Parks and Rec Social Media Challenge
This month, the National Recreation and Park Association is celebrating 30 years of Park and Recreation Month, and we’re inviting you to take part. The mission parks have had since the start—to serve the people, and give them a place to appreciate nature, exercise, socialize, and have fun—is as important as ever. July is a great month to get out and enjoy parks, so the ASLA Parks & Rec Professional Practice Network (PPN) would like to challenge you to show off your favorite park and activities in parks, highlighting what you consider the best feature of that park (or parklet!). Think big or small, tangible or experiential, amenity or observation. Take photos and post to Instagram, Twitter, or your favorite social media platform and include what you value most about the park. Don’t forget to add #JulyPRM30 and #ThisIsLandArch. You can view all posts on the #JulyPRM30 tagboard.
To get you started, here are some guidelines and samples for your posts, courtesy of NRPA:
Official 2015 Park and Recreation Month Hashtags
- #JulyPRM30
- #PowerOfParks
- #JulyTBTChallenge (contest hashtag—you can find more information about this year’s contest at nrpa.org/july and on NRPA’s blog, Open Space)
Sample Posts for Facebook
We’re celebrating 30 years of Park and Recreation Month by throwing it back to the 80s! We challenge you to go retro with us at (insert park/facility name) for (insert activity)! #JulyPRM30
Parks and recreation have the power to strengthen communities, transform lives and protect the future. Parks and recreation make lives better! (insert “Power of Parks” video) #JulyPRM30
Check out our rad 80s (insert activity) we did today in honor of Park and Recreation Month! #JulyPRM30 (include photos from activity)
@National Recreation and Park Association is holding a Throwback Thursday Instagram Video Challenge in honor of Park and Recreation Month’s 30 year celebration, so get to one of (insert City name) parks or rec facilities and get your 80s on! (insert link to challenge webpage) #JulyPRM30
Park and Recreation Month encourages everyone to reflect on the exponential value parks and recreation brings to communities. What do our parks and rec facilities add to (insert City name)? #JulyPRM30
Sample Posts for Twitter
This July we’re celebrating 30 years of Park & Rec Month and the enduring importance of parks and recreation for the world! #JulyPRM30
www.nrpa.org/july This is why parks and recreation are vital to (insert community) #JulyPRM30 #PowerOfParks
This July, let’s celebrate the past, present and future of parks and recreation! #JulyPRM30
Parks like (insert photo) this are important to our community #ThisIsLandArch #JulyPRM30 #PowerOfParks
Sample Posts for Instagram
We’re looking, like, totally awesome throwing it back to the 80s at (insert park/facility name) in honor of Park and Recreation Month! #JulyPRM30
(include photo of park or recreation activity) This is how our parks and recreation make lives better! We’re celebrating the #PowerOfParks all month long in honor Park and Recreation Month! #JulyPRM30
For more information, check out NRPA’s Park and Recreation Month Toolkit.
Interested in advocating for parks and supporting legislation like the Community Parks Revitalization Act? Check out ASLA’s iAdvocate Network.
by Amanda Bayley, ASLA, and Jennifer Nitzky, ASLA, Parks and Recreation PPN Co-Chairs