On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, James Fester, an educator, part-time volunteer, and Google-certified innovator, discusses park-based learning and its place in the classroom.

When people think of parks, they often don’t think of education. As a result, many schools lack awareness of educational resources provided by county, state, and national parks.

To bridge the gap, Fester unpacks a three-part program designed to facilitate connection through project-based learning. By serving as setup support, the initiative would not only help teachers facilitate learning but allow students to lead assignments and park rangers to participate in the process.

Moving forward, Fester’s team plans to develop free, project-based download units teachers can use in the classroom while continuing to collaborate with parks in developing curriculums.

What are people looking for in the outdoors? Public spaces are becoming more culturally diverse and the parks services, resources, facilities, etc need to reflect these changes.

Recent graduates are also facing different challenges in the parks recreation and tourism management field these days. For example, drones are now a thing to have to consider.

Dr. Myron Floyd joins the Park Leaders show to discuss health in the parks. He is the department head and professor in parks recreation and tourism management at the North Carolina State University.

There is a clear connection between having a park nearby and more opportunity for physical activity and your health.

Parks have both physical and mental health benefits. They also provide community benefits because they help bring people together.

Green spaces help alleviate stress, improve your mood, and can help people recover from demanding cognitive tasks.

Up and coming leaders should be able to deal with unpredictable challenges and have critical thinking skills.