Offers guidelines for communicating with and accommodating persons with visual, hearing, and ambulatory handicaps in parks and other outdoor education settings. (WB)

A model is presented to demonstrate that systematic evaluation by design or planned, purposeful evaluation of recreational programs is possible. The evaluation model concepts of control group, randomization, and pretest and posttest are explained. (JN)

A programing model for allocating labor resources is presented in relation to the annual planning, budgeting, and manpower staffing of a park maintenance program. The advantages resulting from the use of this model are: (1) optimum allocation of resources; (2) resolution between conflicting goals; and (3) reevaluation of goal priorities. (JN)

Visitors to the Vermont state park system were surveyed to define a range of environmental behavior, ethics, and values. Data were used to develop principles for designing park environmental education programs. Findings suggest that such programs should emphasize points of commonality among visitors, present environmental messages through diverse…

Describes a planning method in which planners go into the community with models, encouraging people to express ideas about ways in which they would like to see their local area developed. This process was adapted to use as a sustainability education tool in schools by measuring student attitudes towards development. Issues raised include the…

This paper describes the evolution of playground safety, discussing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) "Handbook for Public Playground Safety" and examining the direction in which CPSC guidelines are moving. The paper notes the importance of certification of playground equipment, reviews pertinent questions to address, and…

Discusses the American with Disabilities Act, a civil rights act requiring that all businesses, including parks and recreation facilities, be accessible to people with disabilities. The article discusses discrimination, integration, funding concerns, attitudes, and staffing issues. Information sources are listed. (SM)

Family recreation programing is being restructured because of changing family structures. Studies show individuals still consider family recreation experiences extremely important. Substituting the word "community" for "family" in promoting special events may attract more people as traditional families decline. The article presents guidelines and…

The National Park Service's applied ethnography program promotes democratic decision making in park planning, resource management, and interpretation by communities with a stake in agency decisions. Ethnographic research has contributed to historical interpretation of slavery in plantation parks, cultural interpretation of traditional Native…

Describes a lesson in which students explore the goals of the "Mountain Agenda" that is a group of non-governmental mountain organizations that met in Lima (Peru) in 1995. States that students are asked to consider how U.S. foreign aid benefits the country domestically while supporting international policy agendas. (Contains three…

Discusses how to handle problem employees in interpretive settings. Outlines minimal personnel management guides and minimal coaching/supervisory investment. Recommends learning personnel rules of the agency, thoroughly documenting the problem, and obtaining management support. (PVD)

The playground safety movement has made great strides since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its "Handbook for Public Playground Safety." The movement has been helped by compliance with American Society for Testing and Materials standards. Improvements in supervision, equipment, and surfacing have significantly reduced…

Describes how by designing a playground, the fifth-grade students at Good Shepherd School in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) learned in a hands-on manner that geographic knowledge has practical applications in the real world. Explains that the geography concepts utilized in this activity follow the objectives of the Geography Education Standards…

Wonders in Nature-Wonders in Neighborhoods ((W.I.N.-W.I.N.) has been providing wild-life related conservation education to schoolchildren throughout the Denver metropolitan area since 1996. Specifically designed for students in early childhood education classes through fifth grade, W.I.N.-W.I.N. is intended to heighten children's awareness and…

This activity guide, developed to provide hands-on environmental education activities geared to Kerr Lake State Recreation Area in North Carolina, is targeted for grades 3, 4, and 5 and meets curriculum objectives of the standard course of study established by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Three types of activities are…