From maintenance and operations, to programming and special projects, partnerships are critical in ensuring the sustainable management and community benefits of parks. Though partnerships can vary widely in their purpose, duration, and level of collaboration, they always involve mutual effort and investment to accomplish shared goals. Successful partnerships have some key elements in common (think proactive communication and accountability), and leverage the resources and expertise of different types of organizations in order to provide vibrant park spaces for the community.
Join City Parks Alliance for this skill-building workshop, which will explore how to create more effective and well-managed park partnerships, as well as guidelines for developing effective agreements.
Participants will learn about key principles of successful park partnerships; hear from guest speakers who will share their approaches to creating strong partnerships; and think about steps they can take to strengthen existing park partnerships or create new ones.
Guest Speakers
- Sarah Katz-Hyman, Southwest Area Manager at the San Francisco Parks Alliance
- Nicholas Dewar, Friends of the Glen Park Greenway in San Francisco
Sarah and Nicholas will discuss their organizational partnership related to the Glen Park Greenway, a project that includes a trail, native meadow, and woodland, and which has created pedestrian connections to transportation hubs and an important cross-town trail. Sarah will also discuss the different types of partnerships the Alliance maintains, including with the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and various community groups, and the goals and key elements of those partnerships.
- Melissa Spear, Executive Director of Tilth Alliance in Seattle, a nonprofit that works in community with Washington farmers, gardeners, and eaters for a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food future.
Melissa will discuss Tilth Alliance’s relationship with Seattle Parks and Recreation, including both formal and informal elements in place to ensure shared goals are being met for the spaces that Tilth Alliance manages. Melissa will also touch on a park partnership between Common Ground – an urban farm and environmental education center – and the New Haven, Connecticut Department of Parks, Recreation, and Trees during her tenure as Executive Director at Common Ground from 2009 to 2018.
We encourage teams of 2-4 people per city to register and offer discounts for city teams! We strongly recommend that teams include individuals from at least two different organizations, in order to maximize the potential for partnership and collaboration following the workshop.
Please contact us with any questions at [email protected].
Registration Fees:
- Individual member: $30
- Individual non-member: $50
- Team of 2 with at least one CPA member: $55
- Team of 2, non-member: $95
- Team of 3, with at least one CPA member: $75
- Team of 3, non-member: $135
- Team of 4 with at least one CPA member: $80
- Team of 4, non-member: $160
