Education

APRA proudly supports members like you with a variety of ways to help you reach your end goal. Stay on top of your game and enjoy a stronger, more successful career with ongoing professional development. Need help? Let us know.

TEAMS

APRA has created TEAM(S) that best supports our member's unique job functions and personal interests. With active participation at its core, TEAMS can generate exciting new opportunities for engagement, professional development and industry collaboration. The purpose of our new TEAM format is to facilitate organized discussions of like professionals in the specific field of expertise.

Administrative & Support Professionals TEAM

Aquatics TEAM

DEI TEAM

Directors & Administrators TEAM

Recreation & Facilities Management TEAM

Responsible for maintaining parks, facilities, open space, trails, and landscape assessment. Administers service contracts; managing capital projects; resolving customer complaints; coordinating compliance with agency ordinances, and performs a variety of technical tasks relative to assigned areas of responsibility. Exercises direct supervision over maintenance, professional, technical, and administrative support staff. In a word....we do it all!

Outdoor & Natural Resources TEAM

Park & Facility Maintenance TEAM

Recreation TEAM

Senior & Active Adults TEAM

Special Events TEAM

Athletics TEAM

We plan, organize, lead and control sports events, programs, personnel, and facilities. Members of the recreational sports profession who focus on designing and managing sports programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sports industry focus on managing and marketing sports opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.

Technology Engagement TEAM

Therapeutic Recreation TEAM

Tribal TEAM

Young Professionals TEAM

Certifications

CERTIFIED PLAYGROUND SAFETY INSPECTOR

Certification Term: 3 Years

As a national certification, CPSI provides a comprehensive foundation for candidates to inspect playgrounds and surfaces for hazards to ensure that each playground meets the national standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Course offered in cooperation with the National Parks and Recreation Association.

Information Security Notice: Communications related to CPSI are sent via email and could include test scores and other confidential information; therefore, to protect the privacy of all attendees, the email addresses used to register must match that of the person attending the course.

AQUATIC FACILITY OPERATOR

Certification Term: 5 Years

AFO is the leading certification course for pool operators and aquatic facility managers. The two-day training includes up-to-date information on water chemistry, disinfection, mechanical systems, operations, healthy pools and safety. Course offered in cooperation with the National Recreation and Parks Association.

Information Security Notice: Communications related to AFO are sent via email and could include test scores and other confidential information; therefore, to protect the privacy of all attendees, the email addresses used to register must match that of the person attending the course.

CERTIFIED YOUTH SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR

Certification Term: 3 Years

The Academy for Youth Sports Administrators is a comprehensive certification program offering cutting-edge information on critical topics for professional youth sports administrators. The Academy’s primary goal is to provide attendees with a foundation and tools needed to positively impact the youth sports experience for ALL children in their communities. Topics covered include: youth sports philosophy, professional development, mission statements, policies & procedures, volunteer management, child abuse prevention, parent management, conflict resolution, insurance/risk management, inclusion of children with disabilities, evaluation & marketing of your program, emergency planning, Model Youth Sports Program, plus more.

Information Security Notice: Communications related to CYSA are sent via email and could include test scores and other confidential information; therefore, to protect the privacy of all attendees, the email addresses used to register must match that of the person attending the course.

Resources:
National Alliance for Youth Sports

Professional Certifications

It's the Professional Thing to Do!

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CEUs

A Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction, such as a certified APRA workshop or annual conference sessions.

If you have earned a professional certification such as CPRP or CPRE, you are required to maintain a certain number of credit hours during a specified period of time in order to maintain and/or renew that certification.

Continuing Education units policy

Policy for Awarding

ACCRUAL RATE: 1 hour of approved instruction = .1 CEU (as of January 2021)

Only programs pre-approved by the APRA Program Committee and the CEU Accreditation Chair are CEU eligible. The CEU Accreditation Chair will evaluate each submission and notify the learner of their status when the review is complete

To qualify and request CEUs, the learner must:

submit the electronic CEU Request within 45 days of session attendance,
meet the minimum attendance requirements for earning CEUs,
successfully complete the assessment of mastery for the learning outcomes of each approved professional development session(s)

Learner record management | Tracking CEU

Have Additional Questions?

Contact the CEU Accreditation Chair:
APRA CEU Accreditation Chair
Franz Fuhrmann
Email Franz

NRPA CEU Certification Manager
Email NRPA
Call 800-626-6772

NRPA CEU Policy

National Accreditations

The National Recreation and Park Association administratively sponsors accreditation for park and recreation agencies. Accreditation is a distinguished mark of excellence that affords external recognition of an organization's commitment to quality and improvement. Accreditation has two fundamental purposes; to assure quality and to assure improvement.

Through national certification you can join thousands of people who are committed to the highest standards of ethical and professional practice in the delivery of park and recreation programs.

Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies

On paper, CAPRA technically stands for the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. It means meeting, or exceeding, standards maintained by park and recreation leaders and strengthening the value of the programs, facilities and experiences they provide their communities.

CAPRA accreditation is a mark of excellence and allows your agency to stand apart from other non-accredited agencies in your community. Agencies who earn their CAPRA Accreditation reflect this concept in all aspects of their operations, policies and procedures, programming and strategic plans.
Want to know more about how accreditation can benefit your agency? Click here to check out great videos on the value of accreditation.

Learn More About CAPRA and View Resources

National Gold Medal Award

The National Gold Medal Award honors communities of all sizes throughout the country that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative and creative approaches to designing and delivering superb park and recreation services through fiscally sound business practices. The Gold Medal Award includes seven classes: five by population, one class for Armed Forces Recreation and one for State Parks Systems (in odd-numbered years).

If an applying agency is selected as a Gold Medal finalist, it signifies that the agency is one of the four best in the country.
There are four strong benefits for an agency to embark on the Gold Medal journey. First is the opportunity for an agency to chronicle successes through a very thoughtful and thorough process. Second, it encourages an agency to review, assess and identify the strengths of its organization in various program, management, fiscal and service categories. Third, it inspires an agency to frame its innovative and creative approaches in solving day-to-day challenges in the community while creating amazing experiences for customers. Finally, the process boosts an agency’s networking capabilities through the exchange of valuable management resource information with other applicants and creates an avenue to share best practices.

For additional information contact goldmedal@nrpa.org.

View NRPA website for more details

Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP)

The Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification is granted to individuals employed in the recreation, park resources and leisure services profession who meet high standards of performance.

Description

The designation of Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) is a program offered through the National Recreation and Park Association, and is designed for park and recreation professionals who wish to advance their career. Achieving and maintaining this nationally-recognized certification illustrates a commitment to professional growth as well as an intricate understanding of key concepts within the field of parks and recreation.

APRA occasionally partners with the Illinois Recreation and Park Association (IRPA) for one to two virtual exam prep programs consisting of six sessions each to train and prepare praticipant to sit for the CPRP exam. The virtual prep course parallels the learning modules found in the CPRP study guide: Human Resources, Communications, Finance, Programming, and Operations.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the exam (not the prep course), you must meet the following NRPA eligibility requirements:

Have received, or is set to receive, a Bachelor's degree from a program accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT), or
Have a Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited education institution (from a non-COAPRT accredited program), with a major in recreation, park resources, or leisure services, and no less than 1 year of full-time experience in a recreation, park resources, or a related profession that encompasses each domain of the job analysis, or
Have a Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited education institution, with a major other than recreation, park resources, or a related profession, and no less than 2 years of full-time experience in a recreation, park resources, or a related profession that encompasses each domain of the job analysis, or
Hold an associate's degree from a regionally accredited education institution and no less than 4 years of full-time experience in a recreation, park resources, and a related profession that encompasses each domain of the job analysis, or
Hold a high school diploma or equivalency certificate from a regionally accredited institution and no less than 6 years of full-time experience in a recreation, park resources, or a related profession that encompasses each domain of the job analysis

Note: Students who have not yet graduated from a COAPRT accredited program but are in their final semester may be able to qualify for exam status. They may complete the CPRP exam prior to completion of the internship requirement and academic degree attainment. Certification may be granted upon passing the CPRP exam and after submission of documentation verifying graduation. All students must apply through the NRPA office.

Professionals from varying special interest groups and levels of experience (must meet one criteria above) are encouraged to pursue CPRP designation to stay at the forefront of the parks and recreation profession. Additionally, CPRP certification is a pre-requisite for Certified Park & Recreation Executive (CPRE) eligibility.

CEUs: Program is not approved for CEUs (Continuing Education Units are for certifications such as CPRE, CPRP, CTRS).

Please contact NRPA directly with eligibility questions contact NRPA directly before registering for the promo bundle.

Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE)

The Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) certification can be achieved by individuals employed in the recreation, park resources and leisure services profession who meet high standards of performance at a mastery (middle to upper management level).

To attend CPRE training sessions and sit for the exam, you must meet one the following NRPA eligibility requirements:

Hold a current Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) Certification, or have held CPRP certification whose expiration date is within two years of the date of application for the CPRE, AND
Hold a master's or higher degree from a regionally accredited education institution, and 3 years of professional full-time manager experience, OR
Hold a bachelor's degree from a program accredited by the Council On Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT) accredited program and 4 years of professional full-time manager experience, OR
Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited education institution (from a non-COAPRT accredited program), with a major in recreation, park resources, or a related professional and 5 years of professional full-time manager experience, OR
Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited education institution, with a major other than recreation, park resources, or a related profession and 6 years of professional full-time manager experience, OR
Hold an associate degree from a regionally accredited education institution and 8 years of professional full-time manager experience, OR
Hold a high school diploma or equivalency certificate from a regionally accredited institution and 10 years of professional full-time manager experience.

Please contact NRPA directly with eligibility questions contact NRPA directly before registering for the promo bundle.

Serve and Earn!

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TEAMS

Certifications

CEUs

National Accreditations

Education

TEAMS

Certifications

Professional Certifications

CEUs

Have Additional Questions?

National Accreditations

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