FRIDAY
March 19
8:00-9:15 am
The Dirty Dozen of Playground Maintenance
NRPA’s Dirty Dozen document serves as our guide as we explore the most common causes of playground-related injuries. Knowing what to look for during routine cleanings and walk-throughs can go a long way in identifying and repairing minor issues before they get bigger. Participants will be presented with playground pictures and asked to share their observations. This session is specifically designed for those who routinely attend to playgrounds or are just passing by.
Speaker: Dan Hendey, Director, The Maintenance Institute - PRPS
Navigating Changes to the DCNR C2P2 Grant Application
The DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant application has new questions for 2027. This session will review the changes and give advice for getting the best score for your project.
Speaker: Josh VanBrakle, Communications Program Specialist - Pennsylvania DCNR
From First Day to Next Season: Building an Employee Experience That Drives Retention
Retention in parks and recreation is driven less by hiring and more by the everyday employee experience. This session explores how leadership, supervision, and organizational culture directly impact whether employees stay or leave. Participants will learn practical strategies to improve retention through onboarding, communication, recognition, and engagement, with a focus on both seasonal and year-round staff in real-world park and recreation environments.
Speaker: Luca Twohie, Talent Acquisition & Employment Manager - Fairfax County Park Authority
From a List to a Design: Staff Training
Seasonal staff training is usually a list. Everything covered, every topic weighted the same, nothing building on what came before. This working session brings three moves from education: naming outcomes, prioritizing with a big rocks protocol, and sequencing so learning builds across days. You run all three on your own training in the room. Bring your current schedule and ideas!
Speaker: Jarod Wunneburger, Founder, Speaker, & Education Consultant + Former Camp Director - Thrive Point Studio
FRIDAY
March 19
9:30-10:45 am
The Maintenance Funding Landscape
Recreational assets are essential for community wellbeing, and requests for financial investment in outdoor recreation have increased in the last 10 years by over 68%. The increase in funding requests is for new infrastructure or rehabilitation, not reflecting the need for routine maintenance. This session will present funding models for maintenance across the commonwealth to identify different maintenance funding models that might be adopted at various levels of government. We will briefly discuss the needs and benefits of regular upkeep and the labor needed; however, the focus will be on models of funding.
Speaker: Brandon Hoover, Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Planning Specialist - PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation
How to Make a Meaningful In-Service
Ongoing in-service training is one of the most important steps operators can take to mitigate risk within their facility. Well thought out and documented in-services not only provide practical and meaningful training for aquatics staffs, but they also serve as a demonstration of the facility’s commitment to safety and emergency preparedness. This session will allow aquatics professionals to share ideas and develop meaningful in-services that can be ready to be used immediately!
Speaker: John Roche, Assistant Director of Recreation & Parks - East Brunswick Recreation & Parks
Stronger Together: Building Stronger Teams Through Connection, Trust, and Purpose
Teams don’t succeed by accident--they succeed through intentional leadership that builds trust, communication, and connection. This interactive session explores how purposeful team building strengthens leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, and performance. Participants engage in an activity reflecting real workplace dynamics, followed by a facilitated debrief connecting the experience to leadership mindset, collaboration, and application.
Speaker: Luca Twohie, Talent Acquisition & Employment Manager - Fairfax County Park Authority
Before You Have to Yell: Day Camp Behavior
Day camp staff are often young and in their first job managing a group. They get a week of training (maybe), twenty kids, and limited tools to use for when a child refuses, shuts down, or doesn’t follow directions. Many default to volume. This session brings behavior management from the public school classroom to the rec center gym: six graduated responses before a confrontation, five elements of a direction that works, and a new way of thinking about behavior.
Speaker: Jarod Wunneburger, Founder, Speaker, & Education Consultant + Former Camp Director - Thrive Point Studio
Hiring Great Staff: Interviewing to get beyond applications
Exploring tips and tricks to go beyond the information provided on an application or resume. Interviewing is a challenging artform and we all want the best employees possible. First time job seekers can make this even more difficult to discover who your candidates really are. Discover how to get a candidate to be themselves and expose who they are and if they fit your position and culture. This session will help you get applicants to open up during the interview process so you can see what you could be missing or should be passing on.
Speaker: Marcus Dolny, Borough Manager overseeing all Recreation - Borough of Trappe
FRIDAY
March 27
11:00-12:15 pm
ENDNOTE
Looking Forward - Parks, Recreation and Conservation, A Panel Discussion
Join us for this informational and inspirational discussion looking at the next 5 years of parks, recreation and conservation is PA. Taking a deep dive into the many facets or our field, our panel members will share insights into….