If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked that question, I’d be retired and laying on a sandy beach in the Caribbean. Many of the popular program’s funny scenarios are based on the day-to-day operations of a typical parks and recreation department. The only major difference is how a real parks staff deals with our problems: We have to follow the rules!
However, similarities do exist between our world and the fictional realm of television. If you don’t believe me, here’s the photographic evidence:
The personalities in our department are as diverse as the show’s, but we work well as a team to provide the best possible service to our community. In large measure, that high level of service can be attributed to the professional certifications held by most of our staff in their areas of expertise.
Proud to be in the 1 percent
It may not be fashionable to be outside the 99 percent these days, but the College Station Parks & Recreation Department is proud to share national accreditation with fewer than one percent of the nation’s parks & recreation departments. In fact, College Station is one of only six Texas cities that hold the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
CAPRA, the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, measures the overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. To be accredited, an agency must meet 128 of 144 standards of effective and efficient park and recreation operations.
Our department earned its first CAPRA accreditation in 2007, joining Plano and Austin as the lone accredited cities in Texas, and we since have be joined by Houston, Round Rock and Coppell. We recently passed the re-
accreditation process, which is required every five years, to retain CAPRA’s “seal of approval” until 2017. That elite status is a testament to the outstanding quality and professionalism of our staff.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a Lil’ Sebastian as a mascot, but we’re frequently entertained by the energetic frog that prowls around our offices in Stephen C. Beachy Central Park. To learn more about our many programs, activities and facilities, go to cstx.gov/parks.
