The Us Play Conference is Quickly Approaching
Less than one month away! The team at the Eppley Center can’t wait for this year’s 2025 Value of Play, “Create, Explore, Inspire!” Conference, and we hope to see you there!
Another Successful 2025 Great Lakes Park Training Institute Concludes!
The 2025 Great Lakes Park Training Institute (GLPTI) took place from February 24 to 27, 2025 with 251 registered learners in attendance in person and virtually. Known for its casual atmosphere and unique location, GLPTI returned to Pokagon State Park for the 77th time.
Celebrate National Public Health Week with our Course Discount
This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Public Health Week! National Public Health Week was created to recognize public health contributions and address key health issues. Learn how your park impacts public health by taking our Public Health Fundamentals for Park and Recreation Professionals Certificate Program.
Eppley Center Launches New Project With the Society for Outdoor Recreation Professionals
In January, the Eppley Center team initiated a new project with the Society for Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) to support their development and identification of core competencies for outdoor recreation professionals.
US Play Coalition – Early Bird Registration Deadline Approaching
We can’t wait to “Create, Explore, Inspire” on April 15 – 17th at the 2025 National Conference on the Value of Play, a program of the Eppley Center’s US Play Coalition! Early Bird Registration ends on Friday, March 14th. More information and registration rates can be found on the US Play Coalition conference page.-----
20% Off Eppley's Fundamentals of Recreational Sports Management Certificate Program!
Set yourself up for a successful summer by taking Fundamentals of Recreational Sports Management Certificate Program! This course is perfect for municipal park and recreation agency front line staff and supervisors.
Welcome Srihari Kamath to the Eppley and Play Coalition teams!
Srihari Kamath joined the Eppley Center in January and will be supporting the Play Coalition during spring semester 2025.
Eppley team shares results of study at three American Battle Monument Commission sites
Over the past 16 months, the Eppley Center has led a project extension with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to collect visitor use data at three new sites in Belgium and France—Flanders Field American Cemetery, Rhone American Cemetery, and Montsec American Monument.....
Clay Chafin Appointed Director of Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands
Clay Chafin has been appointed the new director of the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. He will begin his tenure on February 3, 2025. Chafin previously served as the executive director of the Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center, a position he held since 2019.
Eppley Center Partners with Miami-Dade County to Create Training Academy
The Eppley Center has kicked off a partnership with Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space to create an Employee Development Academy. The goal of the Academy is to improve the quality of experiences for park and recreation users through learning and development of the professionals within the department at-large. The project involves research, training development, and related planning to meet anticipated outcomes and goals of the Academy program.
The 2025 Conference on the Value of Play, held in Bloomington, Indiana, April 15-17, is just around the corner!
Kelli Market, 25+ Years of Service
If you had the chance to join the team for an Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands meeting or wander the halls of our office, “ask Kelli” is likely a phrase you’d hear a lot!
January is upon us with its snow and freezing temperatures (at least here in the Midwest)! It’s a great time to curl up with the laptop or tablet and expand your workplace soft skills! Eppley’s Expand course catalog is full of e-learnings that do just that. With titles like Active Listening, Networking for Success, and Conversational Leadership, there are more than 50 professional skills courses designed to help you meet your career goals.
Happy holidays from all of us at the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands! We have loved reflecting on our work over the past year and preparing for the year to come. We hope the next few weeks are filled with winter fun and holiday cheer for you and yours...
Interpretation courses offer valuable opportunities to gain essential skills in communicating natural and cultural resources to the public. Eppley Center courses cover a wide range of topics, including interpretation basics, interpretive talk, social media and interpretation, and design elements in interpretive media.
Kristin Brethova, A Force at The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands
Kris Brethova is a Research Assistant at Eppley and the go-to person for project support.
Eppley Attends the NAI Annual Conference
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands team just got back from the National Association for Interpretation’s 2024 Conference in St. Augustine, Florida! Kate Wiltz, Kristy Anderson, and Ross Edelstein enjoyed presenting at the conference and discussing Eppley's resources, programming, and online interpretation training opportunities with attendees.
The Eppley Center Partners with Indiana and the AWS Foundation to Improve Park Accessibility
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands completed accessibility assessments at five Indiana State Parks. In partnership with the AWS Foundation and IN Department of Natural Resources, multiple days were spent at the following State Parks - Chain O’ Lakes, Mississinewa, Ouabache, Pokagon, and Salamonie Lake.
Hone your skills! Intermediate Methods in Interpretation Cohort now accepting applications
Have you or your staff received basic training in interpretation but feel ready to dig deeper? Are you looking to hone your skills in interpretive media or writing? Are you curious about what exactly ‘dialogic’ interpretation means? The Eppley Center is recruiting students to participate in its six-month, Intermediate Methods in Interpretation online cohort program that will begin in January 2025.
Accessibility Workshop In Virginia… And Your Neck Of The Woods?
Eppley would like to thank our friends at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for hosting a three-day workshop on accessibility at beautiful Pocahontas State Park!
CELEBRATING 26 YEARS: THE RETIREMENT OF DIRECTOR STEVE WOLTER
After 26 years, Steve Wolter has retired as Director of the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands. Wolter spent his tenure at Indiana University leading Eppley and its many programs including the National Center on Accessibility, Great Lakes Park Training Institute, Playground Maintenance Technician training, World Parks Academy, and proValens and Expand online learning systems.
Don’t Forget To “Opt Outside” November 29th!
Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, don’t forget to take a deep breath and get outside to enjoy all the benefits of the great outdoors! Friday, November 29th, is Opt Outside Day.
To celebrate the end of the year and the start of 2025 we are offering a discount on this certification program during the month of November.
Playground Maintenance Technician Training Partnership to End
After nine years of partnership with the Park District Risk Management Agency of Illinois (PDRMA), the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands will no longer manage the Playground Maintenance Technician program.....
2025 Play Conference: Call for Presentations Extended & Registration Opens Soon!
The US Play Coalition’s 2025 National Conference on the Value of Play: Create, Explore, Inspire! is less than six months away (April 15-17, 2025)! We are looking forward to hosting an amazing event, filled with inspiring speakers and a fantastic line up of presenters across research, education, and poster sessions.
Eppley Online Course Discusses Role of Recreation in Mental Health
World Mental Health Day, observed every October 10, emphasizes the importance of mental well-being globally. It serves as a crucial reminder to address mental health issues, reduce the stigma surrounding them, and advocate for accessible mental health care for all. Mental health is fundamental to our overall well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and interact with others. Raising awareness on this day encourages people to prioritize mental health, recognize symptoms early, and seek support when needed.
Registration Open for Women in Parks and Recreation Leadership Certificate Program
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Land’s 78th Great Lakes Park Training Institute is offering a certificate program for women in leading park and recreation agencies. The program, led by an instructional team of leaders from the National Park Service, park and recreation districts, conservation districts and Eppley, has designed a curriculum that helps future women leaders meet several challenges in leading agencies, especially as these spaces evolve to meet the demands of changing climates, health needs, and the diversity of the nation. The program will be held February 24 to 26, 2025 as part of the Great Lakes Park Training Institute.
Ditch the Halloween ‘Scaries’ Leading Children’s Trips
Leading school-age children’s field trips can seem scary, especially if it’s your first time. In honor of Halloween and scary stuff everywhere, Eppley provides some guidance for interpreters on how to successfully lead field trips. The advice below, along with the online course, More Than Just a Field Trip: Interpretation for School Curriculum, is the perfect prescription to get rid of the ‘scaries’ when leading trips for children.
2024 Fat Bear Week winner named
A fat bear named Grazer wins “Fat Bear Week” at Katmai National Park in Alaska! With over 70,000 votes for the fattest bear, Grazer beat her opponent for the second year in a row. A bear named Chunk received a hearty 30,000 votes but not close enough to oust the reigning queen.
US Forest Service Partners with the Eppley Center for 2nd Year
The U.S. Forest Service has made strides to enhance accessibility in national forests and grasslands, aiming to ensure that all visitors, including those with disabilities, can enjoy these natural spaces. Some of their efforts have included, addressing the need for accessible trails and facilities, collaborations with organizations focused on disability rights, and improved visitor Information.
Eppley celebrates World Architecture Day with Online Discount
October 7th is World Architecture Day. Created by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 1985, World Architecture Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday of October in parallel with UN World Habitat Day.
Claire Jenness joins the administrative team at the Eppley Center
Claire Jenness joined the Eppley Center in June 2024. Claire will be working full-time as the administrative assistant for Eppley. She is a Bloomington, Indiana, native; prior to working at Eppley, she worked in public libraries and housing. Claire holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana University Indianapolis.
Eppley Continues Survey Work in Europe For ABMC
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands is excited to share completion of successful collaborative project with our partners at the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Over the summer, Eppley staff travelled overseas to Europe to implement in-person data collection for an ABMC Visitor Use and Satisfaction Study. This phase of the three-year project, conducted between May and August 2024, extended the study, which kicked off in 2021, to three additional ABMC sites: Flanders Field American Cemetery (Waregem, Belgium), Montsec American Monument (Montsec, France), and Rhone American Cemetery (Draguignan, France).
Online Learning Program Promotion – 20% Off Managing Wildlands
Eppley’s online learning courses offer concise, informative, and continuing professional education learning to everyone whenever they wish to learn. There are no class meetings or webinars to attend, and the courses offer continuing education units (CEU).
Eppley Leads the Way in Parks and Public Lands Leader Training
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands is known for its leadership development programs building on the concept of leadership development as a journey across a career and lifetime. Having delivered the highly effective Facility Manager Leaders Program cooperatively with the National Park Service from 2006 through 2023, Eppley offerings at various workshops and events including the Great Lakes Park Training Institute. As Eppley works to roll out an online initial leadership in parks online micro credential and a Women’s Leadership in Parks badge at the Great Lakes Park Training Institute in February 2025, Eppley staff has reviewed the key components of any effective leadership training program. Here are some essential elements that are critical in the development of strong leaders, based on Eppley staff’s experience, expertise and best practices research.
Eppley Continues Monon South Trail Partnership with Radius
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands has kicked off the second phase of their partnership with Radius Indiana to enhance the capacities of communities along the soon to be constructed Monon South Trail (MST) to maximize the trail for economic and quality of life benefits. The MST is a 57-mile trail between Mitchell and Borden in south-central Indiana with construction spearheaded by Radius and largely funded through Indiana’s Next Level Trails program. Radius is an economic development partnership focusing on improving quality of life in the South-Central Indiana region.
Matt Norris joins the Eppley Center
Matt Norris joined the Eppley Center in July. He will be working part-time on various accessibility projects including the Indiana State Park Accessibility Assessment, United States Forest Services National Accessibility Project, and the expansion of online courses on accessibility in Eppley’s IU Expand catalog. Matt has been with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community for 22 years.
NCA Update – Staff, Projects, and Resources
Eppley’s Ross Edelstein, Visiting Research Assistant in the National Center on Accessibility program, recently attended and spoke at the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) AWS conference in Seattle, Washington. This is the third year Ross has attended, and the third that Ross has been on the team presenting the Neurodiversity session of the Foundations Series, a group of introductory sessions at the conference on topics around disability.
2025 Great Lakes Park Training Institute to feature Women’s Leadership Program
The annual Great Lakes Park Training (GLPTI) will return to Pokagon State Park from February 24-27, 2025. GLPTI, the longest continuously running training academy for park professionals in the nation, features educational sessions, networking opportunities, and social events in a unique and relaxed atmosphere.
Save the Date! Eppley to host Play Coalition Conference on the Value of Play
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands, and Indiana University are thrilled to announce that the US Play Coalition’s National Conference on the Value of Play will return to Indiana University Bloomington’s Indiana Memorial Union April 15-17, 2025.
July Disability Pride Month at Eppley
Celebrating the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act, July is Disability Pride Month! As the home of the National Center on Accessibility, the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands is proud to advance the cause of access and inclusion for people with disabilities, regardless of age, gender, race, or need.
Micro-credentialling Coming to Eppley Expand Course Catalog
Learners using Eppley’s online courses soon will be able to earn endorsed, digital Indiana University micro-credential (Badges) for their online coursework. Digital badges are the hallmark of micro-credentialling which allow learners to track and demonstrate specific skills and qualifications. These badges can be shared on social media profiles and attached to resumés.
Schedule an Outdoor and Recreation Accessibility Workshop for your Agency or Region
Eppley’s National Center on Accessibility (NCA) program continues to busy working with public agencies and private organizations around the nation. Recent work with U.S. Forest Service on accessibility, along with continued work training professionals on the fundamentals of accessibility in the outdoors, parks and recreation are being offered in TN, and VA. The NCA has always offered training, technical assistance, and site assessment that supports accessibility in outdoor recreation settings since its founding in 1993 tailoring its work to the needs of agencies and groups of professionals.
Did You Know…? Eppley’s Online Courses Help Protect Resources and Promote Visitor Safety
August is National Motorsports Awareness Month in the United States. While most people associate motorsports with car races, and here in Indiana specifically with the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500, there are a variety of other outdoor motorsports.
NCA Assessment Team works with the US Forest Service
Eppley staff members Kate Wiltz and Kristin Brethova spent four days in the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest measuring everything from trails to toilets. The accessibility site assessment is part of a multi-year agreement with the Forest Service to examine accessibility at recreation sites, field data collection practices, accessibility policies, and training needs for the agency. While in Oregon, Kate and Kristin reviewed the Mt. Ashland Ski Area, a horse campground, picnic area and day use site, and multiple trailheads.
Eppley Discounts Online First-Line Supervisors Management Certificate
Being a first-level supervisor in any organization is one of the most challenging jobs any person can have. The demands to lead, supervise and administer a team on the front line of agencies mission is critically important, requires an ability to work with and through other employees and volunteers, and align those efforts with the operational priorities of the agency. This first-level manager role embraces assigning priorities, planning, coordinating, delivery of, and evaluating services provided by a wide variety of employees each with different skills, attitudes and experiences. The challenges of finding adequate staffing, meeting the expectations of the public, and managing a team of individuals intermingled with agency mission, funding, and ability to recruit talented entry level employees and/or volunteers is an extremely vital success factor for any agency.
Information on PRIDE Month and Parks
At the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands, we recognize that parks are for everyone. This June, we want to celebrate Pride by sharing a little bit about the ways that parks not only preserve the heritage of the LGBTQ+ community, but also how parks are helping write this history going forward.
Celebrate National Hike with a Geek Day with Eppley!
Do you often spend your days like us – surrounded by screens, coding away, or crunching data? If so, you are in good company! Here at the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands, many of us are self-proclaimed geeks who spend a good chunk of our days in front of screens – but we are deeply passionate about our work because we know it helps make parks and public lands high quality and accessible spaces for all.