Members and students gather to hear seminars presented at the annual ARPA Conference.
The Alabama Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) held its annual conference in Auburn, Alabama, on Jan. 26-28, 2025. Faculty and students in the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment (CFWE) Parks and Recreation Management (PARK) undergraduate degree program attended the conference, presented talks and were able to volunteer to help facilitate the meeting.
The conference featured three days of education sessions, an exhibit hall where attendees shared new trends, opportunities to meet with leaders in the recreation industry and evening networking socials.
The ARPA, an official affiliate of the National Recreation and Parks Association, is a non-profit professional organization that represents more than 900 professionals by delivering park, recreation and therapeutic recreation services in local, county, state, school district, private and agency settings. The ARPA provides benefits to local economies, individuals, environments and communities.
Allie McCreary, assistant professor in parks and recreation management in the CFWE, introduced her PARK students to the ARPA conference as an opportunity to make connections and explore future opportunities post-graduation.
“As a new program, we are looking for ways to get the word out about this great, new degree,” McCreary said. “Sometimes, parks and recreation management can be a ‘discovery’ major, meaning that students don’t discover it until they’re on campus for a few years.”
Throughout the duration of the ARPA’s annual conference, undergraduates and faculty were able to attend sessions led by professionals in the parks and recreation industry. Students found that the sessions deepened their understanding of how professionals create, sustain and improve recreational programs for their communities. They were also able to learn about different leadership mindsets, essential skills for park and recreation industry leaders, problem awareness, risk management and more.
“We want students to hear about it [PARK] when they’re making decisions early on about their university, college and major so that we can start working with them right away to build industry connections and take advantage of opportunities for them to have high-impact internships and seasonal jobs before graduating,” said McCreary.
During the conference, students gained a better understanding of the multi-faceted processes and layers of local government and how parks and recreation can integrate within these systems. They learned how parks professionals work alongside planning departments, landscape architects, grant writers and other funding agencies and governing bodies to facilitate programs.
One PARK student who attended the ARPA Conference reflected that, “parks and recreation have been an extremely positive influence on my life. It is part of our duty to make parks accessible for everyone because it could be a life-changing experience for them.”
Auburn Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl heading the opening conference session.
The ARPA conference also included a tour of athletic facilities on Auburn’s campus, learning about the PARK major and an opening session featuring Auburn Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl.
Reflecting on the students’ participation in the conference, McCreary’s is hopeful the students gained valuable benefits from their attendance.
“Conferences provide great educational opportunities but also enable professionals to gain valuable networking skills that will help them cultivate lasting professional connections and a sense of community that will benefit them throughout their careers,” said McCreary.
