Improving the quality of life for military families has become an important goal for all areas of the armed forces. More attention is being paid to the special circumstances of these families through various types of programs. Recreation programs are often successful in reducing stressful situations. (DF)

Rising energy costs and staff reductions pose problems for those who direct aquatic programs for the disabled. At the same time, aquatics programs for the disabled are increasing in number, broadening in scope, and offering new opportunities for research and development of materials. (PP)

Three considerations governed the planning of a new activity center at Hope College (Michigan): (1) The building should be an activity-oriented rather than a spectator-oriented facility; (2) it should maintain tremendous flexibility in meeting its functions; and (3) it should have a maximum amount of usable space. (JN)

Swimming pools are an essential community service, and aquatic facilities should be designed in ways which will provide adequate revenue and appropriate benefits for individuals of all ages and physical conditions. Suggestions are given on planning new aquatic centers which would be profitable, serve all types of needs, and attract people. (JN)

Intrinsic motivation is discussed as the main concern of evaluation of leisure and recreational programs. Two factors influencing leisure behavior are perceived freedom and perceived competence. Two types of intrinsic rewards are possible from leisure participation: rewards and those obtained from a change in environment. Evaluation should then…

Evaluation is one method of determining accountability in human service programs. A generic evaluation approach contains several steps: (1) stating a purpose for evaluating the program; (2) identifying evaluation questions; (3) identifying the nature of evaluation information; (4) collecting evaluation information; (5) analyzing evaluation…

A brief history of correctional recreation from the late 1800s through the time of the Attica riots is presented. Since the prison population is 60 to 70 percent Black, there is an obvious need for greater minority participation in the development of correctional recreation. (JN)

The integration of classroom learning with field experience provides students of recreation with an understanding of the applicability of their college course work to the problems facing recreation professionals. (JD)

Efforts to qualitatively measure the effectiveness of military recreational programs have met only negligible success. This is due in part to a lack of definitive data and a lack of scientific assessment tools for adequately measuring performance objectives. (JN)

Describes an aerobic activity set to music for children that mimics animal movements. Example exercises include walking like a penguin or jumping like a cricket. Stresses basic aerobic principles and designing the program at the level of children's motor skills. Benefits include reaching people who normally don't visit nature centers, and bridging…

Military recreation is a sophisticated leisure delivery system that has traditionally remained independent from public providers of recreation and parks services. Now, because of cost considerations, commanding officers may be developing new levels of public sector cooperation. The article examines differences between public and military…

The Illinois Rural Recreation Development Project seeks to develop diversified funding and community partnerships for long-term recreation services in rural areas. The project relies on professionally trained recreation directors and citizen support and participation in planning. (SK)

Describes a survey conducted by the Washoe County (Nevada) Library to investigate youth services programs, using a planning grant from the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, "Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development". Discusses education and tutoring programs, including homework centers; career development and mentoring…

In the 1960s, since the Tokyo Paralympics and the National Sports Games for the Disabled were held, public awareness was heightened towards the issue of disability. In 1970, a law which was to ensure that persons with disabilities could participate in recreational, sports and cultural activities was passed. The Japanese government has implemented…

International sources suggest that Australian human service agencies must implement meaningful processes to meet increasing demands for accountability in service delivery. The development of adequate services for the disabled in Australia is influenced by the principles of normalization--the use of culturally valued means in order to enable,…