By now, you’ve almost certainly started planning your programming for the summer months, and we hope that a big part of that plan is participating in Park and Recreation Month! As many of you know, our theme this year is “A Lifetime of Discovery” and we’re challenging you to show your community the often “undiscovered” offerings of your park and rec agency.

To get you started, here are five tips to help you promote Park and Recreation Month in your community and celebrate during the month of July!

1. Hang the Park and Recreation Month Poster

The easiest thing you can do to celebrate Park and Recreation Month is to hang the official Park and Recreation Month poster somewhere visible to others. You can download and print copies from the toolkit, or you can hang the printed version that comes with the May issue of Parks & Recreation magazine.

2. Show Your Support on Social Media

Another great way to show your support is by sharing information about Park and Recreation Month on social media. The first thing you can do is use the hashtag #DiscoverJuly on all your social media posts about Park and Recreation Month. You can also update your avatars to be the Park and Rec Month logo, or use the Facebook and Twitter header images supplied in the toolkit. We’ll also be providing sample social media posts that you can easily customize and share with your community.

3. Proclaim July as Park and Recreation Month

Many municipalities will issue formal proclamations to acknowledge special days and events. Park and Recreation is no different. You can ask your town, city or community council to proclaim July as Park and Recreation Month. On the website, we have tips for getting July proclaimed as Park and Recreation Month as well as a template proclamation you can personalize and use.

4. Host an Open House Day for Your Community

This year we’re encouraging your agency to host an “open house.” This is a chance to showcase all the great things you do for your community, and a chance to show residents that A Lifetime of Discovery awaits them at their local parks and recreation centers. The national Park and Recreation Month Open House Day will be held on Saturday, July 21, and soon we will be providing you with all the materials you need to promote the event.

5. Submit a Press Release about Park and Recreation Month

Soon we will be providing you with a sample press release template, so you can explain what Park and Recreation Month is and the ways in which your agency will be celebrating. This is a great opportunity to gain media attention for your parks, facilities and programs, as well as include yourself as part of the broader media push around Park and Recreation Month. We always include tips for sharing your press release with reporters.

In addition to these five tips, there are many other ways you can participate in Park and Recreation Month. We’ll be releasing information about our annual contest in the coming months, as well as Park and Recreation Month Activity Sheets,that can be printed and used with any of your camps or events involving youth.

Our main goal behind Park and Recreation Month is to promote the great work you are doing and to let the public know that July is the perfect time to get out and discover the great things happening at their local parks and recreation centers. This July we are celebrating all the “undiscovered” roles of parks and recreation, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! As always, if you have any questions about the materials or how to participate, feel free to email me at cjones@nrpa.org. We can’t wait for July!

Cort Jones is NRPA's Communications Manager.