Innovation Guide 2023 - 12

Innovation in Parks
and Recreation
This year's award-winning projects and programs
ach year, the NRPA Innovation Awards recognize and honor the
park and recreation professionals, and their agencies, who are making
the latest advancements in the field of parks and recreation. The
2023 Innovation Award winners highlighted below exemplify the inspiring
work park and recreation professionals are doing in their communities.
E
Cap City Nights is held in Columbus, Ohio.
Innovation in Health
Reducing Violence in Columbus, VOICE - Columbus
Recreation and Parks Department, Columbus, Ohio
Violence, Outreach, Intervention, Community Engagement
(VOICE) ends the cycle of violence through
intense case management to ensure victims of crime
receive the necessary support to prevent re-injury and/
or jail time and can recover. A partnership between
Columbus Recreation and Parks and Columbus Public
Health, this hospital-based intervention mobilizes
a team of interventionists and social workers to help
participants identify goals, create a life plan and develop
self-reliance. It includes connections to resources
and incentives to ensure success. Support focuses on
many aspects of recovery and stabilization, including
employment, workforce development, housing, life
skills and compliance with follow-up medical care.
12
Congratulations to City of Greenville
(South Carolina) Parks, Recreation
and Tourism for winning the overall
2023 Best in Innovation Award for
its project, Unity Park!
Innovation in Equity
SootheSpace - Fox Valley Special Recreation
Association, Aurora, Illinois
SootheSpace is creating safe sensory spaces everywhere!
Attending community events can be overwhelming
- especially for people with disabilities.
Imagine navigating the noisy surroundings of a local
outdoor festival or special event without having
access to a space that promotes sensory regulation.
SootheSpace is a portable sensory room where light,
textures and interactive equipment are designed to
create an ideal atmosphere to recenter and escape
from a sensory-rich environment. Together, we are
making the community more inclusive so people of
all abilities can maximize their enjoyment and attendance
at community events without getting overstimulated
or having to leave early.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOX VALLEY SPECIAL
RECREATION ASSOCIATION
SootheSpace
is a portable
sensory room
where light,
textures and
interactive
equipment are
designed to
create an ideal
atmosphere to
recenter and
escape from
a sensory-rich
environment.
Parks & Recreation | 2 0 2 3 INNO V AT ION GUIDE | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBUS RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT
INNOVATION
BEST IN
Innovation Guide 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Innovation Guide 2023
