Invest in Your Professional Growth

"As a young professional in the parks and recreation industry, I greatly valued the experiences and insight I gained from attending the virtual 2021 IAPD/IPRA conference. The lessons presented in the Keeping Your Strategic Plans Fresh seminar were very informative and applicable to the work environment. I appreciated the efforts of the Dear Millennial: Overcoming Stereotypes in the Workplace seminar to discredit common stereotypes. Attending this conference resulted in my desire to be more engaged in future events."

"The opportunity to come together and learn with colleagues is always valuable. I always leave the IPRA conference with new energy and ideas to grow our business and my career. Personally, I learned new ideas to develop our aquatics team, grow fitness engagement, expand services across generations, grow revenue, manage expense and risk exposure, incorporate sustainable practices, and engage participants in training sessions."

"This year was my first time attending as a professional working in the field. I am so grateful for the Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation for still allowing me to have this opportunity. As a young professional, the Conference provides not only a wealth of knowledge, but also the opportunity to meet others in the field. My most important takeaway was realizing that we as an industry are all struggling with the same things — but we are all continuing to try our best to service our communities."

"Receiving this award to attend the IPRA Soaring to New Heights conference has helped me be a better recreation specialist. Covid-19 has made this year different for all of us — we as recreation professionals have had to adapt even more so to ensure we can still maintain the needs of our clientele. The lessons I learned at this year's conference would not have been possible without this scholarship. I am forever grateful and hope to pay it forward."