Indiana State University Search Giving to ISU ISU A-Z MyISU

Admissions Visiting ISU Academics Research Athletics News
Contact: 

 

Indiana Rural Recreation Development Project

 

Community Projects

Community Projects is the flagship program of the InRRDP.  The InRRDP Director collaborates with rural communities to provide community development services in collaboration with his recreation and sport management courses to: 1) assist communities and CACs in developing sustainable park, recreation, leisure, and tourism services; and 2) achieve learning objectives with college courses and students in the park and community recreation emphasis in the Department of Recreation and Sport Management at Indiana State University.  Examples of community projects include Recreation and Leisure Needs Assessments and Master Plans for Parks and Recreation.

Project Goals

When a community collaborates with the InRRDP to develop park, recreation, leisure, and tourism services, the following goals are used to work towards sustainable development of community park and recreation services:

  • To find the most effective ways to deliver recreation services to rural communities.
  • To provide significant work and career development assistance to local youth and to build interest in the recreation profession.
  • To help rural communities in Illinois meet immediate recreation needs and plan long-term sustainable recreation development.

The InRRDP provides the following to communities that collaborate with the IRRDP to develop sustainable public park and recreation services:

  • Provides resources to promote sustainability of the program (e.g., web site, e-mail/phone availability, and community consulting).
  • Provides the Citizen Action Committee members with guidance, training seminars, and a resource manual.  
  • Assists communities with recreation assessments (e.g., surveys, focus groups).
  • Assists with selection of Citizen Action Committee members.

To date, the InRRDP has successfully assisted communities develop varying levels of sustainable local park, recreation, leisure, and tourism services. Those communities are:

  • Rockville - Recreation and park services are administered by the Rockville Park Board.  InRRDP assisted the Rockville Park Board with a Recreation and Leisure Needs Assessment for Teens.  To date, the Rockville Park Board used the data from the needs assessment to build a new soccer field at the town park, and the park board planned a Movie in the Park special event that took place in July 2006. 
Town of Rockville, Indiana Final Report Recreation and Leisure Needs Assessment for Teens

Currently, the InRRDP is working with communities to develop sustainable community park and recreation systems.  Communities currently collaborating with the InRRDP are:

  • Clay City - Harrison Township - Recreation and park services are administered by a variety of nonprofit organizations, which include: the Fair Association, the Youth Baseball Association, and the R.E.I.N. Coalition.  The InRRDP is working with the R.E.I.N. Coalition to develop a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation.

The InRRDP also provides consulting and advising session on an array of topics to rural communities.  Communities that have or are receiving consulting and advising services include:

  • Winchester - Funding options for rails-to-trails development.
  • Sullivan - Program development for outcome-based youth recreation program.
  • Waynetown -

 

200 North Seventh Street, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA 47809-9989
Copyright Monday November 23 2009 by Indiana State University. 1-800-GO-TO-ISU | 1-800-468-6478