NRPA is offering scholarships for park and recreational professionals to participate in
NRPA’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Certificate Program. The certificate program provides park and recreation professionals with introductory knowledge and tools to promote, oversee, advance and operate GSI in their park systems. Park and recreation professionals new to the field or those looking gain knowledge in the area will be armed to work collaboratively across departments and partnerships to enhance their community resilience with GSI in parks.
The Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Certificate provides a comprehensive step-by-step learning forum online in nine-course modules and a review course module, taking an average of 7 hours total. This certificate program provides participants the assurance and foundation to successfully oversee a GSI project or program — from planning to evaluation and every step in between. Each course is about 30 to 60 minutes in length, provides real case studies and knowledge checks for successful knowledge advancement. The online courses have been designed for the working professional in mind and can be completed in small parts, whether you have 10 minutes or an hour.
NRPA seeks to leverage this opportunity to build the skills and capacity of a diverse group of applicants representative of diverse backgrounds (e.g. race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, lived experience, community background etc.) for the benefit of park and recreation agencies and the communities they serve. NRPA will award about 30 applicants with scholarships to complete the certificate program.
This program is designed for park and recreation professionals, park maintenance professionals, community partners, public works and planners who are seeking to build resilience in their community through green stormwater infrastructure in parks. This program is specifically geared toward those who are new to the profession, new to green infrastructure efforts and those looking to further enhance knowledge in this area.
Cost
There is no cost to the selected participants to participate in the certificate program.
Eligibility/Guidelines
- The applicant must be a current employee of a park and recreation agency, municipal agency or nonprofit. The agency/organization must be responsible for the maintenance and management of public parks.
- The applicant must commit to completing the training within six months from when access to the course is granted
Preference will be given to applicants who:
Park and recreation agency employees.
Successful Applicants will:
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to working in parks.
- Clearly articulate their personal and professional interest in the green infrastructure certificate program.
- Describe how the training will support current or future projects within their agency and community.
Timeline and Important Dates
August 25, 2023 ------- Application opens
September 22, 2023 ----- Application closes
September 29, 2023-------- Successful applicants selected and notified
October 5, 2023 ---------------Trainees receive access to online materials
Applications are due by 11:59 pm EST September 22, 2023 . Applicants will be notified whether or not they were selected for a grant by September 29, 2023.
Review Process
NRPA staff will conduct a review of each candidate based on the application responses and the eligibility requirements above.
The ideal candidate is a park and recreation professional who could or does work on or coordinates green stormwater infrastructure projects in public parks that serve underrepresented and/or marginalized communities facing climate injustices.
Saving your Application
Please ensure responses are recorded accurately. You can save your progress and continue at a later time by clicking the "Save and continue later" link at the top of the page. Note: Only completed pages are saved - please enter a draft answer for each question on the page if you plan to save and return to your work later.
The application is available in PDF format to assist in the preparation of responses, but the application MUST be submitted through this online form. For a PDF copy, please
CLICK HERE.
For questions, please email resiliency@nrpa.org.