Live / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 2: Disability Awareness Panel: Thoughtfully Supporting the Needs of Individuals with Disabilities in Your Programs and Services View People of all ages and abilities have the fundamental right to access the benefits of quality parks and recreation. This panel will feature disability advocates, parks and recreation professionals, and accessibility experts who will share their perspectives and create awareness about common barriers to inclusion. Gain insightful strategies and considerations to help ensure facilities, programs, and services are designed to create a positive, welcoming environment, and staff can confidently welcome individuals with disabilities and strengthen community connections.
This is the second session of a four-part webinar series, Beyond the Minimums. This webinar includes real-time captioning. Video remote interpreting (VRI) provided upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks before the live webinar date.
Live / TCLF Designing Resilient Cities: Global Leaders in Water, Landscape, and Urban Transformation View As climate change accelerates, cities must rethink how they manage water, mitigate flooding, and build sustainable environments. Join PlayCore and The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) for a live panel discussion featuring five global leaders in landscape architecture and urban water management, moderated by Elizabeth Mossop (Oberlander Prize Jury Chair). The most recent Oberlander Prize winner and leading global advocate for the “sponge cities” concept for mitigating urban flooding, Kongjian Yu (China), Jasper Hugtenburg (Netherlands), Mia Lehrer (USA), Kotchakorn Voraakhom (Thailand), and Herbert Dreiseitl (Germany) will share their expertise on innovative, nature-based solutions, from sponge cities and river restoration to flood resilience and water-conscious urban planning. This engaging conversation will explore how integrating green and blue infrastructure can create healthier, more adaptable cities. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the world’s leading visionaries shaping the future of water-sensitive urban design. PlayCore is honored to partner with The Cultural Landscape Foundation on this series as they continue to set the bar and produce beautiful content that highlights the importance of landscape architecture and its critical role in connecting people to places.
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 1: Access to Recreation: Navigating Chapter 10 of the ADA Standards View Access to Recreation - Chapter 10 - This webinar will review scoping and technical provisions for recreation facilities addressed in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Chapter 10). These minimum requirements ensure access to a diverse group of recreational facilities. The requirements for amusement rides, recreational boating facilities, exercise machines and equipment, fishing piers and platforms, golf facilities, miniature golf facilities, play areas, swimming pools, wading pools, and spas, shooting facilities with fixed firing positions, and sports facilities will be addressed. This is the first session of a yearlong four-part Beyond the Minimums accessibility series. This webinar includes real-time captioning. Video remote interpreting (VRI) is provided upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks prior to the live webinar date.
Live / Community Connectedness Through Aquatic Design and Programming View From Boomers to Gen Alpha, it's not uncommon for aquatic facilities to see five generations visiting for wellness and play opportunities. Join the leadership from the Association of Aquatic Professionals as we discuss trends in aquatic design to meet the needs of guests of all ages and abilities and dig into programming ideas that can be incorporated into new and innovative spaces as well as traditional aquatic facilities.
Live / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 3: Advancing Play & Applying Accessibility Standards to Modern Playgrounds View The accessibility standards for playgrounds have been the minimum requirement for all newly constructed and altered playgrounds for 13 years, yet their application remains inconsistent and often misunderstood in new playground designs. Ensuring compliance while fostering inclusive and engaging play experiences for all requires a deep understanding of both the ADA Standards and ASTM public playground safety requirements. Join Jennifer Skulski and Bill Botten, both national experts in the accessibility of playgrounds, as they address some of the most complex and frequently asked questions surrounding playground accessibility. This session will explore the practical application of accessibility requirements, clarify common misconceptions when integrating new play trends, and examine the ongoing challenge of selecting and maintaining accessible playground surfacing. Attendees will gain actionable insights to enhance accessibility and inclusion in playground design beyond the minimum standards.
This webinar includes real-time captioning. Video remote interpreting (VRI) is provided upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks prior to the live webinar date.
Live / Playground Inspection & Maintenance: Ensuring Safety, Compliance, and Sustainability View Sustainable maintenance programs are essential for safe, accessible, and long-lasting playgrounds in schools and communities. In recognition of National Playground Safety Week 2025 (April 21-25), this webinar will provide actionable strategies for maintaining compliant and hazard-free play environments. Participants will gain insights into finding qualified playground inspectors, understanding key ADA compliance requirements for maintenance staff, and implementing surfacing maintenance best practices. Routine inspections and proactive maintenance help preserve playground investments, support accessibility, and create safer play spaces that promote healthy risk-taking and fun for all children.
Live / Play Your Way to Better Engagement: A Hands-On Approach for Parks and Design Professionals View Discover how playful placemaking can transform the way you engage communities and design meaningful spaces. In this interactive session, we’ll demonstrate the power of play as a tool for visioning and engagement by working through real-world examples in real time. Participants will learn how playful strategies can spark creativity, build trust, and uncover the deeper needs of the communities they serve.
Designed for both parks and recreation professionals and design professionals, this session will explore how combining play with the design process fosters inclusive, resilient, and community-driven environments. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your community engagement process or enhance your design approach, this session offers practical insights and techniques you can apply immediately.
Join us as we bring a project to life using playful placemaking methods, and leave inspired to reimagine the possibilities for your own work.
On-Demand / The Cultural Landscape Foundation Soak It Up Partnership: Designing Resilient Cities: The Power of Water in Landscape Architecture Part 2 View As climate change accelerates, cities must embrace water as a resource rather than a challenge. This session features Kotchakorn Voraakhom (Thailand) and Herbert Dreiseitl (Germany), two global leaders in landscape architecture redefining urban water management. Voraakhom explores Bangkok’s flood resilience and water governance, while Dreiseitl shares his visionary approach to blue-green infrastructure and climate-adaptive design. Through compelling case studies, this session highlights how nature-based solutions can transform cities into more resilient, sustainable environments. PlayCore is honored to partner with The Cultural Landscape Foundation on this series, showcasing the critical role of landscape architecture in connecting people to places.
On-Demand / The Cultural Landscape Foundation Soak It Up Partnership: Designing Resilient Cities: The Power of Water in Landscape Architecture Part 1 View As climate change accelerates, urban flooding and water mismanagement pose significant challenges for cities worldwide. This session explores innovative, nature-based solutions from three global leaders in landscape architecture—Kongjian Yu (China), Jasper Jugtenburg (Netherlands), and Mia Lehrer (United States). Learn how the "sponge cities" concept, blue-green infrastructure, and adaptive urban design can transform water from a threat into a resource.Through groundbreaking case studies and visionary design approaches, this session will reveal how landscape architects can shape more resilient, sustainable, and water-conscious cities. Join us for an inspiring discussion on designing with water, rethinking infrastructure, and creating the next generation of climate-adaptive urban environments. Playcore is honored to partner with The Cultural Landscape Foundation on this series as they continue to set the bar and produce beautiful content that highlights the importance of Landscape Architecture and its critical role in connecting people to places.
2025 Recording / From Needs to Nature: Crafting Effective Early Childhood Outdoor Environments View Determining what makes an outdoor setting ideal for early childhood development and how to craft such spaces is essential. Equally vital is educating future designers and educators to create environments that support age-appropriate play and learning. This lecture will tackle these inquiries, discussing the characteristics of effective outdoor environments that cater to the developmental needs of children aged 0-8. It will explore the connection between children's developmental requirements and various design features and landscape elements. Additionally, the session will delve into methodologies for evaluating the effectiveness of these environments and identify strategies to design interactive, engaging, natural, and healthy outdoor spaces that promote holistic development in children.
2025 Recording / Summer Programming Survival Guide View Join us for our "Summer Programming Survival Guide" webinar, designed to equip park and recreation professionals with essential strategies for a successful summer season. This engaging session will cover best practices for summer planning, leadership techniques with a social equity focus, and methods to prevent burnout. Additionally, discover creative ideas to celebrate Parks and Recreation Month and ensure your community enjoys a memorable and inclusive summer.
Session Preparation Checklist
Session Preparation Checklist
An useful guide to help prepare a successful education session.
An useful guide to help prepare a successful education session.
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Disability Park Awareness Webinar (2023) View Meeting the minimum accessibility design standards for play and recreation areas is just the first step to making sure everyone can participate, enjoy, and experience park and play area facilities. During the session, a panel of persons with disabilities and professionals that support persons with disabilities will discuss features that can “make or break” the recreational opportunity for persons that are low-vision or blind, persons using mobility devices, persons who are hard of hearing or deaf, persons with developmental disabilities, and individuals that are neurodivergent. Strategies, design elements, barriers, and accessibility will be discussed from different viewpoints. We hope you will join us for this look beyond the minimum accessibility design standards to discover how you can make your park and play areas more inclusive for everyone. This webinar will include video remote interpreting (VRI) and real-time captioning. Participants may ask questions during the live session.
2025 Recording / Making Playground Safety and Management a Top Priority Series / Advocating for Maintenance to Upper Management Levels View The Advocating for Maintenance to Upper Management session will offer play facility owners and administrators information on the needs and benefits of these spaces. In addition, financial consequences of poorly maintained areas, and duties to manage and operate the facility to the highest safety levels will be covered. Special attention will be given to the role of the agency management to establish a proactive inspection, maintenance, and repair philosophy throughout the agency/department. During the session, we will discuss the key points of a written policy and procedures document to manage public play areas, the importance of hiring qualified inspectors and maintenance technicians to implement the policy, and the importance of continuously training staff.
2025 Recording / Making Playground Safety and Management a Top Priority Series / Putting Your Maintenance Plan into Action View The Advocating for Maintenance to Upper Management session will offer play facility owners and administrators information on the needs and benefits of these spaces. In addition, financial consequences of poorly maintained areas, and duties to manage and operate the facility to the highest safety levels will be covered. Special attention will be given to the role of the agency management to establish a proactive inspection, maintenance, and repair philosophy throughout the agency/department. During the session, we will discuss the key points of a written policy and procedures document to manage public play areas, the importance of hiring qualified inspectors and maintenance technicians to implement the policy, and the importance of continuously training staff.
2025 Recording / Water Works for Everyone: Making Pools Accessible for EveryBODY View In order to ensure equitable use by all, aquatic agencies and facilities must understand, embrace and respond to inclusive guidelines and programming, align to community needs, and implement innovative ways to offer environments that serve diverse individuals. This session will explore evidence-based health benefits of water immersion, share meaningful facility design strategies, and review ADA and ABA guidelines to make your facility a place for everyBODY to enjoy.
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 4: The Critical Role Accessible Site Amenities Play in Creating Outdoor Environments Where EveryBODY Feels Welcome View Providing a truly inclusive play or park experience requires thoughtful planning and attention to ensure that site furnishings and amenities are more usable by more people, including those with disabilities, to the greatest extent possible. The placement or location of site furnishings and amenities and their operability is key to providing an inclusive play and park experience. Site amenities and design considerations within the built environment should be integrated throughout park destinations to support inclusive, intergenerational play and recreation. Scoping and technical guidelines for benches, picnic tables, grills, waste and recycling receptacles, picnic pavilions, drinking fountains/bottle fillers, telescopes, docks and piers, fitness equipment, toilet rooms, signage, and temporary events will all be addressed. This is the fourth session of a yearlong four-part Beyond the Minimums accessibility series. This webinar includes real-time captioning and video remote interpreting (VRI) upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks prior to the live webinar date.
2025 Recording | Unleashed: Off-leash Dog Park Design Trends and Planning Tips View The Unleashed: Off-leash Dog Park Design Trends and Planning Tips guidebook helps communities effectively advocate for the many benefits of off-leash dog parks. Dog parks provide enjoyable ways to recreate and exercise for both dog owners and their dogs. They also create community destinations. Research shows there are many positive effects for individuals that own a dog(s); as well as health and social benefits of owning a dog, caring for it, and recreating outdoors with pets. In addition, design considerations and case study examples are outlined to effectively design a dog park and champion initiatives that provide meaningful outcomes supporting overall health and social benefits for the community.
2025 Recording / A Roadmap to Successfully Accessing Funding Through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (2023) View In August 2020, via the Great American Outdoors Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanently was funded at $900 million annually, offering funding opportunities for eligible projects to support land acquisition, recreational facility improvements and park planning projects. The National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers has developed a roadmap to help navigate the process, understand the requirements, and create a successful project application. Every project starts with a great idea! This session will provide a program overview, offer helpful tips to submit a standout application, and review a variety of resources to arm you for success!
2025 Recording / A Roadmap to Successfully Accessing Funding Through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (2024) View In August 2020, via the Great American Outdoors Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanently was funded at $900 million annually, offering funding opportunities for eligible projects to support land acquisition, recreational facility improvements and park planning projects. The National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers has developed a roadmap to help navigate the process, understand the requirements, and create a successful project application. Every project starts with a great idea! This session will provide a program overview, offer helpful tips to submit a standout application, and review a variety of resources to arm you for success!
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 3: Disability Park Awareness Panel View Meeting the minimum accessibility design standards for play and recreation areas is the first step to ensuring everyone can participate, enjoy, and experience park and play area facilities. During this session, a panel of individuals with disabilities and professionals who support persons with disabilities will discuss features that can “make or break” play and recreational opportunities for individuals with autism or who are neurodivergent or have developmental, physical, sensory, or communication needs. Strategies, design elements, barriers, and accessibility will be discussed from their unique perspective. We hope you will join us for this look beyond the minimum accessibility design standards to discover how your community can make your park and play areas more inclusive for everyone. This is the third session of a yearlong four-part Beyond the Minimums accessibility series. This webinar will feature real-time captioning and video remote interpreting (VRI).
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 1: Breaking Ground: Best Practices for Creating Accessible Routes and Surfacing in Parks and Recreation Facilities View Equitable and safe access to parks and recreation facilities begins with firm, stable, and slip-resistant ground surface materials along accessible, connecting routes. Thoughtful planning ensures people who use mobility devices or other adaptive equipment can move independently from site arrival points and throughout each park, play, and recreation setting. This session will address requirements for exterior routes and surfaces in outdoor recreational settings and offer design considerations to go beyond minimum compliance to make certain everyone has the ability to participate. Accessibility Specialist, Bill Botten, will review best practices for planning accessible routes, sidewalks, shared-use paths, routes to and within recreation facilities including play areas, sports fields, outdoor recreation areas, trails, and beaches. This is the first session of a yearlong four-part Beyond the Minimums accessibility series. This webinar includes real-time captioning and video remote interpreting (VRI) upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks prior to the live webinar date.
2025 Recording / Beyond the Minimums: Accessibility Webinar Series / Part 2: Splish Splash! Dive into Creating Accessible Aquatic Facilities View People of all abilities should have access to the many health benefits aquatic play and recreation environments can offer. Well-designed aquatic facilities provide opportunities for rehabilitation, exercise, socialization, play, rest, and relaxation for community members across generations. It is critical to consider the needs of individuals with disabilities when planning, designing, and programming these environments. This session will review provisions in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design that address independent access to swimming pools, water play destinations, splash parks, and spas. Accessibility Specialist, Bill Botten, will review the application of the requirements for aquatic facilities, as well as the scoping and technical requirements for pool lifts, sloped entries, transfer steps, transfer walls, and accessible stairs. Additionally, the session will provide suggestions to go beyond the minimum requirements to enhance inclusive aquatic recreation facilities, including lazy rivers, wave action pools, water play elements, and other site amenities to support the diverse needs of all visitors. This is the second session of a yearlong four-part Beyond the Minimums accessibility series. This webinar includes real-time captioning and video remote interpreting (VRI) upon request. To request video interpreting services and/or resources in an alternate format, please email core@playcore.com at least two weeks prior to the live webinar date.
2025 Recording / Playground Inspection & Maintenance: Preserve, Promote, Protect View Sustainable maintenance programs are essential to positive outdoor play experiences for children at their school and community playgrounds. This year, National Playground Safety Week is observed on April 22-25, and this webinar is designed to create awareness, maximize the value of playground investments, and create safer outdoor play destinations that promote healthy risk-taking and fun! Routine maintenance and visual inspections are key to preserving play and recreation environments, and properly identifying and addressing potentially hazardous conditions supports safer opportunities to engage in the lifelong benefits of play.
2025 Recording / Looking Beyond the Tax Dollar - Alternative Funding 101 View Many park and recreation agencies and other public organizations, struggle to fund capital and operating expenses with traditional funding sources typically generated through tax dollars. This session will introduce alternative funding opportunities that can assist agencies, no matter how large or small, in identifying potential new funding sources to help diversify their financial portfolios. Specific topics to be presented include an overview of alternative funding options, methods to evaluate the suitability for an agency and its community, and success stories that have utilized alternative funding for community projects and services.