Participants from the IMR training in Denver, CO.
Denver, CO – The Public Lands Alliance (PLA) and the National Park Service (NPS) delivered a customized training on “Innovative Strategies for Community Engagement” for more than 60 NPS employees, nonprofit partners and community stakeholders in Denver, CO from August 29 – 31. The NPS Intermountain Region sponsored this pilot training with additional support from the NPS Midwest Region.
As the NPS begins its second century, this training provided tools, strategies and case studies to increase NPS opportunities for community engagement through partnerships. PLA, a leader in partnership education, was proud to partner with the NPS for this training, marshalling resources found within its network of public lands partner organizations.
“PLA believes that strong ties between the NPS and its nonprofit partners are essential to healthy and vibrant parks and programs. This training built on that key foundation to engage and celebrate a diverse array of partners and stakeholders,” said PLA Executive Director Dan Puskar. “PLA commends the NPS for its forward-thinking commitment to better serve local communities through multiple, layered partnerships.”
Training sessions, small group discussions and a partnership practicum tackled topics including fundraising and friend-raising, nonprofit governance, assessing resources for community engagement, marketing and communications, volunteerism, and engaging diverse groups. Trainers included seasoned NPS leaders and nonprofit park partner executives.
According to Krista Muddle, NPS Regional Partnership Coordinator for the Intermountain Region, the training was a success:
"This training brought together many different organizations and helped strengthen their abilities to connect in meaningful ways. Thanks to PLA, we were able to provide valuable training for these attendees on community engagement.”
ABOUT THE PUBLIC LANDS ALLIANCE
The Public Lands Alliance provides education, training and representation to the nonprofit partners of America’s public lands. Its membership is a network of more than 120 public land nonprofit organizations that serve more than 600 public land sites and contribute more than $250 million annually to the preservation and visitor enrichment of those lands. To learn more about the Public Lands Alliance and the education and training opportunities it offers throughout the year, visit http://publiclandsalliance.org.