Discover Tampa Bay: your journey continues

Parks & Recreation, Sept, 2002

You are planning on joining your peers in Tampa Bay next month, right? After all, NRPA's National Congress and Exposition, set for Oct. 15-19, is the premier recreation and park educational training event in the country. For specific information on more than 300 CEU-accredited workshops, 21 off-site institutes, our standard-setting exposition, awards luncheon and more, read on.

See Tampa?

Tampa sightseeing tours will give you a chance to experience more than the convention center. Tours are planned to the following locations:

* Disney World

* Tarpon Springs

* Beach

* Dolphin Watch Cruise

* Deep Sea Fishing

* Tampa City Tours

* Flatwoods Adventure Tour

* Shopping

* Behind-the-Scenes Arts Tour

* Canoeing

* Gambling Cruise

Downloadable registration forms are available on NRPA's Web site. Space is limited, and pre-registration by Oct. 1 is recommended. On-site ticket sales will be on a space-available basis only. Tickets may be picked up at the Tour Desk in the Tampa Convention Center prior to departure. All tours depart from the convention center.

NRPA Welcome Social

Meet friends old and new on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the welcome social, which will immediately follow the opening general session on the tree-shaded grounds of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center along the banks of the Hillsborough River. Sample Tampa Bay area cuisine while listening to the music of the Johnny G. Lyons Band. A Florida favorite, Johnny has been performing throughout the state for years and has opened for many national and international acts. Enjoy delectable Cuban, Spanish and Florida hors d'oeuvres. Cash bar is available. The opening general session, featuring football legend and citizen advocate Lynn Swann, begins at 4:30 p.m. The welcome social starts at 6:00 p.m.

Career Development Center

Learn about new career opportunities and meet potential new employees at the Congress Career Development Center. Employers can display their job announcements and arrange on-site interviews at no charge. Job seekers can obtain copies of employment opportunity announcements and leave their resumes. Using computers at the convention center, employers can access NRPA's online career center and post employment opportunity announcements immediately. See NRPA's Web site for a downloadable job listing

Run for the Sun

Enjoy the Tampa Bay sunrise during the 5K run/walk on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Starting at 7:00 a.m., the run/walk will take participants along beautiful Bayshore Boulevard. All pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt. There will be on-site registration, but on-site registrants aren't guaranteed a t-shirt. Refreshments will be provided at the end of the run. For registration information, go to NRPA's Web site.

Get Into the Swing of Things

Sponsored by the Florida Recreation & Park Association, the 2002 NRPA Golf Tournament will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the MacDill Air Force Base. The par-72 course lies on the southern peninsula of Tampa surrounded by the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay, and was home to the NFL Players Challenge during the 2001 Super Bowl. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of an eagle, either one of nature's bald eagles or an F-15 Eagle fighter, both of which fly overhead. For downloadable registration information, go to NRPA's Web site.

NRPA National Congress & Exposition

Forums Will Highlight NRPA's Vision

An exciting new feature at Congress are the "Achieving Our Vision" forums, which explore the major benefits-based agendas that make up NRPA's vision. The four discipline-spanning forums are:

* Parks and Recreation as Youth Development

America's youth are vital assets to our communities, and embracing their potential is an NRPA goal. Learn about traditional and innovative approaches to addressing the needs of youth in the 21st century.

* Active Living/Healthy Lifestyles

Improving the health and well-being of our nation is a core benefit of parks and recreation. Explore how to reduce access barriers, increase participation and mobilize community partnerships to provide an essential community resource for health.

* Sustainable Environments: Parks as a Unified Public Resource

Expanding the scope and service of public park resources to meet the diverse needs of America may require working across traditional jurisdictions and boundaries. Learn about regional planning and how to transform operations to develop effective partnerships.

* New Paradigms in funding for Parks and Recreation

Stewardship planning requires a commitment to sustainable funding. Rethinking approaches to secure sustainable funding will be essential for our next generation of leaders. Learn what you can do to build investment strategies.

Give Some, Get Some

Volunteering during the NRPA National Congress & Exposition returns many rewards, both personally and professionally. Besides getting one-for-one free sessions (i.e., volunteer for half a day and get free entry to a half-day session), you will get the satisfaction that you're actively involved in the way you would like the people you serve to be. In addition, volunteers will receive a unique enameled pin recognizing their service to NRPA. Why not start a collection? Most of us chose our profession because we want to provide service to the community. We all volunteer endlessly in community projects because we get a great deal of personal satisfaction from it. The same satisfaction that drives most of us is also available at the 2002 NRPA Congress and Exhibition. For a downloadable volunteer form, go to NRPA's Web site at www.nrpa.org.