News & Announcements

The National Gold Medal Award Program, governed and managed by the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration (AAPRA), announces applications are now open for the 2024 National Gold Medal Award Program, sponsored by Musco Lighting and offered in partnership with the National Recreation & Park Association. The online application is now available.

What is this premiere award in parks and recreation and how do I prepare my agency to submit an application?  Join us for a diverse panel of previous National Gold Medal Award Program recipients as they share their insights, key tips, and recommendations on the application process, and how receiving the award helped their agency and community. Sign up now for the December 14, 2023 webinar:  Time: 11:00 am Pacific/ 12 noon Mountain / 1:00 pm Central / 2:00 pm Eastern.

Panelists Representing 2022 Grand Plaque Recipients:
Rachael Goodwin, Class V – Town Manager, Town of Fountain Hills, Arizona 
Aaron Perri, Class III - South Bend Venues Parks & Arts, South Bend, Indiana
Cheryl Michelet, Class I - Director of Communications, BREC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Moderator: Karen L. Hesser, CEO, Five Rivers MetroParks, Ohio, AAPRA Gold Medal Committee Chair  

The National Gold Medal Award Program is governed and managed by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with NRPA and Musco Lighting LLC. To register, click here.

Lacey, Washington, October 13, 2023– The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce the 2023 Grand Plaque recipients in the 2023 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC is proud to continue sponsoring the Gold Medal Awards program as it has for more than 20 years. 

In announcing the 2023 National Gold Medal Finalists, AAPRA Executive Director Jane H. Adams shared, “Each agency is commended for submitting a 2023 application for the prestigious National Gold Medal Award.  The Academy congratulates the 20 local park and recreation agencies, the four armed forces installations, and the four state park systems on receiving the Finalist award. We look forward to presenting these awards at the Gold Medal Gala Reception in Dallas, Texas, as part of the National Recreation and Park Association’s annual conference.”  The 2023 Gold Medal finalists are: [Read more]

The American Parks & Recreation Foundation (Foundation), nonprofit philanthropic partner of the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration (Academy), announces scholarships to cover the tuition for two (2) professionals to attend the National Recreation & Park Association’s 2023 Revenue Development & Management School (Year 1), which will be held March 12-17 at the Oglebay National Training Center in Wheeling, WV. The Revenue Development & Management School is designed to provide parks and recreation professionals with the knowledge, skills. and resources to build and manage budgets and develop alternative revenue streams.