DPR Earns National Reaccredidation

It’s official! For the third time, Durham Parks and Recreation is among elite parks and recreation agencies across the country that have earned accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was awarded during the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

We were first accredited on October 14, 2008 and became reaccredited on October 7, 2013. This past spring, CAPRA visited DPR to evaluate our agency based on 151 compliance standards including the overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services. The City of Durham Parks and Recreation Department met all of the 151 national standards and is 1 among 12 accredited agencies in North Carolina including Cary, Garner, Greensboro, Kannapolis, Kernersville, Mecklenburg, Mooresville, Morrisville, New Bern, Union County and Wake Forest.

The process for accreditation involves a formal application, self-assessments, a site visit by a team of trained visitors that results in a written report, and a hearing with the commission to grant accreditation. Once accredited, the agency must uphold the standards by submitting an annual report and is reviewed again in five years.

The Commission is comprised of representatives from NRPA, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the International City/County Management Association, the Academy for Leisure Sciences, the Armed Forces Recreation Network and the Council of State Executive Directors.

For more information about CAPRA accreditation, visit www.nrpa.org/CAPRA.