Schedule

Sunday April 14th^th

5:30-8:00pm
Dinner and Opening Session, Social
Begin IU EDP by meeting fellow EDP classmates, Alumni and the EDP Board of Trustees during our welcome dinner and the opening session. A social will follow the opening session.

Opening Session
In it for the long run! An opportunity to make a difference!
Join Phil Gaines as he welcomes the 2024 participants with an opening session that will inspire us to make a difference in the communities that we serve. He will address how we are living in the world of quick fixes, instant gratification, and a focus on today. The opening session will capture the importance of how we, as park and recreation professionals, should focus on making a difference for tomorrow.

Monday, April 15^th

8:30-11:30am
1st and 2nd Year Students
Shaping More Livable & Loveable Places
Among the more complex and compelling questions all forms of government are grappling with today is how they can shape more livable and loveable places.
For thousands of years, humans-built cities for people who walked. The scale of development, spacing of destinations, and distance individuals would routinely travel were scaled for a society that commuted by foot.
We now build places around the automobile and label these investments as progress. We like to think about these decisions as ways to improve people’s lives and make things better. But, what has resulted is a society that has increasingly become less healthy, less connected, and where costly car-centric infrastructure has compromised opportunities for investment in services that matter to the collective quality of life - like public parks and open spaces.
This session will discuss systems that are willing to acknowledge where they’ve been, where they are today, and how we can work collectively in intentional and intelligent ways to create a course focused on improving people’s lives while also having a chance to shape more livable and loveable places.
Speaker: Jamie Sabbach, Consultant- President & Principal 110% , Inc.

1-4:15pm
1st and 2nd Year Students
Challenging Traditional Approaches
What practices and experiences can you share with your fellow IU EDP classmates? What issues are impacting you and your agency? This joint session is an opportunity for you to call the sessions you want to, and be part of the conversations you need to. Using a technique from the Art of Hosting, you’ll host roundtable discussions that allow you to network, learn and share with other attendees, board members and instructors. This will give you the opportunity to interact with many professionals from across the country on subjects important to you, providing you needed resources to navigate change and make improvements. If you’re in need of a solution or inspiration, bring a topic with you to discuss!
Session Facilitator: Jackie O’Connell Executive Director, MetroParks of Butler County OH

Tuesday April 16^th

8:30-11:30am
1^st Year Students
Customer Service 2.0: The customer is not always right! Now what?
This session will go beyond the standard customer service approaches and look at customer service in a different light. Recognizing the need to stay relevant in an everchanging world, while focusing on developing a service culture that is true to your mission and core values rather than just “training” employees. At the conclusion of the session participants will be able to: Identify "disruptive innovations" that have changed the way we deliver park and recreation services. Identify techniques that empower employees to deliver customer service even when the customer is wrong. And … Utilize customer service to improve business, advocacy and to STAY Relevant!
Speaker: Phil Gaines, Professor of Practice, Clemson University

8:30-11:30am
2^nd Year Students
Recruitment, Retention and Relevancy: How do we move from best practices to next practices?
Creating a successful talent pipeline in parks and recreation is no easy task. The ability to attract and retain professionals that are committed to the field is becoming increasingly more challenging. Employment rates, demographic shifts, automation, enhanced technology and societal change will impact the current and future ways that we address our hiring practices. This interactive session will address new approaches to recruiting and retaining staff while also addressing the unique opportunities that parks and recreation departments have in building a successful team.
Speaker: Becky Higgins Recreation Services Director, Parks & Recreation Department-City of Bloomington, IN and Julie Knapp Clinical Assistant Professor and EDP Director- Indiana University

1-4:15pm
1^stYear Students
Leading When Promoted from Within
Leadership roles are challenging, whether you come new into an organization or if you are promoted from within. What does it mean to be promoted into a leadership position from within your organization? This leadership session will focus on the unique challenges and opportunities for individuals who are promoted from within while addressing the impact on relationships with colleagues who are no longer peers, drawing appropriate lines with others, holding others responsible, providing clear discernment on what you can give staff and what they need to do for themselves, understanding influential vs position power and more.
Speaker: Jayne Miller, Jayne Miller Consulting

1-4:15pm
2^ndYear Students
Designing Your Park & Recreation Services and Programs to be Inclusive and Welcoming for ALL!
During this interactive session, participants will engage in role-playing exercises that simulate real-life scenarios where inclusiveness and belonging may be challenged or overlooked. This can help them gain insight into the experiences of individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives. Through these exercises, participants can develop a greater understanding of the barriers that marginalized individuals might face and brainstorm strategies to overcome them. The creation of action list of items that participants can incorporate into their respective organizations will be created. This list may include tangible steps, policies, or practices that can enhance inclusiveness and belonging. By the end of the session, participants should leave with a renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging, armed with practical strategies and a clear action plan to implement positive changes within their organizations.
Speaker: Dr. Gina Forrest, MPH Chief Culture Officer, Aspire Indiana Health Instructor, IU-Bloomington, School of Public Health