Dr. Terry Robertson is a well-respected leader, scholar, and colleague because of his devotion to parks and recreation and service to individuals with disabilities. His research is always applied in nature, helping to solve issues and improve methods of serving individuals, communities, and society. He is truly the epitome of an individual who easily bridges the gap between educators and professionals and his contributions to the profession have not only influenced parks and recreation in general, they have led to advancements in recreation therapy that have benefitted countless individuals with disabilities in the United States and across the globe.

The annual River Rally and Environmental Expo helps volunteers take part in preserving one of the last natural rivers in Southern California, by removing litter from the riverbed and attending the environmental expo. It is an excellent opportunity for community members ages 3 and up to connect with nature, help preserve and protect the Santa Clara River, and learn about environmental stewardship and conservation. They have a hands-on experience directly affecting the local environment, and they can remember what they learned to create a positive impact throughout the year.

Internationally-known artist Alexey Steele developed the Love My Neighbor public art project.  The concept of the series is to capture inspiring local heroes who command a universal love and admiration, even within most difficult neighborhoods.  In Carson, that neighborhood is called Scottsdale.  Alexey earned the trust of Scottsdale residents, and his public art project opened the lines of communication between the City of Carson and this underserved community.  Alexey spent 500 hours publicly painting a portrait of Cirilo, a gardener who has tended to Scottsdale for 30+ years.  His portrait is displayed publicly in the new Artward! Gallery in Scottsdale.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is committed to a renewed mission focused on serving as environmental stewards, building healthy and resilient communities, and advancing social equity and cohesion. Through ESTEAM, the Department undertook realigning recreation programming to support this strategic purpose, aiming to partner with other agencies who share similar missions.  Consequently, DPR reimagined the County’s school-age summer camp to feature an outdoor science focus in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.

Fontana Dreamfield #51 is the first universally accessible sports field in the San Bernardino/Inland Empire region.  Built through a public/private partnership that leveraged financial and expert resources, the new sports field allows special needs participants the chance to play and grow in an accessible environment.  In addition to specialized surfaces, design modifications to the dugouts ensure comfort for all special needs players, and a new Dodger-replica scoreboard adds the excitement of a professional sport event experience for teams and their families. Fontana Dreamfield #51 removes barriers to recreation and physical activity and provides opportunities for safe, fun play for all.

This Award Application is for the recently renamed Mel Nunes Sportsfield Park Synthetic Turf and Skate Park project, opened in late summer, 2019.  Mel Nunes Sportsfield Park is located at Mowry Avenue and Cherry Street.  In addition to the new turf fields and skate park, the 30-acre park features natural turf multi-purpose fields, 300 foot fenced softball field with lights, two practice backstops, outdoor restroom and walking paths.  The park is located adjacent to the award-winning 68,000 square-foot Silliman Activity and Family Aquatic Center.  The park was recently renamed in honor of Mel Nunes, Newark's first Recreation Director.

Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park delivers highly anticipated park space to the PHR community. Developed through an inclusive community-oriented design process, the 13-acre park facilitates active and passive recreation, encourages social interaction, and offers a diverse blend of recreational amenities. The park embraces the walkable nature of the community and utilizes joint-use parking at the adjacent school sites to minimize on-site parking. PHR Park debuts two firsts for the City of San Diego: a dedicated parkour area and concrete pump track. Already exceeding expectations for popularity and use, PHR Park is a testament to the impact of successful community engagement.

Centennial Park was a diamond in the rough that was decreased in size by a third when the nearby school enclosed its portion of the park for its overcrowded campus.  Identified as a high priority, through extensive public engagement, in El Cerrito's Urban Greening Plan the renovation of the park incorporated beloved features and uses of the original park with the current and future needs of a children's play area and enhanced accessibility.  The need to deliver this project on a limited budget spurred creative design utilizing natural features and terrain to create a truly unique and beautiful park.

Joe Sampson Park transformed what was a longtime vacant City-owned lot into a safe place for all members of the adjacent neighborhoods to enjoy life. A blend of traditional and creative park amenities provide passive and active recreation for all stages of life, regardless of the varying ability levels of each park patron. The sustainable ways in which these amenities were implemented make Joe Sampson Park not just a typical neighborhood park, but rather an interactive testament to the best aspects of the City of Rialto’s past, present and future.

The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation saw a need to enhance and expand its playground experience at San Dieguito Regional Park so that park users of all abilities could recreate and enjoy the site. The improvement project transformed the existing playground into one with inclusive play elements for access and playability. The all-inclusive playground now provides physical, cognitive, communication, social and sensory elements of inclusive play for all.

Conceived with community input and built to serve one of the most diverse densely populated and socio-economically challenged areas in Northern California, the Hayward Community Garden allows people of all abilities and backgrounds to come together to plant, learn, grow, socialize and play. Over 70 garden plots ranging from 100 to 400 square feet allow those with little or no green space to plant and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. An outdoor classroom, demonstration gardens, composting area, shared tools, picnic and BBQ areas and a natural playground all help this park grow and make life better for the community.

The Anaheim Coves project has converted an underutilized urban space into a highly-used nature park and multi-use trail along the Santa Ana River. In combination with the previously completed 14-acres, the site now offers a total of 23-acres of nature, recreation, and fitness opportunities. The project includes 2.5 miles of accessible multi-use trail system, native landscaping for wildlife habitat, fitness zones, educational amenities, and interactive nature play areas with an archeological dig, zipline, and tree house.  The completion of this project is the first step in realizing the City’s vision for expanded green space and improved alternative transportation connections.

The Downtown Roseville Bridges project is the culmination of a plan to connect people with public spaces, bring more activity to the Downtown, attract businesses and create an interwoven series of spaces that are valued by the community.  The project includes, 1) refurbishment of an historic bridge connecting bike trails from the east to the downtown; 2) a pedestrian bridge, wide enough to be an iconic venue for  special events, and connecting Royer Community Park with the Vernon Street Town Square; and 3) a new bridge to replace one damaged during a storm connecting the Downtown Library with the park.

The City of Lakewood utilized Community Development Block Grant funds and general funds to refurbish the aging Burns Community Center, creating a beautiful, functional, ADA accessible space to serve the needs of the entire community, especially its aging population. Since project completion, the activity room has seen a 90% increase in use and attendance for recreation classes for older adults has increased by 80%.  The Burns Community Center serves as the primary hub for Lakewood's human service outreach programs.

In January 2019, the newly renovated state-of-the-art Robinson Park Recreation Center opened to the community. The newly renovated, state-of-the-art Center is a substantial community benefit, particularly to the Northwest community. Everyone benefits from having access to parks, open space, and high-quality, affordable recreational programming. This new facility is a jewel in the crown of our recreational opportunities in a part of town that benefits most from opportunities to improve wellbeing and enjoy a better quality of life.

The City of Mountain View transformed a Community Center built in the 1960’s that had become sterile, outdated and unattractive in the community into a state-of-the-art, beautiful gathering space that residents can be proud of. The new facility boasts four multi-purpose rooms, two dance and fitness rooms, the City’s preschool program, and a large, elegant banquet hall overlooking 16 acres of open space. The renovation increased the facility by approximately 6,800 square feet for a total square footage of 28,600. The new facility now highlights architectural character, added functionality, and is truly a jewel for the Mountain View community.

The Elk Grove Aquatics Center (EGAC) is a state-of-the-art, full-service water recreation facility operated under a unique management agreement with an independent special district, the CCSD. The facility features a 50-meter competition pool, a 25-yard instructional pool, and a recreational pool with two 30-foot slides, a lazy river, and zero entry. The EGAC represents the best of community-based design, architectural elegance, and operational excellence, which will benefit the Elk Grove community for generations to come.

The We Have Project was organized and developed by a group of part-time Norwalk employees that recognized a need to provide local teenagers with positive mentorship and resources. There had been a steady incline in the number of teens confiding in them with struggles related to bullying, mental health issues and more, and, after losing a past visitor of the Teen Center to suicide, staff decided that immediate action had to be taken. A video was created that offered support, multiple ears to listen and professional resources for Norwalk youth battling struggles everyday.

City of Roseville aquatics recruitment video to increase visibility and applications for job openings. 

Trail etiquette is not just a courtesy; it’s an understanding between trail users, a respect for their chosen sport, and a surefire way to prevent injury and accidents. The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation bridged the gap in communication in a creative way by collaborating with the public to create a clear, concise, and enjoyable video to address questions on the topic of trail etiquette.

The Chino Hills City app provides users access to incredible information about the City's trails, parks, news and information, services request, and reporting issues with a simple touch of the smartphone screen. Report an issues, graffiti, code enforcement concerns. Click on “Adopt-A-Pet” and be linked to photos of pets available for adoption. Look for quick links to information on parks, facilities, and local attractions. Click on any trail and check difficulty, time estimates for beginning hikers, distance, and even elevation gain. With GPS enabled on the smartphone, users can track their progress on the trail. Download the City app today!

The Downtown Roseville Bridges project is the culmination of a plan to connect people with public spaces, bring more activity to the Downtown, attract businesses and create an interwoven series of spaces that are valued by the community.  The project includes, 1) refurbishment of an historic bridge connecting bike trails from the east to the downtown; 2) a pedestrian bridge, wide enough to be an iconic venue for  special events, and connecting Royer Community Park with the Vernon Street Town Square; and 3) a new bridge to replace one damaged during a storm connecting the Downtown Library with the park.

The Paso Robles Recreation Services marketing team successfully transitioned the Paso Robles Recreation Guide from a magazine style publication to a tri-fold brochure that is readily available throughout the city.  The fall 2019 Recreation Guide and supporting marketing efforts have been the department’s most successful campaign to date.  By featuring local influencer Tonya Strickland with her two children on the cover of the guide and ancillary marketing materials, the campaign greatly increased awareness for the numerous recreation classes and events offered through Paso Robles Recreation Services.

The City of Burbank Parks and Recreation successfully executed an experiential marketing campaign to enhance customer engagement. Through a series of “Pop Ups in the Park” events and a finale “Party in the Park” event celebrating July is Park and Recreation Month, this marketing campaign demonstrated innovative techniques that go beyond traditional marketing strategies. The campaign/event design consisted of three elements: 1.) uniquely branded materials; 2. partnerships and collaboration with local businesses, internal department programs, contract partners, citywide departments, volunteers, and community members; and 3. a well-executed event designed to build on community engagement.

Marketing Campaign for the Celebrate Downtown event commemorating the opening of three new bridges connecting the on of the city's oldest and most popular parks to the downtown corridor over Dry Creek.

Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine launched “Agents of Discovery,” a free, educational smartphone app to get youth active and learning about the world around them. The app allows users to become secret agents on a mission to discover the unique features of two wetland areas in the City. Players have fun with questions and facts that are geotagged and triggered to appear in the app as they walk the trails and pass certain locations. Plant and animal life, and the environmental and historical features of the land are discovered as players enjoy nature and the outdoors.

Cotati’s Recreation Department started in 2015. The first years focused on connecting with the community, assessing needs, and offering programs. After gaining traction, focus was turned to spreading awareness that recreation is here and to join the fun! The Field of Dreams idea of “If you build it, they will come” was used in creating an all-access guide to recreation offerings. To accomplish this without a budget, staff partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to sell ads to fund the publication. “Explore Cotati” now hits all city mailboxes and is the go-to for finding out what recreation opportunities we provide.

The City of Pico Rivera Parks & Recreation Guide Summer 2019 took up the challenge to revitalize its look for a nostalgic summer of Pico Rivera. The Guide provides information on classes, programs, trips and tours, and upcoming City events for residents of all ages - simultaneously offering engaging photography, a modern design, and insightful content - bringing the entire community of Pico Rivera together. The Summer 2019 issue highlighted the seasonal aquatic programs with its cover and layout. The Guide is the resource that brings neighbors together and defines what it means to be Pico Rivera.