Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 59 Insert #7: (boxed) NRPA Research Papers NRPA Research Papers In 2010, NRPA published five cutting-edge industry monographs. They describe the broad and fundamental benefits of parks and recreation on local communities. Their titles are: The Benefits of Physical Activity: The Scientific Evidence Dr. Geoffrey Godbey and Dr. Andrew Mowen Measuring the Economic Impact of Park and Recreation Services Dr. John Crompton Parks and Other Green Environments: Essential Comp. of a Healthy Human Habitat Dr. Frances E. (Ming) Kuo Air Quality Effects of Urban Parks and Trees Dr. David J. Nowak and Dr. Gordon M. Heisler The Rationale for Recreation Services for Youth: An Evidence Based Approach Dr. Peter A. Witt and Dr. Linda Caldwell These papers help park and recreation agencies develop and make a case for a particular local program, service, or policy. Anyone may access these research papers at http://www.nrpa.org/2010researchpapers Using the Research to Describe Your Agency’s Impact Overall Goal Healthy and successful youth Premise After-school programs can contribute to reducing juvenile delinquency. Context When the school bell rings, crimes by and against children soar. Millions of children and teens are turned out on the streets without constructive activities or adult supervision. On school days, the period from 3 to 6 p.m. is the peak time for teens to: • commit crimes • smoke, drink, or use drugs • be victims of crime • commit a sexual assault • be in or cause a car crash Source: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2009. www.fightcrime.org Recreation Research Example A 2006 survey of more than 600 California 12- to 17-year-olds found that those left unsupervised three or more days per week were twice as likely to hang out with gang members, three times as likely to be engaged in criminal behavior, and more than three times as likely to use illegal drugs (Fight Crime, 2009). Other Related Findings In addition, youth who are unengaged, bored, or uninvolved can be at higher risk of undertaking negative behaviors such as delinquency. A study of California Proposition 49 funding for after-school programs indicated that for every dollar invested in after-school programs, taxpayers saved approximately $6 in crime costs. Source: Peter A. Witt and Linda Caldwell, “The Rationale for Recreation Services for Youth: An Evidence Based Approach.” NRPA Research Papers, 2010. Your Department The XXX City Department of Parks and Recreation provides 3 ½ hours of supervised playtime and open gymnasium opportunities five days a week during the district’s school year. The number of individual youth served in this effort exceeds 1,200.
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