The Importance of Mentoring in Parks and Recreation — Episode 062

Disclaimer: Today’s episode was previously recorded and focuses
on the importance of mentoring in parks and recreation. While we
recognize some of the topics discussed on this episode are more
difficult to implement at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic,
we encourage you to think of creative ways you can continue to
connect with your community, while following all local, state and
national ordinances and guidelines. NRPA is actively monitoring
developments around the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it is
impacting parks and recreation — head to our Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) web page for the most up-to-date information on
our response, as well as resources from NRPA, health
organizations and federal agencies


One in three young people in the U.S. reaches age 19 without a
mentor of any kind. This includes the nine million at-risk youth
who are missing the critical support and connections that
mentoring can provide. But, park and recreation agencies are
closing this gap by offering one-on-one and group youth mentoring
programs and helping at-risk youth gain access to quality
mentors.


To assist in this work, NRPA recently launched an initiative
dedicated to developing and implementing a mentorship program for
youth impacted by the opioid crisis in rural Central Appalachia.
One community that has felt this crisis heavily is Elizabethton,
Tennessee, where many people have been impacted in some way,
either directly or indirectly through family and friends
struggling with substance-use disorder. The impact of this crisis
on the youth in Elizabethton was even recently covered in a New
York Times article and includes perspectives from one of our
guests today and the work she is doing. In places facing similar
issues, park and recreation professionals often serve as mentors
and the one caring adult for children who experience adversity
and trauma in their households or community.


On today’s episode, we’re joined by Kelly Kitchens, the
program/special events coordinator for City of Elizabethton Parks
and Recreation Department, and Lauren Kiefert, an NRPA program
specialist, to talk a little about NRPA’s Mentoring in Parks and
Rec initiative and the critical work being done in Elizabethton.


We discuss what mentoring means to each of them and how
mentorship has shaped the person they’ve each become. Other
questions we tackle in this episode include:


What does a mentoring program need to look like in an area
that has been hit hard by the opioid crisis — like Elizabethton?

Why is it important to implement mentoring programs into
existing park and recreation offerings?

How do we ensure the importance of mentoring stays relevant?

What is the future of mentoring in parks and recreation?