By Vitisia Paynich
As people across the country partake in summer activities — outdoors at their local parks and day camps or indoors at their nearby recreation facilities and senior centers — park and recreation professionals are ensuring that community members have a fun and memorable summer season. Parks and recreation serves our communities year-round, but the month of July is a time for celebrating these dedicated agencies whose work helps to make life better for all.
“The Power Of”
This Park and Recreation Month, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) shines a bright light on “The Power Of” parks and recreation, which offers myriad benefits beyond traditional recreational entertainment. What’s more, this signature theme embodies the power of play, nature, community, belonging, well-being, and the professionals who bring these experiences to fruition.
For NRPA’s part, the nonprofit organization, comprising more than 68,000 members, supports agencies by helping them to effectively communicate the power of what connects us:
- The Power Of Connection: Parks and recreation provides spaces where relationships grow, cultures meet and communities bond.
- The Power Of Play: From playgrounds to programs to youth sports, play fuels creativity, joy and lifelong learning.
- The Power Of Community: Public spaces offer room for everyone to gather, celebrate and heal.
- The Power Of Nature: Access to nature restores, inspires and improves quality of life.
- The Power Of Belonging: Welcoming parks and programs provide spaces where everyone feels valued.
- The Power Of Well-Being: Parks and recreation advances health, resilience and shared community benefits.
“Parks and recreation has the unique ability to meet people where they are and connect them to something bigger than themselves,” said Cort Jones, NRPA director of content marketing. “Through the power of play, nature, sports, community, belonging and well-being, park and recreation professionals create spaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. That’s the power we’re celebrating this Park and Recreation Month.”
The Power Of a Photograph
To commemorate Park and Recreation Month, NRPA hosts an annual photo contest whereby agencies nationwide submit a photo that best illustrates the annual theme for a chance to be featured on the cover of its official publication, Parks & Recreation magazine. Out of a broad pool of submissions, Howard County (Maryland) Recreation and Parks (HCRP) department achieved top honors as the 2026 Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest winner. While HCRP’s photo submission highlighting its new girls’ flag football league scored big in the first round of judging, it’s the story behind the photograph that sealed the agency’s win.
Located southwest of Baltimore, HCRP serves nearly 350,000 community members, provides 7,000 events and programs, and oversees about 10,000 acres that includes 50 local parks. During its inaugural year, the girls’ flag football league not only fulfilled a community need, but also raised the bar for successfully getting high school-age girls to participate in one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States and around the world.
As author Paula Jacoby-Garrett writes in Parks & Recreation magazine’s July cover story, “The focus in year one was simple: give interested students a chance to learn, play and build confidence in the game.” More importantly, HCRP created a program that welcomes, unifies and captivates young female athletes, serving as a blueprint for other park and recreation agencies and school districts to follow.
“Through initiatives such as its girls’ flag football league, HCRP continues to elevate the standard for community engagement,” Jacoby-Garrett added. That is the Power Of play and belonging!
Joining the Celebration
Want to participate in Park and Recreation Month, but aren’t sure where to start? Or do you simply want to promote the different ways your park and recreation staff serve community neighbors and friends? Following are some tips to ease you into the process:
- Tell your park and recreation story. Consider how your agency or organization connects to your community members, such as through play, nature and well-being, and use that as your starting point. Highlight a project or initiative that further supports “The Power Of” theme. Next, share your story by reaching out to media outlets (local cable/television or hometown newspaper) or your state park and recreation association.
- Flex your social media muscle. Now that you have your story, spread the word by posting on social media and include a photo featuring your team. Be sure to include the hashtags #ThePowerOf and #ParkAndRecMonth2026.
- Celebrate your staff. As the saying goes, “It takes a village.” Serving the community is definitely a team effort, so why not thank your hardworking staff on your webpage or blog, or give a heartfelt shout-out to colleagues during a public event? It also helps patrons to put a face to those professionals who are providing these valuable services.
- Make it a community affair. If time and budget allow, host an event to celebrate Park and Recreation Month either in a recreation center or park setting. Remember, it’s about bringing folks together and appreciating our communities.
- Access the Park and Recreation Month Outreach Toolkit. NRPA offers a handy resource (https://www.nrpa.org/events/july/toolkit/) to assist you with your Park and Recreation Month outreach.
Making it Official
What better way to bring wider attention to the work that park and recreation professionals do than to proclaim July as Park and Recreation Month in your city or town? This official declaration enables your community and local officials to formally recognize parks and recreation and the long-term benefits the field provides to your residents. To learn more about how you can begin the proclamation process, visit https://www.nrpa.org/events/july/proclamation-tips/.
Mark Your Calendar
While the month of July celebrates the park and recreation field along with the communities served, July 17 commemorates Park and Recreation Professionals Day. On this day, we recognize all the public servants who build strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation.
This is also an opportunity for agencies to invite local residents and avid park enthusiasts to a special event, where agency leaders can introduce the public to their team of dedicated park and recreation professionals. NRPA encourages you to show your support by promoting Park and Recreation Professionals Day on your social media and using the hashtag #NRPAParkandRecDay.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
As public servants, we are always working behind the scenes to plan, strategize and anticipate what we can do to improve the health and well-being of our patrons. How do we bring more fun and joy to their lives and create more welcoming spaces for people of all abilities and from different backgrounds? We sometimes do this essential work with little fanfare or self-promotion. It’s time to change that mindset and celebrate your park and recreation successes by inviting others to celebrate alongside you!
Although Park and Recreation Month lasts just 31 days, the bonds formed and memories shared between your agency staff and community members in July will endure for a lifetime.
Vitisia Paynich is executive editor of Parks & Recreation magazine and director of publishing and editorial at NRPA.