a charitable expense and must be done by December 31, 2016!

Designed with your needs in mind, the Unplug Illinois Transformation Kit is equipped to provide you with the resources, templates, tools and inspiration needed to communicate the value of parks and recreation through education and storytelling. Kits are reasonably priced and include a robust spiral bound planner with tabbed indexes which let you quickly find what you're looking for, a flash drive with pre-loaded data, pre-designed brochure ads and posters you can "plug" in your agency name along with customizable fact sheets. Order today!

Registration is open! The registration deadline is January 9, 2017. Register online and save $25!

The Illinois Park & Recreation Association (IPRA) is pleased to announce the addition of Duane Smith, CPRP to the IPRA staff team. Duane will serve as the Education and Events Coordinator.

Save the date! Providing professionals in the recreation field a curriculum that builds a strong foundation of basic skills needed to obtain a supervisory position. Sessions provide opportunities to increase knowledge, which can be implemented immediately and expose participants to emerging trends that can help advance their career in the recreation field.

Teens have fun learning to carve perfect turns, race down a slalom course, or master tricks in the terrain park with park district friends from all over Illinois. Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin has 25 unique runs that will be engaging for novice and expert ski/snowboarders alike.

Modeled after the Amazing Race, Park Pursuit allows members of IPRA to engage in a day long race where team building, healthy competition and recreation take center stage. Participants are challenged physically and mentally as they race through the streets of Park Ridge. Clue cards direct teams to various parks and landmarks where tasks are performed .

• Principal Coach & Program Specialist
• Director of Communication & Marketing
• Superintendent of Finance
• Membership Associate

  Visit the IPRA Career Center for details!

• Therapeutic Recreation Section Meeting - 1/5/17
• IPRA Early Childhood Meeting - 1/13/17
• Youth Programming Committee Meeting - 1/17/17
• A&F Section Board Meeting - 1/19/17
• Therapeutic Recreation Section Annual Meeting - 1/19/17

For more information on these, and other upcoming section & committee meetings, click here!

The Illinois Park & Recreation Association (IPRA) has solved the age-old question - what should we do this weekend? - with its Community Calendar! Park and recreation agencies, special recreation agencies, forest preserves and recreation departments can now post community events to the IPRA Community Calendar. Whether it's a 5K, nature program or Daddy/Daughter Dance, the IPRA Community Calendar is the one stop for citizens to see what's happening around Illinois!