Illinois Commitment to Healthy Communities

IPRA, PlayCore, and GameTime have partnered in a collaborative effort to improve the quality of life in communities through our Statewide Healthy Play Initiatives. The goal of this partnership is to provide quality education, evidence-based resources, and funding opportunities to create healthy play and recreation spaces across the state of Illinois.

IPRA Commitment to Healthy Communities

Parks are essential to creating healthier, happier societies across generations! Be inspired by the leadership case examples created through the IPRA Healthy Play & Recreation Statewide Initiative which has deployed 60+ high-quality outdoor destinations across the state of Illinois. Evidence-based design best practices for promoting physical activity across generations, addressing physical and social inclusion, and integrating nature into the everyday spaces of childhood, and initial research findings from the statewide initiative will help build a strong case for the positive impact parks have on community health and wellness. Interactive and hands-on learning experiences will inspire and equip learners with the knowledge and valuable resources to passionately advocate for outdoor play and recreation. Join us to learn more about this unique initiative to turn research into practice and the opportunity to participate in meaningful data collection as a project of excellence exemplifying evidence-based best practices.

Statewide Education:
Interactive professional development events will provide training experiences about how play and recreation are essential to creating healthier, happier communities. Ideal for parks and recreation professionals, landscape architects, educators, and other play advocates, these education events and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are being offered at no cost through PlayCore’s Center for Outreach, Research, and Education Deploy.  Join us on April 11, and April 12, and April 13th for an event in your area.

Funding:
GameTime will provide up to $2 Million in matching funds to IPRA members to support the deployment of National Demonstration Sites across Illinois to create outdoor play and recreation spaces that align with evidence-based best practices. These projects of excellence will focus on the areas of inclusion, nature integration, physical activity, and adult fitness.

Outcomes and Data Collection:
Data collection, outcomes sharing, and impact reports will further champion parks and recreation as an essential contributor to improving the quality of life for children, families, and communities in Illinois. Awardees will assist in data collection and reporting that will be shared with IPRA and their members to create awareness, support advocacy efforts, and further the goals and mission of IPRA.