Conversations That Matter: Master Classes

2026 Master Class Schedule:

January 22, 2026
Adapting Language, Preserving Values 

February 19, 2026
From Evidence to Impact: Advancing Health and Well-being with Recreation and Sport 

April date TBD
Environmental Resilience: Research to Practice 

May date TBD
USTA will host during the National Tennis Month 

July date TBD
National Parks and Recreation Month  

September date TBD
Equity: Research to Practice

Conversations That Matter: Master Classes

Conversations That Matter: Master Classes 2026   
Conversations That Matter is expanding and is rebranded in 2026 as part of the Academy’s strategic plan, APEX Ascent, to elevate professional dialogue across the field. The program brings together practitioners, educators, and industry professionals for structured, facilitated conversations that address timely and relevant issues. Designed as intensive, high-impact learning experiences, these sessions move beyond information sharing to foster deeper engagement, meaningful exchange, and practical insight participants can apply immediately.

The Conversations That Matter Master Classes hosted by the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the United Stated Tennis Association (USTA), provide an engaging platform for leaders, practitioners, and emerging professionals to explore critical issues shaping the future of parks and recreation. Each 90-minute session is designed as a practical and interactive class where participants not only learn from subject matter experts, but also engage in structured dialogue, small-group collaboration, and action planning.

This series of Conversations That Matter: Master Classes focuses on timely, thought-provoking topics that inspire innovative solutions, challenge assumptions, and foster meaningful connections. Participants leave with actionable strategies they can immediately apply in their professional roles and within their agencies to create greater impact in their communities.

We invite you to click here for more information and to register for the January 22, 2026 Master Class entitled Adapting Language, Preserving Values.

The Conversations That Matter Master Classes are hosted by the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in grateful partnership with the United Stated Tennis Association (USTA).

Conversations That Matter: Master Class Guiding Principles:

  • To position the Academy as a thought leader in the profession, encouraging and offering controversial, insightful, and challenging conversations to conventional thinking or practices.
  • To offer topics that are of substantial importance to advancing parks and recreation. 
  • To regularly solicit issues that impact the profession that can become Conversations That Matter: Master Class from our members, professionals, and industry leaders.
  • To allow for facilitated dialogue through breakout groups. 

Course Features:

  • Expert-led sessions featuring seasoned leaders in the field.
  • Practical frameworks, real-world examples, and facilitated discussions.
  • Breakout sessions for peer-to-peer learning and reflection.
  • Action planning to connect insights to personal practice and organizational change.
  • Resources and templates for continued application after the session.

Target Audience:

  • Academy members 
  • Academy former Externs 
  • Mentorship pairs (200+ professionals and aspiring leaders in parks and recreation)
  • Academy members are encouraged to invite agency colleagues to participate  
  • USTA and other industry professionals interested in advancing equity, sustainability, innovation, and leadership capacity in their agencies

Background: Conversations That Matter
The Academy’s Conversations That Matter program series has provided a national platform for the past five years to explore issues critical to the advancement of the parks, recreation, and conservation profession. These facilitated discussions have been designed to spark open, honest, and sometimes challenging dialogue that encourages participants to re-examine conventional practices and explore new perspectives. Each conversation has been grounded in mutual respect, inclusivity, and a safe space for sharing ideas. No judgements.

Since its launch in 2021, Conversations That Matter has become a signature Academy program:

  • 2021: A six-week series, Public Parks and Recreation…Crisis or Prosperity?, based on a thought paper by Academy member Jamie Sabbach.
  • 2022: A Safe Zone Conversation facilitated by the Illinois Park & Recreation Association’s Diversity Leadership Task Force and Access to Growth Learning Solutions, advancing the Academy’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) policy.
  • 2023: A conversation drawn from the Academy’s Best Paper Award dissertation, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Intergroup Contact, and Social Justice in U.S. Urban Parks, written by Dr Samatha Powers, George Mason University.
  • 2024: Two conversations—Implicit Bias: How to Discover Our Innate Truths, facilitated by Academy President Tracey Crawford and President-Elect Cindie Sullivan and Words That Work—helping participants recognize unconscious bias and examine the power of language, facilitated by Academy Member Roslyn Johnson.
  • 2025: A collaborative session with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), introducing its complimentary Park Agency Tennis Assessment service and demonstrating how national partnerships can strengthen local community impact.

The Academy recognizes a need for shared knowledge and experience among experienced professionals within parks, recreation, and conservation, and therefore we have revitalized the program for 2026.