Do you have a passion for education and are you interested in making an impact on the NRPA Annual Conference? Applications to serve on the 2025 Conference Program Committee are now being accepted! Young professionals are particularly encouraged to apply, with scholarship opportunities available to attend the mid-year meeting.
The NRPA Conference Program Committee (CPC) is a dedicated group of park and recreation practitioners and professionals from around the country, representing all regions, specialties, and content areas. They work diligently each year to recruit, review, and rate education session proposals. This committee is known for its hard work and the friendships that develop through participation, and affords professional and personal enrichment for everyone involved.
Primary responsibilities of the CPC at Conference include:
- Attend an in-person Fall Meeting during the NRPA Annual Conference.
- Arrive 15 minutes before the start of the presentation to greet the assigned speaker(s).
- Represent the CPC at Conference in a customer service capacity.
Primary responsibilities of the CPC between conferences include:
- Promote the NRPA Conference Call for Proposals and solicit a minimum of five session proposals by the proposal submission deadline.
- Provide feedback and experience regarding speakers, topics, trends, and other nuances of program selection.
- In January of each year, rate 600-800 program proposals. NOTE: this process may take approximately 30-50 hours.
- Attend a 2 day in-person Winter Meeting typically in the host city for the upcoming NRPA Annual Conference.
- Work with speakers to assess preparedness and achieve the best result (i.e., coaching on content, ensuring presentation meets minimum criteria for a successful presentation, etc.)
- Term is four years.
Qualifications:
- Must be a member of NRPA in good standing.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in the parks and recreation field.
- Actively involved in local, state, or national professional development committees, networks, etc.
Committee members receive a complimentary full registration package for the NRPA Annual Conference. Members must be a full participant in the responsibilities listed above to qualify for this benefit.
NOTE: Travel expenses to the in-person Winter Meeting and conference will not be provided by NRPA and will need to be covered by the member.
Service on the Conference Program Committee (CPC) each year can be submitted for 2 Professional Service Experience (PSE) points which is equivalent to 0.2 CEUs.
Application:
The application form is accessed by clicking the large blue “Apply” button above. The application asks several questions including:
- Upload a current resume
- Upload a one page letter of interest
All committee applicants will be updated regarding their application status by July 31.