RPTM 201Introduction to Community Recreation

3 credits · Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management · Penn State

This course introduces students to the role of community and non-profit recreation agencies in generating benefits for individuals and communities. Using experience industry design/management and social justice perspectives, this course focuses on designing meaningful experiences that serve people from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Topics covered in this course include: the history of community and non profit recreation; environmental, economic, health, social and human development benefits of recreation; access and equity issues in recreation and community sport; engaging communities in decision making; the experience industry; and designing community recreation programs and spaces for meaningful experiences. Students will develop their ability to describe the benefits of community and non-profit recreation to individuals and society; identify disparities in access to recreation and the role of community and non-profit recreation in addressing these; describe methods and techniques for engaging community members in decision making; explain how theory informs the design of meaningful experiences; describe ways in which programs and places can be designed to facilitate meaningful experiences; and explain how individual and group characteristics should influence design to result in greater benefits.