116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department earns national accreditation
Davenport is Iowa’s only other accredited parks and rec agency
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department recently earned an accreditation that places it among the nation’s top park and recreation agencies.
The Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and the National Recreation and Park Association awarded this accomplishment Sept. 9, according to a news release, and the city will be recognized Thursday at the association’s annual conference.
Commission accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and indicates an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction shows that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services.
Under the accreditation process, the city Parks and Recreation Department had to demonstrate compliance with 154 standards and document all policies and procedures. This process helps identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability, according to the city — all of which ultimately help improve the quality of service and operation to benefit the community.
“We are excited to have received this designation from CAPRA, and be among 193 cities nationwide and two in Iowa who have met these rigorous standards,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said in a statement. “Accreditation is important to the city of Cedar Rapids because it demonstrates that we are constantly working to meet industry best standards.”
Davenport is the other Iowa city whose parks and recreation department is accredited.
Earning accreditation involved a formal application, self-assessments, a site visit by a team of trained visitors followed by a written report and a hearing with the commission to grant accreditation. This year’s visitations were held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once accredited, the agency must uphold the standards by submitting an annual report and will be reviewed again in five years.
The commission is made up of representatives from NRPA, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the International City/County Management Association, the Academy for Leisure Sciences, the Armed Forces Recreation Network and the Council of State Executive Directors.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
Attendees play soccer with volunteers April 24 during a Field Day hosted by the Leaders, Believers, Achievers Foundation and Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department at Jones Park in Cedar Rapids. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Parker Veldhuizen, 18 months, holds on as he swings on a saucer-shaped swing while visiting the all-inclusive playground in October 2017 at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids with his mother, Kayte Veldhuizen. The playground, which was the first of its kind in Cedar Rapids and features play elements that are accessible to children and adults with varying levels of physical ability, opened in 2017 with funding from Variety — The Children’s Charity. (The Gazette)
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